Renaissance Republique
40 Rue René Boulanger, Paris, 75010, France
Why We Like It
Fashionistas and glamour pusses could hardly be better lodged or situated in this super-chic hotel within an easy walk of some of the city's best shopping and culture.
Fodor's Expert Review
At the crossroads of some of Paris's chicest neighborhoods, this stylish contemporary hotel channels a sexy retro vibe right down to the glassed-in bathrooms and roomy hot tub (in the basement spa or your terrace penthouse suite). No wonder, as interiors star Didier Gomez was tapped for a glamorous top-to-toe transformation of this classic 70's building.
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Room
Slightly larger than the Paris average, rooms all feature the wide, rounded windows—with deep window seats—that distinguish the building from the outside. Glossy wood accents and floors, mirrored headboards, and brass pendant lighting (watch your head) all add lustre to these ultra-chic rooms. Upper-floor rooms are superior for the views, and some have small terraces (or large if you go with the fabulous penthouse suite)
Tip The larger suites and terrace penthouse really are beautiful, if you can afford the splurge.
Bathroom
Contemporary glassed-in baths, with designer tubs and/or roomy walk-in showers, add to the rooms' luminosity and sex appeal, but the addition of venetian blinds thankfully allow for privacy. Luxury Sothy's bath products from the spa.
Lobby
A small lodge-like lobby lounge, with a terrace and small bar, offers sinuous velvet sofas and plush retro seating for relaxing with a drink. Open year-round, thanks to the kind of outdoor fireplace normally found in a ski resort, the courtyard's vertical garden and neon sculpture bolster the hipster ambiance all of a piece with the neighborhood.
Pool
A whirlpool hot tub in the spa's "sensory experience area" is open from 10 am to 8 pm.
Spa
The chic Southy's spa offers the luxury Parisian brands signature beauty and wellness treatments, plus a massage table with warmed quartz crystals (i.e., sand) meant to relax and regenerate.
You Should Know Spa treatments should be booked in advance.
Gym
Open 24 hours, the small gym supplies all the requisite equipment, plus a sauna and steam room.
Tip If you prefer a workout not of the stationary kind, the hotel offers its own fleet of bicycles equipped with cute Parisian baskets. Highly recommended in this neighborhood which has some of the city's better bike-only lanes and so much to see.
Dining
Overlooking the terrace, Origin bistro takes its color scheme, signature dish (eggs benedicte), and curvilinear design from the insides of an egg, with a menu inspired by the French classics. Popular with locals, especially for the prix fixe lunch, it's a glamorous spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
A choice of a basic continental or a very good à la carte breakfast is yours, but if you're in a hurry know that service can be slow.
Tip You might consider forgoing the high prices and stepping out to one of the area's many fabulous breakfast spots, starting with Holybelly (a five-minute walk), Ima, right on the canal, or Ten Belles (both a ten minute walk), in the Canal St-Martin neighborhood. If you head to the Marais, we love tiny Boot Café, on rue Charlot. Du Pain et des Idées, our absolute favorite bakery, now serves coffee along with superb croissants, chaussons aux pommmes, and other viennoiserie all baked in a wood-fired oven.
Drinking
Cozy Martin bar and terrace is a fine place for a drink, but there's plenty of choice around the neighborhood too.
What's Nearby
Getting Around
Two minutes from the République metro station, a metro hub where you can get direct lines to almost anywhere in Paris.
If you're torn between hip neighborhoods, this is the place to be, as at least four of the city's hip neighborhoods converge here, Canal St-Martin, Oberkamph, the Marais, Paris's chic-boutique mecca, and the newly hip Sentier-Arts et Métiers. There's pretty much everything within a 15-minute walk: chic shopping, top-notch dining, cocktails, gay and straight nightlife, and culture galore.
Restaurants
If you don't feel like walking far, no problem. If you're willing to walk 15 minutes or so, great. In other words, in this neighborhood you're spoiled for choice. At the Canal St-Martin, rue des Vinaigriers is lined with eateries, favorites include the chic new Gravity Bar for tapas and cocktails, the Sunken Chip for authentic fish and chips. On nearby rue de Lancry, Le Verre Volé, is credited with starting the cave à manger craze, with contemporary French fare and natural wines by the glass (all about five minutes on foot). Or you can head to the restaurant stocked rue Charonne and rue Paul Bert (Septime, Clamato, Bistro Paul Bert), or explore the Marais (we like bistros Carbón and the beautiful Dessance, where everything is "dessert") all within a 15-minute walk of the hotel.
Bars
There are a dozen good cocktail bars nearby, but here are a few standouts for ambiance and quality of the drinks: Copper Bay, Gravity Bar, Le Sindicat, L'Ours (five minutes from the hotel); Little Red Door, Candelaria, Le Mary Celeste (15-minute walk away in the Marais).
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