Tucked away between the famous Champs-Elysées and rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, lies Hotel Daniel. A Relais & Chateaux member since 2006, this four star hotel is a real hidden gem, one to savour.
Text and photos: wowwatchers.com
Opening the front door of the four star hotel Daniel we find ourselves immediately in the lounge which doubles as breakfast room and tea salon. We don’t know where to look first. A table dressed with fruits and pastries lets us dream alreadyof the breakfast we will get served in the morning while the resplendent, cheerful and welcoming decor sends our senses on an exotic journey. Orientalist furnishings catch our eye and stimulate our imagination: carpets from Kazakhstan, silver trays from Turkey, eighteenth century paintings and blue and white porcelain plates from China, Baguès flower-shaped wall lights, English pedestal tables, exquisitely carved bronze shelves and cloisonné vases, Chinese calligraphy brushes in ivory and delicate fans, … it’s not what you would expect in the center of Paris and though this lounge at first sight is lavishly decorated, it has been done with elegance, charm and great taste! It’s nice to encounter a hotel like this one for a change, a hotel that is totally different from the minimalist style we are used to.
Aspiring to cater to the needs of the modern traveler, the Lebanese hotel owners called on talented international interior designer Tarfa Salam to fuse the best of East and West.
Down the Silk Road
Aspiring to cater to the needs of the modern traveler, the Lebanese hotel owners that also own Hotel Albergo in Beirut called on talented international interior designer Tarfa Salam to fuse the best of East and West. Tarfa Salam set off down the Silk Road as seen by the eighteenth century French travellers’ tastes and chose for the bedrooms delicate Toile de Jouy materials. Despite their oriental appearance, the chinoiserie-inspired Toile de Jouy and wallpaper are taken directly from eighteenth century French interior design. The vibrant wallpaper in the lounge was designed especially for the hotel, hand-painted in China with flowers, birds and hunting scenes on a green background by De Gournay. Sea green besides is the hotel’s signature colour and combines in a great way with the pink and goldbrown sofa’s and cushions.
Sleeping as a rose, dreaming of faraway places
From the reception room we take the elevator to our room on the second floor.
It’s warm and cosy and also has a great style Toile de Jouy that line the walls. Enough about the wallpaper! What’s more important in a bedroom is its comfort. Interior designer Tarfa Salam made comfort one of the hotel’s priorities. Her first thought was to cater for tired travelers who after a long journey want only to relax in a calm and peaceful environment. We must say that she succeeded for a hundred percent. Despite our room (number 202) is situated in the front of the hotel at the side of the street we slept as roses. The boxspring bed offers great comfort and the room is very well isolated in order to enjoy full privacy and silence. The bedrooms offer a haven from stress and an oasis of calm. To achieve this, the walls were softened with fabric.
The hotel’s beautifully made curtains and bedspreads are the work of Mme Fancony in Rheims. Some bathrooms are tiled in Moroccan zellige, others – like our bathroom – in light-colored Italian marble. Several of the bathrooms have natural light from windows dressed in Russian linen curtains. All feature bath salts from the Dead Sea beside hand-crafted soaps with pure olive oil and a generous range of luxurious hair and body care products from Molton Brown in London. Minibars nestle inside discretely luxurious Lebanese wooden cabinets. The custom-made oriental marquetry furniture lends an exotic touch to the unique atmosphere of each room.
Tailored to all needs
Hotel Daniel has 26 guestrooms, of which 9 are suites. Rooms on the second and fifth floors of the six-floor Haussmann-style building have their own balcony, according to French architectural tradition.
Wherever we go we feel at home in this hotel that combines the intimacy of a private townhouse with the sophistication of an international hotel. As Relais & Chateaux member the staff does its utter best to give a 5* service. They address each client with its own name and are at your service 24/7. The owners wish to welcome guests in their hotel as they would friends in their own home. The art of traditional hospitality combines seamlessly with the latest of modern technology.
In the morning we get served a delicious breakfast in restaurant Daniel with a broad range of pastries and breads, cheeses, charcuterie, echiré butter, freshly squeezed juices, and a wide selection of classic egg and bacon dishes. The walls are decorated with gilt glass panels portraying exquisite Chinese gardens, created by the artist Gérard Coltat, who is based in Castagniers in the south of France. The dark wooden tables are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. A silver-backed display case houses a collection of multi-colored glasses brought back by the owners from exotic locations.
The upholstered banquette that runs the length of the bar is bathed in a shower of light from an overhead window, bringing a natural glow to the room. It is covered in an exquisite green fabric printed with butterflies and leaves, signed Lelièvre.
Under the direction of Tarfa Salam; the sofas and armchairs were made to measure in England by upholsterers George Smith, while the tables on the ground-floor were imported from Beirut. The rich panels of the ebony counters that feature in the bar and reception were inlaid with mother-of-pearl designs, and created exclusively for the hotel by renowned Lebanese designer Nada Debs bringing a touch of Japan to the décor. Wishing to recreate the atmosphere of a traveler’s diary, the owners, on their various journeys around the world, sought out unique objects which now feature throughout the hotel.
Afternoon High Tea at the Daniel is a unique experience which remains indelible in your life’s memories
Having a High Tea at the Daniel
Afternoon High Tea at the Daniel is an experience to remember, featuring an assortment of mouth-watering pastries from La Pâtisserie des Rêves, as well as a superb collection of teas sourced from exotic corners of the globe. We have difficulties to choose from the wide range of teas with floral and/or spicy notes that are served here. Homemade cakes, traditional scones with clutted cream and sandwiches with salmon or cucumbar and cheese or ham,… do the rest. We even receive a perfect tea timer in order to get a tea perfect to our taste (light (3 minutes) – medium (4 minutes) or strong (5 minutes).
If you booked allready your hotel in Paris make time to enjoy an afternoon tea in this place. It’s delicious, unique and rare in the city of Lights. As the Daniel is the perfect location for intimate conversation against a colorful and elegant backdrop it will be a moment to remember.
Tea time « Daniel » : 28€
Selection of finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, clotted cream and a selection of jams Homemade pastry by “La Pâtisserie des rêves” Your choice of tea, coffee or hot chocolate
Tea time « Champagne »: 35€
Selection of finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones, clotted cream and a selection of jams Homemade pastry by “La Pâtisserie des rêves” Your choice of tea, coffee or hot chocolate A glass of champagne with a 3 moment’s tea-timer
The hotel offers valet parking.
Hôtel Daniel Paris
8 Rue Frédéric Bastiat
75008 Paris
Tél.: +33.1.42.56.17.00
www.hoteldanielparis.com
Situated near the Champs Elysées many things to visit are walking distance (the Louvre is about 20 minutes walking) but if you want to go further you can take the metro station Saint-Philippe du Roule or Roosevelt to discover other neighbourhoods of Paris.
