What
A parking lot may not give instant luxe vibes – but then most former multi-storey car parks have not had the benefit of a complete seven-year overhaul from Paris-based architecture practice PCA-STREAM, nor the interior magic of New York design powerhouse Roman & Williams cast over them. Set within the 17th Arrondissement, this is not the Paris of postcards. Instead, guests find themselves in Les Batignolles, a largely residential area, its main thoroughfare studded with beguilingly stylish shops, including one particularly niche yet enthralling example which sells nothing but sardine-based goods. The neighbourhood is, like the hotel itself, all about authenticity. You’ll find bistros frequented by Parisians on the doorstep, as well as the elegant Park Monceau, famously and beautifully immortalised by Monet’s brushstrokes. A stunning new addition to the neighbourhood, guests at La Fondation are given the warmest of welcomes from the multilingual staff before being shown up to one of 58 exquisite rooms arranged over seven floors – many of them with views across the city stretching all the way to Sacre-Coeur.
Design Details
The beauty of La Fondation lies in its details and the marriage of its brutalist roots with cocooning softness. Take, for example, the entrance. Guests wend their way up a raw concrete ramp, and yet inside, all is autumn-toned sofas to sink softly into. Everything here is designed for fluidity of movement, with each distinct space – reception, ground-floor restaurant – flowing easily into one another. The palette is muted and the onus on natural materials – think wood and stone – but it is neither prescriptive nor restrictive: there are artisanal touches threaded throughout too, such as artist-adorned shutters, while vintage treasure from the 1970s and 80s appear dotted around the place to bring the fun.
The Vibe
On our visit, the crowd was a sophisticated mix of local creatives and freelancers, no doubt overjoyed to have La Fondation as their new canteen, and seasoned yet hip European frequent travellers. Effortlessly cool – but without a trace of Soho House-style self-consciousness.
Food & Drink
Under the auspices of chef Thomas Rossi, there are soon to be two places to sate your appetite at La Fondation. The first, already fully operational, is the laidback Brasserie La Base on the ground floor, which spills out onto a street-side terrace. All wooden bar, marble tables and brown leather banquettes, the menu is local, unpretentious but inventive and exquisitely executed: we fell hungrily upon the delicate and beautifully presented seabream gravlax with passion-chili marinade, green papaya to kick off proceedings, while the sublime stracciatella, Barolo caramel with white peaches was a revelation. Baba with aged rhum and mango and a classic affogato hit the sweet spot, meanwhile, and, washed down with a pair of crisp glasses of white, sent us dreamily upstairs for an exceptionally good night’s sleep.
La Fondation Restaurant on the eighth floor hadn’t yet opened on our visit (though an excellent breakfast with some of the best coffee to be had in Paris was served on the rooftop which serves as its outdoor extension), but when it does, it promises to be something truly special: a glimpse around the room – all floor-to-ceiling windows, lime greens, and grounding wood – is a treat for the senses alone. The rooftop bar, meanwhile, which is open for evening drinks, has already firmly earned its place in the Paris cognoscenti’s little black books.
Don’t Miss
No one should come to La Fondation without exploring it top to tail – by which we mean starting with a long session in the sensationally lit 25-metre pool in the basement and finishing on the rooftop, whether for breakfast, coffee or for cocktails. Below stairs wellness areas often have the taint of a morgue. Not so this beauty, which incorporates a hammam and is sleekly designed and wholly seductive – though if you’re feeling active (we were not), there is a climbing wall and Technogym equipment, as well as a juice bar to rehydrate after exertions. Typology and Ho Karan products are the order of the day in the spa, if unwinding is on your Paris bingo card.
Book it: Rooms start at £303 per night. Book one here.
