InterContinental Marceau

by Abdón FLORES

When in Paris, or in any other major city, accommodation is a key factor. A good location is a circumstance a hotel must have in order to be well ranked. Those having it posses a clear advantage over those spread on lusterless streets. The InterContinental Marceau is one of these jewels you hardly find. The hotel, a former residence of Count of Breteuil, finance Minister under Napoleon III, has such charm that it is presented by the InterContinental group as a Boutique hotel.

Just a hundred yards away from the Arc de Triumph and the Champs Elysées Avenue, the hotel is an asset. The 55 rooms and two suites convey comfort, display design, and exude modernity. The facility consists of three buildings, one from the 17^th century, another from the 19^th and the most recent from the early 20^th. While the Haussmannian façade speaks of a traditional heritage, the interior shines for its audacity and modernity. There is a reason for that: the design was conceived by Bruno Borrione, a former member of Philippe Starck’s team.

 

 

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Ceilings reproducing Italian Renaissance frescos, Le Corbusier and Noguchi furniture, Zuchetti tapware, Egyptian cotton sheets, Missoni and Kenzo plaids, Fornasetti vases… details are well calculated to render comfort and pleasure in every room. Being a boutique hotel, the sense of uniqueness is broadly present due to particular objects hunted on flea markets and antiquarian shops. A few rooms for smokers are available, which are cleaned and treated with ozone once they are freed.

The two suites are located on the last floor; both have a terrace with a view to the Eiffel tower and a surface of 30 and 60 m². Since the neighborhood is a business area, the hotel has assimilated that too. It proposes a 300 m² flexible room for private events and seminars; equipped with state of the art technology, it can be divided into three areas. On this regard, the hotel proposes a tailored service including catering. Generally speaking and according to Hélène Dedenon, the concierge’s hotel for over ten years: “at InterContinental Marceau we are invested in giving personalized service to the clients, from the single detail as an advice where to dinner to the most demanding caprices.”

 

 

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Good hotels have always good restaurants. The InterContinental Marceau is not the exception. The restaurant M64 has an excellent prize/quality ratio which it’s clearly visible once you are there: the place is usually packed. Open to the public, the mouth to mouth info has traveled fast and now the M64 looks like any other eatery in the Gold Triangle. The Mexican chef, Claudia Rivera, infuses her origins on the menu which changes every season. This summer, for instance, the choice is copious: squab mosaic with foie gras, caramelized tile; confit lamb mouse, ratatouille “Claudia”; undressed crab with buckwheat, coriander and lemon caviar pearls; a good cheese and wine selection and a glorious Sweetness Caramelia and bitterness abinao, frozen ginger… Open daily from 6:30-11:00; 12:30-14:30; and 19:30-22:30.

Other info and reservations: +33 (0)1 44 43 36 36 or contact@ic-marceau.com