I was eager to stay at the newly opened Hotel Pilgrim because its 5th arrondissement location is in the same Left Bank neighborhood where I lived in a rooming house when I was 19 studying at The Sorbonne. The hotel, with its distinctively designed, industrial-chic aesthetic, is an entirely contemporary experience.

© Christophe Bielsa

Throughout the spiffy space, architects at Cyril Durand Behar incorporated basic raw materials such as exposed brick and ceiling pipes; they softened the look with lacquered panels, tinted glass and stunning decorative elements such as the carpet, lighting, 1970s sofas and vintage fabrics. Its gallery-like ambiance is credited to Studio Saint-Lazare, who curated sophisticated artwork and historic photographs.

In addition to the windowed lobby facing Rue Poissy, a large yet convivial ground-floor lounge boasts a water vapor electric fire and occupies the back, where a wall of windows lightens the room and overlooks an open-air patio with a mural signed by Redfield & Dattner. The lounge has a separate living space — where guests with laptops lounge or work from sofas — and a dining area, convenient for the expansive breakfast buffet at the bar.

The 53 bedrooms are in four categories and occupy six floors, two of which were newly built during the three years of the renovation project. Some have a private terrace; a double-sized walk-in shower; or a Swiss layout with connecting bedrooms. All are decorated in warm tones with careful attention to details, including the lighting, artwork, and the natural and organic amenities from Swedish brand LA Bruket.

© Christophe Bielsa

Our sixth-floor suite has French doors open to a terrace from the sitting area and a large television in a lift cabinet at the foot of the enormous bed. The spacious bathroom — with its walk-in, closet-sized shower — opens out to a vast terrace lined with plants and furnished with two chaises lounges. The terrace connects to the sitting room terrace via a landscaped walkway that overlooks gardens atop nearby buildings.

Guest amenities include a seventh-floor roof terrace, where cocktails created in the lounge by mixologist Alceste Siobhan Von Holz can be enjoyed, along with a 360-degree view over the entire city. The Wellness Area on the lower level features a fully equipped gym with NOHRD machines, a 400-square-foot pool, a Hamman and treatment room, where Swedish massage, jetlag recovery cures, plant-based reflexology and Japanese facelifts are available.

© Christophe Bielsa

The low, one-digit (5^th) arrondissement neighborhood indicates it’s old; in fact, it dates to ancient times, with traces of Arènes de Lutèce, (a Roman amphitheatre) and Thermes de Cluny (Roman thermal baths) at Cluny Museum, home to the original “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries. The quintessentially cosmopolitan quartier is also home to the famed Pantheon, where great French patriots are buried, and is among the other prestigious schools that followed.

Hotel Pilgrim Paris – Quartier Latin

11 Rue de Poissy
75005 Paris, France
tel 33 1 80 27 33 11