Hôtel Balzac Paris & Spa Ikoï
Hotel · Faubourg du Roule ·
Art Deco-inspired haven with Japanese spa & Michelin restaurant
Information
6 Rue Balzac, 75008 Paris, France Get directions
Art Deco-inspired haven with Japanese spa & Michelin restaurant
6 Rue Balzac, 75008 Paris, France Get directions
"Bringing a fresher, more contemporary look to the Champs‑Élysées area, the hotel impressed me with an atmospheric spa that nods to Japan and a tucked‑away speakeasy‑style bar for low‑lit evening drinks." - The MICHELIN Guide
"A sultry, modernist boutique with ties to Balzac, this hotel brings a taste of the Champs Élysées’s Golden Era through a restrained palette of taupes, whites, and wood punctuated by black marble and a black-and-white checkerboard tile that add edge. I noticed Japanese screens in some rooms and warm, rich wood paneling that together make the rooms feel elegant yet cozy and a refreshing alternative to the ubiquitous, designed-for-Instagram boutique aesthetic." - Matt Ortile
"Located on Rue Balzac in a sweet but sleepy corner of the 8th arrondissement, mere steps from the bustling Champs-Élysées, this 58-room, well-appointed Haussmannian establishment sits on the site of the hôtel particulier where Honoré de Balzac housed his paramour, the Polish countess Ewelina Hańska. Designed by Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay of Festen, the spaces show an elegant, restrained eye—an Art Deco–inspired and Japanese-influenced haven with a palette of varying shades of mocha, from latte to cortado to espresso. During fashion week it was accommodating to editors but not a scene: you could actually spill the tea in the Earl Grey–hued breakfast room without looking over your shoulder, while habitués clustered in the sky-lit lounge over a platter of Ibérico bellota and complex house cocktails named for Balzac works such as Comédie Humaine, a shochu and jasmine concoction; when I joined in pajamas, it felt like a fashion sleepover in the chicest dortoir." - Chloe Malle
"French hotelier Olivier Bertrand and his sisters—the same family behind Relais Christine, Saint James Paris, and Chateau des Fleurs—have taken over the former Hotel Balzac and are overseeing the building’s complete transformation. Upon opening, it will have warm, muted decor inspired by the 1930s, as well as world-class amenities like a Japanese spa and Pierre Gagnaire’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant." - Elise Taylor
"Standing at the quiet cobblestoned intersection of Rue Balzac and Rue Lord Byron in the 8th, this Relais & Chateaux townhouse has been reimagined by hospitality whizz Olivier Bertrand and styled by Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay in a restrained, 1930s Gatsby-esque Art Deco that nods to Japanese influences—modern, clean lines, lots of marble, varnished wood and tiles, and the odd signed art piece and sketch curated by the Galerie Francaise team. Rooms feel like a classic Parisian boudoir with Art Deco trimmings (custom block-style lamps and groovy headboards); I spent the night in a fourth-floor junior suite with a wraparound balcony and sprawling city views, where deep yellows, sultry browns and brilliant white walls created a sexy, moody ambience, and a Maison Tréca bed so cushty I slept in and cancelled half my morning plans. The bathroom delivered a deep tub, roomy shower, double subway-style vanity and fancy Diptyque amenities, plus rooftop and Eiffel Tower views, though the taps didn’t work well during my stay—a victim of those old pipes. Minibars are stocked with hand-crafted spirits and a Sjöstrand coffee machine alongside teas, and you can request any bottle of wine. Service is speedy and friendly—especially housekeeping—though the check-in desk can verge on the stiff upper lip side. We skipped dinner when a full house left the late-night brasserie menu slim and exhausted; if you do manage to get something, the bell boy said the black truffle croque monsieur and the Balzac burger are must-tries. Breakfast is a restrained but good spread of European and American classics—eggs any way, French toast, pancakes and cheese platters—with pastries as highlights (I wanted a tad more butter), and jams and other sweet bits from Parisian cult café classic, Angelina. The location is hard to beat: mere steps from the Champs Elysees, Avenue Montaigne and the Arc di Triomphe, with Rue Saint Honore’s boutiques a 10-minute stroll, Dior and Givenchy on Avenue Montaigne, Louis Vuitton virtually next door on the Champs Elysees, and The Louvre a 20-minute walk, yet the street outside stays irresistibly quiet. The vibe is moody and apartment-esque, drawing a well-heeled crowd that refuses to smile in fear of screwing with their latest round of botox; there are 58 rooms, and rates generally run from the $400s to $800+ per night. Downstairs, the Japanese-inspired Ikoi spa is an unexpected subterranean wonder with bamboo massages and a sauna." - Luke Abrahams