Paris attracts millions of visitors each year because the city embodies beauty, culture, and history in a wonderful mix. The capital of France is instantly charming: grand boulevards, elegant old Haussmann-designed buildings, and the Seine tying everything together. Visitors come for world-famous landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame and its museums, but often fall in love with the small things: a croissant on a terrace Place des Vosges, or a quiet side street in Saint Germain.

Paris is also a creative powerhouse and its having a moment thanks to Art Basel setting its fair in October with new galleries and collectors moving there. Art, fashion, food, and design are everywhere, from blockbuster museums to indie boutiques and neighborhood markets. Each ‘arrondissement’ has its own personality, making the city feel endlessly explor-able. How do you choose where to stay among so many hotels?

La Fondation, which opened in spring 2024 at 40–42 Rue Legendre in the 17th arrondissement, is already one of the best. Set between the aristocratic calm of Parc Monceau and the creative hum of Batignolles, and within walking distance of the Musée Cernuschi’s remarkable Asian art collections and the elegant Musée Jacquemart–André, it sits in one of the capital’s most culturally layered districts.

What makes La Fondation truly magnetic, however, is the ambition behind its creation: a daring architectural metamorphosis that has transformed a 1960s car park into one of Paris’s most compelling urban hotels. The concept, as Marion Gerent, General Manager, explains, “emerged after the owner visited the MIX Hotel in Belgium and was inspired by the diversity of its spaces. He wanted to create a singular living environment where multiple offerings coexist seamlessly, providing residents, workers, and visitors with a truly comprehensive hospitality experience.” That ambition required a complete rethinking of what a city hotel could be. It’s a huge success.

From the street, its brutalist facade remains proudly visible and welcoming. Concrete volumes soar with sculptural intent, punctuated by a glass façade that casts light and shadow across the preserved spiralling ramp, an architectural reminder of the building’s past life. But once inside, the structure becomes a world unto itself: more than 10,000 square meters reimagined by Philippe Chiambaretta Architecte (Aéroville, near Roissy‑Charles‑de‑Gaulle Airport, Gide headquarters etc.) and his multidisciplinary studio PCA-STREAM into an ecosystem that feels at once open, layered, and intensely human. As Marion shares, “The property is called La Fondation because the project was deeply rooted in the original foundations of the building. The restructuring (which lasted six years) was guided by a commitment to preserving and transforming the existing structure. Former office spaces became the hotel and restaurant, a parking garage was reimagined as offices, and a former photo studio was converted into a fitness center.” It took a long time and the resulting spaces are fantastic.

It is this commitment to thoughtful transformation that sets the tone for everything that follows. It’s warm, slick and very modern. New York design visionaries Roman & Williams (Ace Hotels, The Standard, Fleur de Sel (NYC) etc.) were entrusted with the interiors, and their touch is unmistakable: tactile, cinematic, deeply textural. Polished oak, terracotta, chipboard, and artisanal finishes soften the brutalist shell, while the rooms introduce a striking spectrum of colour, bright green, soft beige, warm gold, deep burgundy, a palette that feels both vibrant and comforting.

The lobby, meanwhile, is a masterclass in special atmosphere: artworks, sculptures on plinth, and design objects meet a beautifully assembled library of art and culture, from David Hockney at Fondation Louis Vuitton exhibition catalogue to editions of M Le Monde. The space evokes a contemporary Parisian salon, a cultural warm-up to the city outside. It feels like cocoon at the same time.

The rooms themselves are serene, light-filled retreats. Large windows frame Parisian rooftops, Sacré-Cœur in the distance, or the Eiffel Tower glowing at night. Details, retractable wooden shutters, dual blinds, celadon-green bathroom tiles, teak accents, woven straw rugs, enrich the spaces with an understated luxury. It’s truly beautiful!

Rain showers, Typology products, Nespresso machines, and minibars stocked with French treats complete the experience. The Esprit Libre Suite, perched on the seventh floor with a private balcony, is a meditation on Paris living at its most cinematic. More art books are available in each room, enriching the experience.

Downstairs, Brasserie La Base brings a fresh, convivial burst of yellow and green into the hotel’s gastronomic identity. The room glows with warmth, soft lighting, plush seating, polished tables, and service is exceptionally smooth, delivered by a team that is, as Marion notes with pride, comprised of “true ambassadors of our spaces. They embody our values, provide meaningful interactions with our guests, and bring the property to life every day.” Breakfast rolls out with effortless chic: continental breads, fresh pastries, table-served eggs, seasonal fruits. Lunch and dinner are crafted by chef Thomas Rossi, whose dishes, onion tart with thyme cream, stracciatella with Barolo caramel and peaches, roasted octopus with shakshuka and coriander oil, exemplify a refined creativity. The upcoming fine-dining restaurant will raise the stakes even further, while the rooftop bar offers some of the neighbourhood’s best sunset views. The way to the restrooms offers some of the best views of Paris with more cultural books. Is it another hidden secret?

The wellness spaces at La Fondation elevate the property into a category of its own. Cherry on the cake! The semi-Olympic pool, luminous and architectural, feels like a subterranean temple to slowness and calm: clerestory light rippling across concrete walls, loungers arranged for quiet contemplation, terraces inviting long hours of retreat. The spa layers warmth and intimacy: sauna, hammam, and treatment rooms designed with exquisite attention to sensory detail, while Typology’s vegan French formulas heighten the rituals.

The fitness centre, reimagined from a former photo studio by Fréquence and Atelier MKD, is vast and beautifully equipped, featuring climbing walls (can you imagine, in the centre of Paris?), connected cardio machines, boxing and dance studios, and a juice bar offering smoothies, protein shakes, and matcha. It is exceptional by any urban standard. That space is where most international travellers can be found.

In the upper floors, the rooftop and suspended garden create a dynamic counterpoint. At sunset, deep-hued seating, wrought-iron planters, and textured surfaces glow under the shifting sky. It’s very cool! Guests drift between cocktails, conversations, and views that stretch from the Eiffel Tower to Sacré-Cœur. The suspended garden, quieter and more introspective, invites reading, daydreaming, and the gentle pleasure of being tucked above the rhythm of the city. It’s fabulous, both on a rainy day and in the heat of the summer. Clearly, a new place to be. Staff are also truly dedicated and fantastic.

Beyond the hotel, the 17th arrondissement adds its own cultural richness to the experience. Parc Monceau’s follies and winding pathways are a few minutes away. The Musée Cernuschi offers one of Europe’s most important Asian art collections of sculptures, religious objects, furniture and more from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam; the Musée Jacquemart-André unveils the splendour of a 19th-century mansion turned museum. Batignolles with its cafés, markets, and boutiques, channels a village mood, while the Clichy-Batignolles district offers contemporary architecture, gardens, and promenades that reflect Paris’s evolving identity. Historically, Batignolles was home to the Batignolles artists’ group in the 19th century, where painters like Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot lived and worked. For more cultural enthusiasts, Les Champs are not far and subsequently Palais Galliera and Palais de Tokyo. It’s all about walking in Paris anyway!

La Fondation’s success has been immediate. As Marion says, “We recorded excellent occupancy rates from the very first months after opening. Guests quickly embraced the diversity of our offerings, enabling us to reach a 92% occupancy rate as early as June, despite opening only on 28 April. We already welcome a loyal clientele who stays with us regularly and considers the property their second home… Our key markets include the United States, Europe, and South America.” Clients are loyal and do return to La Fondation. Who wouldn’t, as it’s one of the best hotels in Paris?

The hotel has also drawn creatives, and fashion aficionados, especially during Paris Fashion Week: “We have hosted numerous photo shoots across various industries. We have welcomed cultural figures, athletes, and celebrities. The diversity of our spaces allows us to accommodate a wide range of profiles, each finding an area of the property suited to their needs.” However, the identities of these prestigious guests will remain confidential.

Running such a multifaceted property has not been without challenges. As Marion reflects, “Opening such a multifaceted establishment required extensive preparation to ensure that each component of the property delivered the experience we envisioned…” 

Sustainability has also been a priority as hotels increasingly face green challenges: “The building was designed to meet numerous ecological standards, allowing us to obtain the Green Key certification upon opening. Each year, we continue to improve our energy consumption and implement additional sustainability initiatives.”. The architecture is central to the concept of La Fondation, elegantly mixing modernity, wellness and style.

But what ultimately defines La Fondation is not a single element, not the art collection, or the incredible pool and sauna, the excellent food and service, or the views but the way they come together. As Marion puts it, “It is truly the combination of all these elements that defines the La Fondation experience. The cultural and artistic dimension creates warmth and inspiration for our guests… and the views from our restaurant Les Ailes and from the rooftop are among our most remarkable highlights.”

La Fondation feels like the new Paris: layered, bold, intimate, artistic, quietly luxurious, and always evolving.

La Fondation, Paris’s latest 5‑star arrival, opened in early 2025 with confidence. Its 58 rooms showcase the best: minimalist modernism softened with warmth and comfort. Dining is elevated, from a brasserie and bistro-style restaurant to a rooftop bar that frames sweeping views from Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower. “We aimed for a beautiful, pleasant space that gives pride of place to the outdoors, a setting where everyday concerns disappear.” Brice Errera, President of Galia, the family-owned property group, which launched the hotel, said.

The building itself makes a statement, pairing Brutalist concrete and vast windows with interiors that feel unexpectedly inviting, giving the hotel a contemporary edge that is as stylish as it is unmistakably Parisian. Surprising, very comfortable and high luxury at its best.

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Images:  © La Fondation.
With thanks to Emmanuelle Gillardo from Emma Lab, and Marion Gerent.