PARIS, FRANCE (Feb. 12, 2024) – A short walk from the Arc de Triomphe, on the corner of Rue Balzac and Rue de Châteaubriand, Olivier Bertrand has opened another luxury address for Parisians and visitors to the city, the Hôtel Norman (www.hotelnorman.com).
Bertrand, who recently opened Château des Fleurs a few blocks away, and who will soon reopen Hotel Balzac down the block, is also the owner with his sisters of the renowned Parisian hotels Saint James Paris (16th Arr.) and Relais Christine (6th Arr.).
Hôtel Norman evokes a warm, private apartment. With only 37 keys (29 rooms, 8 suites), the hotel turns intimacy into a supreme luxury. Each guest is given discreet, but highly personalized service. The hotel offers a comfortable stay for all kinds of travelers, including families, with connecting rooms, some with balconies offering views of the Eiffel Tower, or a roof-top suite to admire Paris from above.
A Distinctive Personality
French architect Thomas Vidalenc paid tribute to Norman Ives by taking his graphic works of vibrant color from the ’50s and ’60s as inspiration to decorate the 5-star hotel. Ives was an American painter, graphic designer, publisher, and a Yale professor of graphic design. He was deeply influenced by the Bauhaus movement and became a major player in American modernism of the mid-20th century.
“We designed the Norman hotel in the style of a club, aiming for architectural coherence in the various indoor and outdoor areas,” says architect Thomas Vidalenc.
“The Norman’s style offers a very personal ambiance, far removed from artificial Parisian codes, that of a visitor who rejects standardized settings. One who wants to experience Paris like a local, in a hotel reflecting its culture, giving the destination an additional source of interest.”
Informal Spaces for Living
Hôtel Norman is clad in a stone facade with curved-glass windows and leafy balconies, all crowned by a dome. Once past the rotunda door, visitors navigate an opulent velvet curtain to enter Norman’s world. Rather than a traditional Reception, they find a comfortable library-lounge with a fireplace. A warm setting to relax alone, with family or friends. The interior is furnished with vintage sofas, objects unearthed in antique shops and eclectic artworks. Brazilian design rubs shoulders with ’50s furniture, geometric prints keep company with American paintings of the ‘70s like the accumulation of a lifetime of memories.
Large dining tables and bench seats extend a warm welcome, natural light flows in through tall picture windows, and the bar adds a lively vibe to the atmosphere. The spacious lounge and restaurant on the ground floor extend onto a private inner courtyard. A light and airy cocoon of quietness in which to settle down for coffee or lunch. The Norman lounge is open to the city throughout the day.
Noble Materials, Discerning Layout
The rooms and suites are clad in the same materials as the living areas, with custom furnishings enriched by items unearthed from antique dealers. Refined rosewood headboards are balanced by the softness of natural wool curtains with leather detailing. Carpets with geometric patterns sit on parquet floors. An ingenious storage structure with oak drawers holds a built-in mini-bar. In the same spirit, the bathroom features mosaic-tile walls and a marble sink on a vanity made of rosewood, glass and steel. Everywhere, abstract paintings of modernist inspiration are reminders of the iconic style of Norman Ives.
Chef Thiou’s New Address on the Right Bank
A legendary address for decades on the Left Bank, Chef Thiou’s restaurant has long been the iconic reference for Thai gastronomy in the capital, a world of its own in the heart of Parisian gourmets. For the first time on the Right Bank, Thiou’s restaurant in the Norman hotel features a fusion-food concept in tune with contemporary appetites with gourmet dishes that are a subtle blend of inspirations from her native Thailand and her passion for French cuisine.
On the menu, a crispy soft-shell crab, green mango salad with Thai herbs, roast filet of sea bream with ginger and chives, carpaccio of crayfish & salmon roe, combawa vinaigrette, and of course, The iconic “Tigre qui pleure” or “Crying Tiger,” a spicy beef dish that is a highly personal interpretation of eclectic delicacies, just like the decor.
The restaurant is open all day, from breakfast to lunch, brunch to dinner, with the ability to savor meals in the hotel’s interior courtyard as soon as the weather allows.
A Vibrant Bar at the Heart of the Norman
Always offering a sparkling ambiance, the bar is Norman’s central nerve. Here guests may join friends for cocktails, meet up for coffee, or take a break after meetings. Located between the boutiques of Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Elysées, nearby museums and art-galleries, tourist attractions and the neighborhood’s many offices, there is always a good reason to visit the Norman’s bar.
Sports Club & Spa by Omnisens – opening March 2024
Providing everything to meet guests wishes, the Norman is also fully equipped to take care of their physical well-being. Its fitness area offers a wide choice of machines. After a workout, head straight for the spa. Its streamlined decor encourages you to let go and enjoy soothing relaxation in a soft, ultra-comfortable, mineral world. Depending on preference, opt for the plunge pool or sauna to relax and boost energy. Just next door, two treatment cabins accommodate personalized Omnisens treatments and massages.
In a minimalist ambiance, the Norman’s spa works hand-in-hand with Omnisens, inviting guests
to devote a moment entirely to themselves. Thanks to its teams of beauty and body care experts, this French brand of cosmetics, renowned for its holistic approach to well-being, fulfills each client’s needs and aspirations.
Hôtel Norman is located at 9, rue Balzac – 75008 Paris. Room rates start just under 400 Euro.
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About Olivier Bertrand
The French owner has a long-standing experience in the hospitality field. His family’s celebrated properties include the new, 37-room, néo-art-nouveau-inspired Château des Fleurs (www.chateaudesfleurs.paris) by the top of the Champs-Elysées; the 48-room-and-suite Relais Christine (www.relais-christine.com) set in a former private home in Paris’ Saint-Germain-des-Prés area; plus the new, 4-apartment Villa Saint James (www.saint-james-paris.com/en/apartments.html) and the 50-room-and-suite Saint James Paris (www.saint-james-paris.com), both in the 16th arr. The Saint James Paris is the only chateau-hotel in Paris surrounded by its own gardens and it has just completed a total renovation to its interiors and gardens with newly designed rooms and suites, new indoor swimming pool and expanded spa, and new restaurant concepts indoors and out. Relais Christine, and Saint James Paris both have Guerlain spas, the only two in the city outside of Paris’ famed Guerlain Institute, and both are members of Relais & Chateaux. The owners will open two more hotels in Paris by 2025.
About J.MAK HOSPITALITY
J.MAK Hospitality (www.jmak.com) works alongside leading luxury hotels and residences, destination experts and travel services around the world to connect them with key travel agency partners and broader audiences who will impact their businesses and drive awareness. J.MAK focuses on hospitality brands with personality, helping each client articulate their individual flair, so they can relax, feel confident and authentically stand out. We harness our network to build relationships through in-person and virtual connection, as well as hefty marketing and social media engagement. We are passionate, experienced luxury travel experts disrupting the industry norm.
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