Gazing out at the inner garden courtyard of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Paris, guests will be intrigued to see several beehives on a ledge. The hotel hosts around 50,000 bees, which thrive in the pesticide-free Parisian environment and help pollinate the sweet-smelling flowers in the garden terrace (where the Camélia restaurant is housed). They also provide more than 65 pounds of delicious honey for chef's use in desserts and other dishes.
The bee-hives are just one of a number of innovative aspects of this eight-floor, 138-room, five-star hotel located right in the heart of the City of Light’s fashion district on Rue Saint-Honore, a stone’s throw from the Tuileries Gardens and Place Vendome.
Opposite Brooks Brothers, Armani and Viktor & Rolf, Mandarin Oriental’s entrance is through a modest metal and glass space, its sides resplendent with flowers. This space is mischievously deceptive, as beyond the doorways, the lobby widens out until you face a spacious, glass-fronted, courtyard with lush vegetation and a horizontal waterway. An eccentric white structure resembling a giant birdcage stands at the far end of the garden, and directly in front in the center of the lobby is a bronze statue, a work entitled The Air and created by French artist Nathalie De Coster. Near the elevators, a beautifully embroidered fan in velvet and glace leather hangs with vintage sequins and pearls creating colorful butterflies in the grand tradition of Parisian haute couture — more than 200 hours of work went into creating this item, which is but one of many that brands each Mandarin hotel worldwide.
Bar 8 (eight being a lucky number in Asia) sits to the right of the reception desk, with an oblong, single-piece marble table furnishing its center. The hotel’s architect has achieved harmony here by placing Lalique crystal along the walls to symbolize raindrops paired with thin, hanging silver metal strips representing branches in a rainforest. Among the other dining choices are: Camélia, a French restaurant; Cake Shop, serving fresh pastries and homemade delicacies; delicacies; and Sur Mesure Par Theirry Marx, an avant-garde a two Michelin-star establishment.
Camélia tends to be the most popular choice, and is located on the ground floor sheltered between the inner walls of the hotel and banks of flowers and camellia bushes. Warming lamps sit above each table and the menu is varied, with diverse western and Asian options. For breakfast, guests will enjoy a shot of l'eau furieuse (furious water), the chef’s detoxifying potion of star anise, ginger, lime, lemon and sparkling Badoit mineral water from the springs of Saint Galmier. Freshly-squeezed juices are made upon request and change according to the season. The menu includes breakfast combos named Paris, New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Tokyo and Hong Kong offer healthier options, but of course, it being Paris, one is forgiven for indulging in the pastries and cheeses displayed on the circular-shaped buffet breakfast table, along with other temptations such as Eggs Benedict.
For dinner, entrées such as organic hen egg, cream of asparagus and shellfish, crab ravioli with light green pea soup, and plates ranging from medallion of lobster to turbot and candied vitelotte potatoes are all part of the experience. Naturally, high-quality chocolate is strongly featured on the dessert menu, as well as the house creation of the famous Mille-Feuilles named after the well-known fashion street, Saint-Honoré.
The rooms overlooking the garden are decorated with browns, creams and pastels against cherry wood furnishings that emanate a sense of serenity from their blend of soft, light colors. Silver metal and glass fittings, including a large TV screen in one corner, bedside lamps and inset coffee and tea ledges loan the rooms a contemporary feel. An ample-size writing desk with single drawers on either side sits near the window overlooking the garden below. The spacious bathroom facilities come with dark mother-of- pearl-tiled floors and a bath tub and shower house separately.
The Mandarin offers attractive spa facilities with high ceilings and an indoor 45-foot pool and seven treatment rooms, including two double suites for couples. The spa also has a 390-square-foot gym open 24 hours, as well as a steam room.
Those looking to stay in the heart of the Parisian haute-couture fashion district are sure to enjoy this centrally-located hotel. And, as the property is part of the award-winning Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, it’s likely you won’t be disappointed.
