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HOTEL SEZZ
6 avenue Fremiet, Paris; 33 (1) 5675 2626;
mail@hotelsezz.com; http://www.hotelsezz.com
ROOMS AND RATES
The rooms, with sensuous Murano glass lamps and chocolate leather headboards, call to mind afternoon tryst more than midday meeting. (Manuel Zublena for The Globe and Mail)
From $440 to $940 a night.
Even if you can't believe that French women don't get fat (surely there is one Gallic glutton binging on croissants), there is something seductive about the myth of moderate indulgence, of hedonism as tempered as a cream-soaked petit four.
And Paris does such a stunning job upholding this fantasy. The lush grounds of the Tuileries Gardens are roped off to protect the flowers. The most delirious anti-establishment art elicits ponderous discussion. Then there's the Sezz. Located in the 16th arrondissement of Passy - where Marlon Brando had his last tango and the ultra-bourgeois play house in limestone walk-ups - the two-year-old boutique hotel is a testament to polished excess.
Location Just across the river from the Eiffel Tower, the Sezz is slightly off the tourist track - but in the heart of the city that Parisians aspire to live in. And with the Passy metro station just a few blocks away, sightseeing may even lure you from your deluxe digs.
Design The Sezz was once a Best Western. But after a 15-month renovation, the only remnants of its past are artistic photographs of the old interior. And as the hotel bumph puts it, the new look is not meant to evoke a home away from home, but a sleek informality.
This is achieved through cooling shades of grey - the rooms and corridors are awash in charcoals, heathers and about 1,600 square metres of pearly Cascais stone from Portugal - spiked through with details such as red leather couches and pink acrylic side tables in the lobby. The hotel also plays up its Passy inheritance: The front door has polished brass handles, the central stairway is a spiral of black iron and the rooms facing the street have French doors that open to intricate balconies where you can catch a glimpse of the Seine.
Rooms The 13 rooms and 14 suites have amenities such as wireless web and voice mail. And the decor includes pinstriped flannel curtains and beds made up with demure white linens. The accents also include sensuous Murano glass lamps and chocolate leather headboards. The rooms call to mind afternoon tryst more than midday meeting. This is partly because hotelier Shahe Kalaidjian has placed the beds in the centre of each room. The real erotic centrepiece, though, is the peek-a-boo bathroom: A glass wall separates the bed from the deluxe shower - so you definitely don't want to split the room with your officemate. Or maybe you do.
Service Like the high-toned families who live across the street, the Sezz has a staff dedicated to keeping your affairs (of whatever variety) in order. Unlike traditional hotels, however, there are "personal assistants" instead of a 24-hour reception desk.
"What I wanted to do is eradicate the normal standards of hotel-keeping, do away with all the barriers between my staff and my guests," Kalaidjian says. "I would like my staff to say no to nobody."
The assistants certainly are friendly. And one hopes they are suitably politic. But when the lights in my room didn't work after a late night on the town, there was no concierge on hand - just a glorified doorman with no fix-it skills, which left us both in the dark.
Food and Drink Why guests would pay $36 for a continental breakfast when they can walk a few blocks for fresh pain au chocolat is unclear, but there is a small bar for those who want their yogurt, cheese, fruit and cereal in-house. The hotel has also joined forces with Veuve Clicquot, so room service includes all manner of bubbly and champers cocktails. Or impress your companion with a $320 bottle of La Grande Dame and $175 Ossetra royal caviar.
Clientele According to Kalaidjian, consultants, pop stars, "rich Arabs," honeymooners and "Marilyn Manson look-alikes" have all stayed at the Sezz. "It's not really your typical business hotel and it's not your typical star-struck hotel," he says. "The advantage of that is that it's very discreet. Even when the hotel is full, you'd probably run into nobody since we have 27 rooms."
Things to Do In the basement is a spa with a bubble-gum-pink change room, sexy glass showers and a rather uncomfortable-looking rectangular Jacuzzi. Guests can also arrange massages or a hammam on demand. A better bet, though, is to check out the local scene. Fondle perfect produce with the perfect housewives at Marché Passy. Hang with the ladies who snack at Japanese patisserie Yak or Carette. And don't miss the unparalleled collection of Impressionists and post-Impressionists at the nearby Musée Marmottan Monet.
HOTEL VITALS
TOP DRAW: Chic, sensual rooms.
NEEDS WORK: The concept of the "personal assistant."
