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Inspiration
Hotel Monsieur Aristide, a Guest House in Montmartre
The hotel at 3 rue Aristide Bruant, firmly established for more than 100 years between rue Lepic and rue des Abbesses, is now revealing itself in a new light! Brought back to life and freshly renamed Monsieur Aristide by entrepreneur Nicolas Saltiel, this old building is the latest boutique hotel in his collection: Adresses Hôtels. A “guest house” 2.0, as its founder likes to call it Initially trained in the property business alongside his father, the hotelier “by vocation” opened his first establishments six years ago, beginning with Monsieur Cadet. Six openings followed one after another to offer “a different experience for everyone”, yet all conceived in the context of a cohesive collection. These hotels, conceived as original one-off creations, flourish year by year under the artistic direction of interior designer Marion Collard. All the while respecting the owner’s delight in: “being elsewhere, far from one’s familiar landmarks and daily life, whether it’s for a night or a week”. There is no doubt that their latest establishment has the power to whisk its guests off on an instant journey. “Artistic, musical and eco-friendly” but also historically significant, Hotel Monsieur Aristide promises a journey through time. It is a rallying point for lovers of the Sacré-Cœur and the relaxed lifestyle that surrounds it. Taking their name from the famous cabaret singer, Nicolas and Marion have made this establishment the very embodiment of Montmartre’s “bohemian” spirit. A friendly and welcoming institution, where the two collaborators – who have become friends – create new from old as a matter of principle. By reusing the rubble from the building site as terrazzo, for example! A brilliant idea, as is the addition of furniture sourced from the four corners of France, notably at the Saint-Ouen flea market. And our The Socialite Family creations fit in perfectly alongside these objects full of their own stories and emotions. All combined in a project where the pleasure of designing the hotel is matched by the pleasure of welcoming its guests.
Hotel Monsieur Aristide 3 Rue Aristide Bruant, 75018 Paris. Reservations on +33 (0)142 643333, or on their website www.monsieuraristide.com
Author
Juliette Bruneau
Photographer
Valerio Geraci
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TSF
Nicolas, Marion: could you introduce yourselves, please?
Nicolas
I manage the Adresses Hôtels collection. I worked in the property business with my father for a while, then we opened our first hotel six years ago, Monsieur Cadet in Paris. Since then, we’ve fallen in love with other addresses, and have added six more places to our collection. I’ve wanted to work in this sector since I was a child, although my family doesn’t come from this background. It’s a kind of vocation. I like hotels, being elsewhere, far from one’s familiar landmarks and daily life, whether it’s for a night or a week. It’s this magic that I wanted to reproduce in my work.
Marion
I set up my own interior design studio about ten years ago after graduating from Penninghen in architecture and art direction. I started by designing Parisian apartments and private houses for artists and collectors, properties abroad. I’ve been fortunate to have known some very happy family homes in my life. I like to create atmospheres nowadays. So, somewhere along the line, I have to try to recreate that feeling of well-being in my work!
TSF
Why did you decide to work together on this project?
Marion
Eight years ago, I designed the interior of the Tiger Yoga Clubs in Paris and elsewhere. That’s when I met Nicolas professionally, and he became a friend. He entrusted me with Monsieur Aristide almost three years ago as an interior designer. As the Collection grew, we shared our ideas and the stories we wanted to tell. From the choice of the name of the Collection to the design of the uniforms and the musical signature. One day we realised that I had naturally become the artistic director of Adresses Hotels.
Nicolas
We discovered that we complemented each other rather well! Marion provides me with a very artistic and unconventional world. That’s what I like most in life; it’s the unexpected, the surprise. We share the same vision of hotels and the service we want to offer…
TSF
Tell us about the story behind this place.
Nicolas
It had been a hotel for 100 years. It was wedged between rue Lepic and rue des Abesses. While I was walking in the neighbourhood, I met the former owner, just outside his door. We fell into conversation. He was of a certain age, the hotel was of a certain age, and he was considering selling it. And I was starting out as a hotelier. We gave each other a high five, and that’s how the project started. I saw the potential of the place immediately. We wanted to give it a chance to breathe, opening up an internal garden and terraces.
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TSF
What story did you want to tell here? And for what clientele?
Marion
The hotel was named after rue Aristide Bruant. It’s both a bohemian and a musical place. We wanted people to feel like they were in a guesthouse in Montmartre. To make a village square where people from the neighbourhood, the gallery owner, the neighbour, and the florist want to meet for a drink. Alongside the tourists and travellers.
Nicolas
… Not to mention the partnership with Marie-Rose, the bookshop on rue Lepic! You can find all their books in the hotel, and in the rooms. We’ve always had a very strong bias towards Monsieur Aristide. Marion and I agreed it was essential that this place should feel full of history. This immediately guided our work and the vision we had for Aristide. This hotel has been in existence for a century. So we had to continue to tell a story, albeit differently, but artistically, musically and in an eco-friendly way.
TSF
The Monsieur Aristide hotel is part of a collection of unique places – Adresses Hotels – conceptualised around the principle of the boutique hotel. Can you explain this hybrid identity to us?
Nicolas
It’s a collection of places that reflect us. Boutique hotels where it’s good to spend time, whether that’s in the rooms, in the lobby, in the restaurant or in the bar. They’re eclectic, and on a personal scale. I don’t think we could deal with big hotels with 100 rooms. We take pleasure in designing spaces like this, places we would want to come to, well-integrated into their neighbourhood. They’re open to the neighbours and local shopkeepers. They’re lively places.
Marion
The fact that they’re personal and intimate is very important. The hotels in the Collection are never ostentatious. We aim to offer everyone a different experience linked to the address: having a drink by the water at La Ponche, getting out your easel at the Academy of Arts and getting carried away by the jukebox at Aristide.
TSF
The Monsieur Aristide hotel is located in the historic district of Montmartre. To what extent has its geographical context influenced your work_?_
Marion
People arrive in Montmartre like in a village. It’s both Paris and not quite. This neighbourhood has a strong identity, and we have humbly established ourselves here by taking care to be welcomed and to welcome others. In my case, my brother used to live here; I spent a lot of time here, it’s the neighbourhood where friends live! We used to ski down the Butte Montmartre in the winter at one time!
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TSF
Vintage furniture and retro details are the hallmarks of the decoration of these spaces. Marion, what were your inspirations for the renovation of this building?
Marion
I wanted to make a nod to the singers and songwriters of the Belle Epoque by recalling the slightly mischievous bohemian cabarets. What’s more, Antoine, our receptionist, sometimes takes up the microphone to sing a song! It is a tribute to the small gardens of Montmartre and the wisteria that clings to the corners in the streets. Aristide Bruant was also the Paris of Poulbot, of the ragpickers of the Butte: recycling before environmentalism became the thing! So, we’ve tried to be as eco-friendly as possible. I salvaged the rubble when parts of the building were being pulled down to make the terrazzo that covers the floor of the lounge and restaurant. When you transform the old, while it’s not intrinsically new, it becomes new. We found all the furniture in Vanves and Saint-Ouen, as well as in the south of France and on second-hand websites. Each part of the decoration has been hand-picked, piece by piece, to create a warm atmosphere. The eye is drawn to each of the objects, and all the pieces have a story to tell: from the flowery velvet sofa to the 70s coffee table, via the leopard carpet, the patterns and materials blend together to create a new harmony.
TSF
Some of our creations from The Socialite Family have been incorporated into the rooms in this showcase, too. Why did they appeal to you?
Marion
The Socialite Family is an inspiration! For the bedrooms – which are quite reasonable in size – I was looking for a light that was both warm and could light up the whole room. I found this pleated fabric pendant at Socialite. I turned it into a ceiling light. Its shape was slightly Japanese Belle Epoque and fitted in with the eclectic decoration we had imagined.
TSF
Any hidden gems to recommend to us on the Hill?
Nicolas & Marion
We love our local shopkeepers and work closely with them: La Butte fromagère, a small producer’s creamery and cheese shop, the Cave des Abesses for its wine finds, Muse, for its amazing and colourful flower bouquets, and of course, Marie-Rose, our favourite bookseller!
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This neighbourhood has a strong identity, and we have humbly established ourselves here by taking care to be welcomed and to welcome others.
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