Le Burgundy Paris.
New Hotels
Hotel le Seven
Opening in June 2010, Hotel le Seven is a brand-new luxury design hotel located in the Latin Quarter. Rooms like the 007, Black Diamond and Marie Antoinette Suite have bathtubs raised a foot off the floor, levitating beds and starlit ceilings. The hotel is offering a discount of 30 percent for advance bookings.
Le Burgundy Paris
Another new boutique hotel opening next month is Le Burgundy. Located in the 1st Arrondissement, at rue Duphot and rue St.-Honoré, the chic 59-room hotel boasts a spa and fitness club, as well as a bar and restaurant known as Le Baudelaire, with a massive fresco on its ceiling. The rooms offer modern luxury, with textured draperies, cozy armchairs and lots of crystal, glass and artwork.
Pavillon de la Reine
The historic Pavillon de la Reine, a charming four-star hotel on the Place des Vosges in the Marais, has recently been renovated. The change coincides with the arrival of a young manager, Jérôme Chevalier, and the opening of a delicious Carita spa, aptly named Spa de la Reine, whose services are available to hotel guests and visitors alike.
New Museums
Le Musée Gourmand du Chocolat
Paris is now home to a chocolate museum, in the 10th Arrondissement. Choco-Story: Le Musée Gourmand du Chocolat retraces the 4,000-year journey of cocoa and chocolate. The museum comprises three sections, where you’ll learn about the origin of chocolate, the methods used to prepare it and the ingredients used to make the best. Enjoy authentic chocolate-related objects, tastings and a shop with gourmet souvenirs. Admission is 9 euros, but we’re hoping the delicious tastings alone will be worth it.
Hot Happenings
Jazz Festival in St.-Germain-des-Prés
The most famous annual jazz festival in Paris, held in St.-Germain-des-Prés, celebrates its 10th year this month (through May 30). Jazz lovers should definitely set aside a day or two for this popular event, which features jazz greats from all over the world, photo exhibitions, swing dancing and even electro-jazz. Many events are free.
New for Jet-setters
Columbus International Tours
Looking for something unique and, dare I say, badass outside Paris? Why not don your leather jacket and try a motorcycle tour? Columbus International Tours offers day, weekend and weeklong trips in the South of France, centered around themes like nature, golf, food and wine, sports—even a high-octane ride! These trips are only for the truly adventurous girl.
Open Skies
This business-class-only airline, which already offers flights from New York to Paris, has a new route. You can now fly directly from Washington, D.C., to Paris and enjoy spacious, comfortable reclining seats; dine on freshly prepared meals with wine; and choose from more than 50 hours of programmed entertainment.
New Paris Reads
Mireille Guiliano, of French Women Don’t Get Fat fame, has given us advice on staying slim and living like a true Frenchwoman. Now, with her first cookbook, the recently released French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook, she gives us a collection of simple and delicious recipes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, as well as stories from her life and travels in Paris, Provence and New York.
David Lebovitz, a celebrated American pastry chef, cookbook author and blogger living in Paris, has just released his latest cookbook, Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes.
Paris Pâtisseries: History, Shops, Recipes is a stunningly photographed tome of confections. Here 20 pastry chefs, like Pierre Hermé, who wrote the foreword, wax poetic and share recipes for the best cakes and more. A feast for the eyes, the book also includes a list of addresses for the city’s best patisseries and tearooms.
Editor’s note: Book your hotel for four nights with the Girls’ Guide and receive a free T-shirt or market bag.
Tags: airlines, Art/Culture, books, David Lebovitz, France, hotels, Mireille Guiliano, motorcycles, museums, music, Paris, Pierre Hermé, Robin Locker, tours, travel, women
