"The idea of the hotel is the countryside here in Paris," says Serge Sudre, the very model of a suave, sophisticated Frenchman. He sits in the lobby of the Pavillon de la Reine under a wood-beamed ceiling supported by thick stone columns. Throw rugs are strewn over a flagstone floor and through an arched doorway is a sitting room with panelled walls, huge leather arm chairs and a floor to ceiling fireplace where great logs are crackling away.erge Sudre, the very model of a suave, sophisticated Frenchman. He sits in the lobby of the Pavillon de la Reine under a wood-beamed ceiling supported by thick stone columns. Throw rugs are strewn over a flagstone floor and through an arched doorway is a sitting room with panelled walls, huge leather arm chairs and a floor to ceiling fireplace where great logs are crackling away.
"In fact I don't like the modern hotel," he continues, warming to his subject. "One time people came and made a terrible scandal. Shouting in the halls." I said, 'Where do you want to go? The Ritz? O.K., I'll call the Ritz.'"
The Pavillon de la Reine - definitely not the Ritz - resides in the Place des Vosges, where in the 17th century, identical arcaded houses were built so that the park seems like a tremendous, ceiling-less room. It was a place of great festivals, high fashion and low, as the neighborhood fell into disrepute and the arcades were chopped into stalls. It was from here that mobs streamed to storm the Bastille.
Once again the Place des Vosges is in fashion and apartments sell in the millions. Outside its walls is the Marais, a district of the working class punctuated by great mansions from the past. These have been transformed into small specialized museums and have been followed by intimate galleries and smart shops.
The Pavillon de la Reine is named after a large gatehouse from the 1600's, part of which is the old section of the hotel. The entrance is almost hidden under the arcade. Behind a court that once housed carriages and horses, the facade of the hotel is like a French country mansion, simple but lovely.
The owners are a brother and sister from Auvergne. As Serge Sudre says, "They like to remain anonymous and let the manager run the hotel. They say, 'He owns the place more than we do.'"
"Our ambiance is like being at home," he says of his domain. "Most of the pieces you see I've found in small villages. In jumble sales, that's where you can find old furniture. They say, 'That's too old. Let's get rid of it.' People think it's no good."
The inn has 55 rooms on four floors, 30 "normal" ones, 15 junior or larger suites, and 10 duplexes. Antiques are country pieces, and tables and chairs are more rough hewn than in the Palace hotels with their ornate furnishings. In addition to the entry courtyard, there is another small court enclosed by the hotel. Sitting at a window is to be miles away from the capital of France.
Beds come with two, four or no posts; some bedboards are artfully hand-painted. Walls in all rooms are covered in fabric, sometimes in plain colors, often in Toile de Jouy, romantically designed with garlands and medallions. 300 year-old beams prop up ceilings in the 10 rooms in the old section. They do not in the bathrooms which are marble with state-of-the-art fixtures. Thick bathrobes hang on the wall, the generous bath has a European shower, and the hair dryer is within handy reach.
It is clear that the Pavillon de la Reine is for a certain type of client, not ones who are happiest with boutiques, pools and restaurants. According to Monsieur Sudre, they prefer an informal atmosphere. "When they return from an early morning jog around the Place des Vosges, they don't want to feel uncomfortable in stuffy surroundings."
For breakfast guests often eat in their rooms, but some head downstairs to a cave-like chamber from ancient Paris. Continental breakfasts are the norm, but ham and eggs and champagne (Moet and Chandon) are available. No three egg omelettes, I'm afraid. Only 15 to 20% of the Pavillon de la Reine's guests are American. In fact the hotel likes to keep an international mix, reasoning that too many of any one nationality begins to feel like a group. You will find no tour busses outside their door.
What you will find is one of the oldest quarters of Paris whose narrow winding streets hark back to medieval times. And the Place des Vosges seems, at last, to have found its proper function, a refuge from the city's rush for anyone in search of peace and beauty.
"Even when people well known in the world come here, nobody's going to ask them for their signature," says Serge Sudre. "If they do, I say, 'Get out!' They come here to be discreet. There was a big singer, I don't know how they knew, but journalists were waiting by the door. She was very angry. I said, 'No, no, Madame, it wasn't us.' When they come here they want to live like everybody else."
Of course, most of us already live like everybody else. So when you see that famous face across the table from you at breakfast, resist the impulse to ask for an autograph. Simply act as if you too were seeking refuge from your fans.
First the bad news: supermarkets have come to Paris. Now the good. Two blocks from the Relais Christine is an outdoor market on Rue Buci where food is displayed in a setting that will make gourmets believe they've died and gone to heaven.
This is but a small part of the neighborhood to the left of the Seine in which the Relais Christine has found itself for the last 400 years. It is the quintessential Left Bank: narrow streets, colorful cafes, vest pocket bistros and crusty baguettes at the corner boulangerie. Yet only a few minutes away is the Boulevard St. Germaine, one of the broad avenues that cut great swaths through Paris. Here is the oldest church in the city and the hangouts of the Existentialists: the Deux Magots, Brasserie Lipp, Cafe Flor. Within walking distance are the Sorbonne, the magnificent Luxembourg Gardens, and on its isle in the Seine, Notre Dame.
After time at the Pavillon de la Reine, the Relais Christine is deja vue. (Which makes sense since they have the same owners). The sitting room is larger and the working fireplace is smaller, but the huge leather chairs are the same. The entrance is also set back behind a small courtyard which is entered, almost by surprise, from a tiny street across from a miniscule "art" cinema. The breakfast room is downstairs, too, in what was once an ancient kitchen.
When it was opened 16 years ago its first manager was none other than Serge Sudre. "When they offered it to me I couldn't refuse. A little place to my own. It was part of an old convent," he explains. "There was nothing like ours. I said, 'Oh my god, we're going to be packed up.' And we were."
There is a problem, however, with the 38 rooms and 13 suites and and duplexes. Each one tends to be your favorite until you see the next. Number 22 on the first floor is very large with soft yellow walls, very high beamed ceilings and tall French windows overlooking the street (double glazed so no noise is heard.) But number 24 on the court is at least as nice while number 72 on the top floor is a gem, It is tucked into a corner under the roof, reached by a narrow staircase that leads to a small sitting room with beams coming from all directions. The bedroom is angled and curved with more beams and a comfy bed that fits perfectly under a slanted ceiling.
Current manager Jean-Jacques Regnault to the rescue. "We have three locations: street, courtyard and garden. The largest rooms overlook the street. Our American clients prefer these. The rooms on the garden are smaller and that is where our regular European clients want to be. We know exactly what our clients will like." The Relais Christine has more American clients than the Pavillon de la Reine but the philosophy is the same. "Here we want people to feel as if they are at home. We don't offer them too much luxury or too much staff around them. On the Left Bank the Relais Christine is the one small hotel with four stars. The place is from the 16th century. We are something true."
"I worked 20 years at the Crillon," says Mr. Regnault. "At the Relais Christine we have the same type of rich persons but they want something quiet and charming in a small part of the city." They also want, and receive, a high level of comfort. Color T.V.'s, naturally, bright inset ceiling lighting when needed, firm beds, soft pillows, terry robes, designer toiletries. Bathrooms are identical to those at the Pavillon: modern fixtures, marble walls. There are even fax and secretarial services available as well as a three level private parking garage.
At the Relais Christine, charm goes a long, long way.
HOTEL PAVILLON DE LA REINE: 28 place des Vosges, 75003 Paris. Telephone (33-1) 40-29-19-19. Fax: (33-1) 40-29-19-20.
ACCOMODATIONS: 55 guest rooms of which 15 are suites and 10 are duplexes. Each unique, with country-style furnishings, minibar, color T.V., air conditioning. Modern marble bathrooms with robes, hair dryer. European shower in tub.
RESTAURANTS: None. Breakfasts (including American) in historic underground room with vaulted ceiling.
EXTRAS: Private parking within the hotel. Menus of recommended local restaurants in lobby.
HOTEL RELAIS CHRISTINE: 3 rue Christine, 75006 Paris. Telephone (33-1) 40-51-60-80. Fax: (33-1) 40-51-60-81.
ACCOMODATIONS: 51 guest rooms of which 13 are suites or duplexes. Each unique with country-style furnishings, minibar, color T.V., air conditioning. Modern marble bathrooms with robes, hair dryer, European shower in tub.
RESTAURANTS: None. Breakfasts (including America) in 13th century kitchen with original well and fireplace.
EXTRAS: Three-level garage for guests.
