Tea at Trianon: Hôtel du Louvre

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Friday, March 6, 2020

Hôtel du Louvre

From Tatler:

There is nothing quite like waking up and drawing the curtains at the Hôtel du Louvre. Here, all is elegant and understated, showcasing the beloved, unchanged face of Paris – with its views across the Louvre and the Comédie Française. Originally commissioned by Napoleon III in 1855, the Hôtel du Louvre has been a longstanding haunt for those looking for an atmosphere of quiet exclusivity and a unique location on Place André Malraux.

Recently revamped as part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt (a brand that manages glamour and intimacy better than most), this classic landmark hotel has been carefully redesigned, so that each of the rooms ooze high-octane French glamour, from the soft lighting in the marbled bathrooms to the laundry returned within hours, in pristine tissue-lined boxes. A very stylish refuge from the world, the rooms are calm and cosseting. After a day of taking in all the surrounding sights and cultural landmarks, you can decompress in a fluffy dressing gown with a plate of macaroons before sinking into those crisp 600 thread count sheets (the bed is so heavenly, that even the biscuits on your bedside table read ‘the joy of missing out’) and just gaze out at those romantically lit views of the opera.

The hotel’s restaurant is a destination in itself, where you could happily blow your carb allotment on the croissants and pain paysan at breakfast alone, or, indeed, the hotel’s signature Grand-Mère waffles. Come nightfall, the hotel’s Brasserie du Louvre is where it’s at for some of the best steak frites in the city, or hole up in the L’Officine du Louvre bar and enjoy a Ethé et Fumées (Cognac infused with Chaï tea and ginger syrup) or a perfectly chilled glass of Ruinart, naturally. And the place is packed – with visitors, but also well-heeled locals, just as a chic Parisian hotel should be. (Read more.)