If spending Valentine’s Day in Paris is cheesy, then call me fromage! This month my husband and I, with emoji-like hearts in our eyes, ventured to Paris for Valentine’s Day to rekindle our love… for our favourite French hotel, le Hôtel de l’Abbaye.
Located on the left bank in chic St. Germain, the one-time famous hood for renown artists and writers, le Hôtel de l’Abbaye sits quietly off the main boulevard. With its small courtyard, peppered with topiary plants and patio tables, it welcomes guests with open gates.
My husband and I first came to this hotel in March 2005 via a recommendation from of my francophile friend with very fine taste. Despite us being used to American living standards (big bed, big shower, big everything!), this small boutique hotel was by far the nicest and most charming place we had ever stayed in as a couple. The lobby resembled a living room, complete with a burning fireplace, cushy sofas and chairs and oil paintings hung throughout. Adjacent to the lobby, a glass atrium, filled with loveseats and café tables, overlooked a lush green patio garden. And our bedroom (accessible via a très petit elevator or two flights of stairs) was thoroughly decorated in red and pink tonal patterns.
This year, we made our fourth return to l’Abbaye and everything was still as we remembered it to be. The courtyard greeted us hello. The fireplace warmed the lobby. The atrium lit the room with natural light. And our bedroom hugged us with heat. And the same friendly concierge from years past welcomed us back with a golden key ring in-hand.
During our Paris stay, we strolled the cobblestone streets in the rain, sipped lattes at sidewalk cafés, browsed through fine art galleries, shopped for macarons, and dined by candlelit in small neighbourhood restaurants. We lived the Parisian experience scripted in movies. It was all very romantic.
But it was back at the hotel, where were we changed out of our wet shoes, curled up on a sofa, ordered a couple glasses of champagne, and listened to the sound of the rain on the glass atrium ceiling, where we felt an overwhelming sense of calm.
And that there is TRUE love.
top: Anthropologie / champagne: Laurent Perrier
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