The introduction of the M Social brand in Europe makes staying at century-old European hotels anything but a stuffy, old-fashioned experience. Their secret? A refurbishment in 2021 that has varnished historical, opulent spaces for the interest of the youth, as seen at M Social Hotel Paris.
With a Haussmannian façade trimmed with large windows and balconies, it is easy to mistake M Social Hotel Paris as one of the city’s conventional offerings — the kind that comes with ritzy interiors and decor that dates back generations. Its front door bathed in a distinctively fuchsia pink light hints that not all is as it may seem. Inside, every touch is for the youth. Furniture pieces are modern and well-proportioned, as though ripped from a Pinterest board; majority of guests are in their mid-30s and constantly on the move; the music on rotation is upbeat and invigorating, and at times accompanied by live music outside. Its space — which retains the semblance of an older hotel — may not be the most immediate choice for any young traveller. Yet, these layered components — blending the old and new — make the almost century-old hotel glow on the quiet corner of the chic Opera area even amongst the host of Paris’ newest arrivals.
It is also the location that speaks for itself too. Being in Opera (9th arrondissement) places one right in the thick of things — and allows for a just an easy quiet retreat from it.
M Social Hotel Paris is a high-rise by Paris’s skyscraper hotel standards — adding to its grandness upon arrival. It adopts the compounds of the former Millennium Hotel Paris. In 2021, its premises were renovated to make way for the Millennium Hotel & Resorts Group’s first M Social brand in Europe. While minimalist white walls and intimate less-is-more designs have overtaken the city, Franck Cousin — founder of StudioCaid — rooted the hotel in the same DNA as its predecessor and created a new identity by retaining features instead of eradicating them. A feat so rare today that delivers tremendous results.
As space limitations and preservation laws have given way to the types of hotels that can exist in Paris, the city has since been an abundance of historical hotels. That also means leaving just an inch of creative room for brands to inject their identity under certain restraints. Pressure is high too — new, younger travellers filling up the check-in list means a swift demand for modernity — and thus, hotels got creative.
Rooms at the M Social Paris Hotel are generously sized by Paris’ standards, starting at 17-19 square-meters with the Aclove rooms and moves all the way up to the enviable 45-55 square-meters La Grande Sweetie suites.
The glass dome and chandeliers in the hotel’s lobby were made in the workshops of Gustave Eiffel.
It shows in its airy double-height lobby, which sweeps with a retrofitted glass dome and chandeliers made in Gustave Eiffel’s workshop. Rooms are quintessentially contemporary, and superior features are underpinned by simplicity. Pastels overtake the walls, tempered by eclectic textiles and silky velvets, while bedside marbles are retrofitted with USB ports, a must-have if one were to call themselves modern these days. If nothing beats waking up to a room that has tall ceilings and French windows, the rooms are where one will find a soothing dose of authentic Haussmannian elements that still exist amongst its modern finishings. Solid blocks of white marble, blue reflective fixtures and circular mirrors set an edge of sultry glamour to the bathrooms — not forgetting the generous selection of quintessentially French L’Occitane toiletries.
For more information or to book a stay at the M Social Paris Hotel, visit their website. Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our May 2024 issue.