19th arrondissement
With so many Parisian hotels done in fiercely good taste, there’s something refreshing about one with a loose Eighties theme and a colour scheme heavy on hot pink. It starts with the words ‘Forever Young’ on a rug beside the entrance, but goes further. The lyrics from the 1984 hit by German synth band Alphaville are woven into the design of two custom-made wallpapers; and when you pop a cassette into the USB-port-enabled boomboxes – there’s one in every room – the Jay-Z version of the song comes on. Yes, this is that place – where green neon signs above beds implore guests to ‘Scream’, possibly into a retro bedside phone, which is just about doable given that soundproofing foam lines the walls.
Thanks to Saar Zafrir Designs, exiting the lift into the hallway feels like stepping into a scene from Star Wars or Pac-Man: ceilings and carpets are covered in a black-and-white-check pattern, while blinding white lights outline room doors. Then there are the artworks, including a Super Mario character made of Lego above a stack of Rubik’s cubes that spell out R-E-M-I-X. Guests who are here to work can access nine hi-tech meeting rooms named Madonna, INXS, Elton, Freddie, Cyndi, Prince, Tina, Blondie and Bowie. Non-residents are invited to use the spaces, too, and communal areas on three floors are often booked for events. Channelling Van Halen’s ‘Hot for Teacher’, there are even old-school lockers in which to leave any work accoutrements or luggage. There are pool and table-football tables, arcade games and a tile-walled restaurant that, slightly incongruously, serves American soul food inspired by Marvin Gaye. In this Remix, almost anything goes. SL
Price: Double rooms from about £87 per night.
