SO/ Paris
10 rue Agrippa d'Aubigné, Paris, Île-de-France, 75004, France
Why We Like It
The SO/Paris mixes high design, art, and fashion in a timelessly elegant decor that frames the jaw-dropping views as the ultimate design element. Despite the hotel’s full-on glamour, this quiet leafy neighborhood at the very edge of the Marais feels like a meant-to-be spot, harnessing a sort of off-the-radar cachet. But black-book address this is not, largely thanks to its restaurant and cocktail bar (and as one of Emily in Paris’s trysting spots). Guests benefit from the serene location while being smack in the center of Paris.
Fodor's Expert Review
A behemoth 1960s administrative building has become one of Paris's hottest hotels, sought after for its glam interiors, fashion credentials, and show-stealing views that are second only to the Eiffel Tower. Set across from the Île St-Louis, the hotel has stunning vistas that encompass all of Paris, depending on the exact location of your room. Luxe, streamlined guest rooms show a midcentury modern elegance, highlighting natural materials (leather, lustrous wood, wool carpets), plush furnishings, and marble baths. Take in breathtaking 360-degree panoramas from the 16th-floor bar, or have breakfast at the in-hotel restaurant Bonnie with its stunning vistas by day (with outdoor seating in summer). It's so glamorous even Emily in Paris had a romantic fling here.
Tip The hotel does not advertise the few suites on the 14th floor with outdoor balconies just big enough to put you right in the Paris skyline soaring above the river with the pigeons and seagulls.
PROS
- Excellent on-site restaurant
- Unprecedented views
- Great spa, fitness room, and big pool
CONS
- A pricey option for the area
- Oh-so-chic bar can get crowded
- Restaurant doesn't prioritize hotel guests
Recommended Fodor’s Video
Room
Sophisticated design elements are fairly uniform in the hotel’s 162 rooms, using noble materials—lustrous trellised-wood doors and paneling, leather coffee tables and lounge chairs, and marble and ceramic baths—in rich hues of cognac, ochre, burgundy. Earthy accent colors in rugs and headboards deepen the harmonious effect. From this refined backdrop, Thomas Fougeirol’s colorful “photograms” add a pop-art contrast, and the subtle lighting can be modulated to fit any mood. The major difference between collection rooms and suites, on floors 7 to 14, is their size and orientation (some rooms face the courtyard, more than half face the city) and in a few cases, vertiginous balconies and 360-degree views. Never a dull moment here: floor to ceiling windows flood both courtyard- and city-facing rooms with light. All the rooms stock minibars with complimentary non-alcoholic drinks and water, plus a Nespresso machine and tea kettle, yoga mat, and a buttercup-yellow tote.
Tip Let’s face it, no matter how gorgeous, chic, and fun, it’s the views that really set this hotel apart. If you’re going to splurge on a room here, be sure you’re facing Paris.
Bathroom
Handsome marble and gold-flecked mosaic tiles in classy, streamlined baths are complemented by round-backlit no-fog mirrors over wooden slats that allow both daylight (and views). All rooms have spacious walk-in showers and suites come with tubs too (some with views of iconic Paris monuments) and separate Japanese toilets.
Lobby
The lobby’s monumental pillars reflected in coppery mirrors create a chapel-like effect culminating in Neil Beloufa’s colorful sculpture (made of resin-encased refuse) acting as a central stained-glass window. A small fashion exhibition sets the sartorial tone, while scattered lounge areas and a bar for coffee or a drink invite convivial meetings or just relaxing with a book. Arriving guests are greeted with a glass of sparkling juice or kombucha and you can arrange all manner of city tours, restaurant reservations, taxis, you name it here, or grab a hotel e-bike for a spin around the Marais or along the Seine.
Pool
The hotel’s 65-foot swimming pool is open to guests and locals with a membership.
Spa
A small spa by the French haute skincare brand Codage offers a range of skincare and relaxation rituals in three treatment rooms (including a double) with a spacious marble steam room as a relaxation aid.
Gym
Club member and guests have free access to the beautiful wood-paneled sports club, comprising a rare daylit fitness room with top-of-the-line machines and free weights. A trainer is available for private sessions in a dedicated fitness room. Open from 8 am to 9 pm.
Dining
Such are the eye-popping views at Bonnie restaurant, perched on the hotel’s 15th floor, you’ll hardly notice what you’re eating. Uncomplicated menu hews to luxe French comfort food, which they do well enough: truffle-flecked grilled cheese, dainty one-bite lobster rolls, wagyu beef tacos, for starters and such classic dishes as sole meunière to share or black angus steak with sauce bearnaise and crispy frites. Tables on the outdoor terrace are at a premium in warm weather. A plentiful buffet and à la carte breakfast is served at Bonnie restaurant and a new “speed lunch” that promises to get you in and out in an hour. (12-3pm). Best of all is Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann’s “The Seeing City,” a mirrored ceiling and outdoor canopy that projects the undulating Seine and its passing boats into the sky above you.
Drinking
Catnip for the fashion set, the glamorous cocktail bar at the pinnacle of the SO/Paris serves drinks of the 60s and 70s, like the Major Tom or Old Blue Eyes (no reservations taken, so go early to ensure seating). A sky-high club at the other end of the bar takes over where the cocktail lounge leaves off, with DJ sets and dancing from 11pm-5am.
What's Nearby
Getting Around
Within easy distance of all the Marais’s many attractions, as well as the cobbled walkways of the Seine and Île-Saint-Louis. The hotel is a 10-minute walk to Notre-Dame cathedral and the Musée du Monde Arabe across the river, 15 minutes to the Jardin des Plantes and Place de la Bastille, and a delightful 25-minute walk along the river to the Louvre.
You can walk to many central places from here, but the Sully-Morland metro stop, a three-minute walk away, is served by line 7. Because traffic can be slow around the Marais, getting around on foot or by bike (available in the hotel lobby) is your best bet.
Restaurants
Though this corner of the Marais may be sleepy, there’s no end to restaurants, cafés, bistros, and wine bars within a pleasant 10 to 20-minute walk away.
Bars
Cocktail bars abound in this neighborhood, starting with Maria Loca, a 10-minute walk away on Bd Henry IV, and extending to the far reaches of the Haut Marais (3e arrondissement).
Photos
Quick Facts
People Also Liked
H
Hotel Adèle & Jules
I
Inn at the Market
N
Nobu Hotel Chicago
S
