A Paris Fashion Week Escape That Matches the City’s Style

There are few certainties in life, but Paris Fashion Week is one of them. Every March, the City of Light beams with another season of editors and celebrities alike rushing into the front row to take in the latest designs. It’s always beautiful. It’s always chaotic. This year, I was lucky enough to find respite at a hotel that feels like it was stitched from the same rich fabric as the city’s style itself: Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet’s.

Set just off the Champs-Élysées, Fouquet’s manages that rare Parisian paradox—old school yet never old-fashioned. The moment I stepped inside, past the wrap-around red awnings and into the lacquered lobby drenched in gold and velvet, I knew this wasn’t going to be just a place to sleep. For the next eleven days, it became my home.

Courtesy of Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet’s

My room—elegant, sun-soaked, and far more spacious than any I’d stayed in before in Paris—was a study in understated glamour. With crisp linens, a dressing area I immediately filled with shoes and show invites, and a bathroom that—time permitting—invited long soaks, I began to dread the thought of leaving before the week had even officially begun.

Courtesy of Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet’s

Each evening, after long days of shows and re-sees, I returned to my spot in the main dining room. It became my nightly ritual: a glass of wine and French fries. The room itself felt like a Broadway theatre on opening night—velvet banquettes, mirrored panels, and a rotation of impossibly chic guests. I people-watched in a corner booth with the quiet satisfaction of someone who has a front-row seat to Paris itself.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rnekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R17ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe

But the hotel’s best-kept secret? A speakeasy hidden between the lobby and the restaurant. It was a world of its own with walls, furniture, and a ceiling all dressed in the same bold, pink printed fabric. The experience of the secret room, much like my entire trip, was consistent, thoughtful, and surreal—the kind of stay that makes you feel like you’ve been let in on something.

Courtesy of Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet’s

It wasn’t until my last day that I discovered the terrace—tucked above a narrow, winding staircase I had somehow missed each day. A true parting gift. I sat there for one final breakfast and made a promise to myself to come back.

You Might Also Like

4 Investment-Worthy Skincare Finds From Sephora

The 17 Best Retinol Creams Worth Adding to Your Skin Care Routine