Kube Hotel Paris, Paris, France
Kube Hotel Paris 4 Stars
"The designer sister to the Murano Urban Resort near Gare du Nord is for those who like their fur faux and their vodka freezing.”
Hotel Overview
Review of Kube Hotel Paris, by Nadia Latif
The sister hotel to the ultra-cool Murano, Kube Hotel Paris shares its sibling's edgy design ethic. Situated just north of the Gare du Nord, it is an oasis of quirky modernity. It's definately not one for traditionalists; there's no pomp and swagger here, just plenty of preened designer detailing. Kube is not so much a romantic retreat in Paris, more a place for clandestine encounters between beautiful people.
The kookiness of the place becomes apparent as soon as you enter the central courtyard. In it, a huge glass cube holds inside it a sleek reception desk. Not very practical for winter or summer, but it looks pretty cool. Just beyond, a long, louche lounge bar upholstered in fake fur is popular with the city's socialite scene, thanks to its 360° speaker system. Celebs such as Neneh Cherry DJ here on a regular basis, and edgy artists exhibit their latest creations on the walls.
But of course, it isn't famous merely for its art credentials. No, that prize would go to the Kube's Ice Bar, built using 20 tonnes of ice. For EUR 38, guests can get kitted out in fake furs in a reception area rather aptly adorned with photographs of Inuits. Then comes the 15-minute acclimatization in an ante-chamber (a toe numbing -15°) before gulping down 4 cocktails in 20 minutes tops out of ice glasses. It's certainly an experience you wouldn't expect to get in Paris.
Like at the Murano, each of the 41 guestrooms (including 29 rooms, 3 suites & 9 junior suites) have a canvas portrait of an iconic figure hanging up. Unlike the Murano, these particular icons are all wearing (fake) furs. There's free WIFI throughout, as well as radios and PC's. There are retro-style wire chairs and open rails in the place of wardrobes. The Nordic Suite (thankfully, the 20 tonnes of ice did not make it this far) has ice-like panels lined with blue LED lights. For an added little design quirk, the cubed toilets come complete with black loo roll.
Facilities
Hotel Policies
Awards
"Hot List", Conde Nast Traveller 06Who stays here?
A Euro-glam crowd comes to hang out in the lobby, where DJs play every night. It's also popular with a young, up-and-coming creative music/film crowd. Bring the coolest trainers you own.
Come for...
- The city's first ice bar
- Supercool Plexiglass chic
- Lobby parties every night
Not Suitable for...
- Technophobes, who will hate the biometric finger-print recognition keypads
Children
Children are welcome to stay at the hotel. The staff can arrange a babysitting service for guests if needed. They recommend that families stay in the junior suites, which are large enough for an extra bed.
Eating in
All-day eating takes place in the futuristic, playful lobby-bar-restaurant, culminating in 'aperifood' in the evening - little tapas-style dishes made for sharing.
The Press Say
"It’s a bit like walking into a 60s sci-fi epic, what withall the faux fur, pastel shades and bucket chairs." Guardian 06Reviews
Review of Kube Hotel Paris, by The TI Review Team
The Kube Hotel Paris is a boutique hotel sheltered in its smart, private courtyard in Paris. Guests are steered through a cubic glass and steel foyer into an interior that aspires to be cosy and edgy all at once.
The facilities
The large lounge-bar area, where a DJ plays nightly until two am, is a space to snuggle up to pink, anthropomorphic cushions on fur-clad sofas, or strike a solitary pose in your bubble chair. The boutique hotel also rejoices in the city's one and only ice bar, which is aimed at the young or eternally cool. Here you can savour vodkas in an ambient temperature of minus five, cocooned in the boutique hotel's courtesy coat.
The rooms
In contrast to the matte black corridors, the boutique hotel's 41 rooms are refreshingly light and airy. Mostly - you guessed it - cube-shaped, they're designed to maximise space, thanks to their diagonal, open-plan layout. Furry curtains and "ice cube" furniture infuse a little fun into the hi-tech décor.