Are you a fan of quatrains and alexandrines? Then a little poetry will do you a world of good before you go to sleep! And what better way to do so than to dream sweet dreams in a literary hotel dedicated to the writer Arthur Rimbaud! Located a stone's throw from the Gare de l'Est, in a quiet pedestrian street, the latest of the 4-star Parisian hotels belonging to the Société des Hôtels Littéraires welcomes you for a good night's sleep in the heart of the capital, and a chance to (re)discover the poet through its floors.
After Marcel Proust's Swann in St Lazare and Marcel Aymé in Montmartre, why did founder Jacques Letertre choose the 10th arrondissement for the author of "LeBateau ivre"? Well, the writer arrived at the Gare de l'Est from Charleville-Mézières in September 1871 to meet up with Paul Verlaine, aged just 17, and try to make a name for himself in Parisian literary circles.
The entire hotel decor pays tribute to him, with rare manuscripts and works of art on display, a library of 500 poems and studies on poetry in many languages that can be borrowed during his stay, and verses of his prose painted on the walls. As soon as you enter, you'll find a magnificent painted ceiling inspired by his main work, a starry night full of symbols and an almost unique portrait of him, to get you started.
All that's left to do is discover your room, as the floors are organized around Rimbaud's poems, from his earliest writings to the greatest works of Symbolism. Each room is named after a friend or the cities he visited on his many travels. In each of these little cocoons, you'll find a work by the poet on the bedside table to leaf through before sinking into dreams, and a watercolour by artist Jean Aubertin on the wall.
From the classic room to the junior suite, the decor changes, alternating between green motifs to recall Rimbaud's love of nature and his exotic travels, purple wallpaper to evoke his poetic hallucinations, frosted decor from"Métropolitain" or"Rêvé pour l'hiver", a quotation printed on the headboard or green mosaics with a hammam ambiance to great effect in the bathroom.
Whether you're a literary enthusiast or simply want to stay comfortably close to a train station, at the Hôtel Arthur Rimbaud you can enjoy a hearty buffet breakfast in a bright room, a fitness room in a vaulted cellar and one of the 42 rooms or suites in this family-friendly accommodation. To make the most of your evenings, the bar offers an experience worthy of the poet, with a ritual tasting of absinthe, the famous"green fairy" that he and Verlaine were particularly fond of to "find inspiration".
Perfect for poetry-filled nights in the heart of Paris!
Location
Hotel Arthur Rimbaud
6 Rue Gustave Goublier
75010 Paris 10
Official website
www.hotelslitteraires.fr
