Paris is made for birthdays – well, special occasions of any kind really – but I can’t think of a better place to go splurge for a weekend and feel like an absolute queen. So that’s precisely what my boyfriend proposed. A brief taste of indulgence, of days filled cheesy selfies and strolls along Champs Elysées punctuated by rich French cuisine and gratuitous amounts of macarons. For this particular rendezvous with the City of Lights we opted for a devastatingly chic suite in the Hotel Atelier Montparnasse, located in Paris’ perpetually cool 14th arrondissement.
Atelier, I later found out, is French for “studio”, which is incidentally exactly what the hotel felt like – an ultra-stylish refuge in the city, complete with all the perks of hotel life. Decadent chandeliers and reclaimed colonial furniture exuded quintessentially French glamour, while the modern touches of exposed brick walls and eclectic accessories added a fresh, distinctly Parisian edge. It was here we enjoyed long languid breakfasts while plotting our adventures for the day ahead, feeling distinctly at home in the softly sun-lit breakfast room.
That elusive “at home” feeling didn’t just end with the unique décor of the Hotel Atelier Montparnasse – the staff also welcomed us with open arms and treated us like family. At the end of a day filled with sightseeing and birthday treats, coming home to our own slice of sanctuary (with the added surprise of flowers from the hotel) was pure bliss, and seemingly worlds away from the noise of the city. An air of romance conjured up by the soft neutral tones, with a mood-lit bath for good measure, left us dreaming oh-so sweetly of Paris. I’m not sure how my boyfriend can top this birthday present next year – perhaps he can bring me back to Hotel Atelier Montparnasse!