Champs Elysées Mac Mahon ★★★★★

Our first impression arriving at the Champs Elysées Mac Mahon was of a classic Parisian Haussmann-style façade, gracious and elegant of course, but nothing that much out of the ordinary for that part of the city. It is when you go inside that you appreciate that this is something different! The décor in the lobby is an eclectic mix of modern, art nouveau and Empire style, and it works. Strange futuristic hooded chairs rub shoulders with leopard-print cushions, antique rugs, marble floors, bevelled art nouveau mirrors and colourful lampshades. The style is summed up in the artworks, which are all modern representations of classical subjects, such as the head of an ancient Greek statue in grainy enlarged black and white. We were feeling very Parisian all of a sudden and definitely chic!

Having arrived quite early, we wouldn’t have minded going out for a stroll but were nicely surprised to be able to check into our room straight away. We had booked a twin Executive room, to give us a bit of extra space and it was lovely, and unusual for Paris, to have a nice large room. There was enough space for a lounge area as well as the beds, and a sensible amount of desk working space. The décor was mainly Royal purple, with striped throws on the beds in shades of mauve and neutral, purple plush curtains and a huge stylised classical flute-player picture over the beds. Everything was spotlessly clean which is always a big plus. All the sumptuous furnishings did not crowd out our modern comforts, and we were both glad to have phone docking stations, Wi-Fi, a large TV and, the most important thing of all for me, a real coffee machine.

Delighted with our trip so far, we headed for lunch on the terrace of the hotel’s Le Noham Café. The Oriental dishes were delicious and the surroundings just sublime. There we were, sitting in the Paris sunshine, gazing at the Arc de Triomphe, knowing that by the afternoon, we would be just around the corner in the Champs Elysées for a little light shopping! In the evening we were due at an exhibition opening on the South Bank, which was the reason for our impromptu trip.

Walking down the wonderful wide expanse of the Champs Elysées, even though there are lots of tourists around (not including us of course, we are practically Parisian …) felt like coming home. The coffee aromas wafting out on to the street, the sunshine, the stylish people, the super-chic shops – at least it felt like coming to what home ought to be! Shopping with a purpose is even more fun than window shopping, and a few boutiques and a tea break later, we were kitted out with stylish new outfits for our exhibition opening. There was also a good possibility that, after we got home, we would mention casually that we bought them in Paris, while staying at the Champs Elysées Mac Mahon!