A neo-Gothic hotel with a heartbeat, the Experimental group return to their Parisian roots with Le Marais’ hippest new address.
The Experimental Group has always danced between nostalgia and reinvention. Born in Paris, this collective of four French visionaries first transformed the city’s nightlife with their inventive cocktail bars — places that buzzed with both energy and intimacy, where every sip felt like discovery. Now, nearly two decades later, the brand returns to its birthplace with something grander, moodier and distinctly Parisian: Hotel Experimental Marais.
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In the hip Haut Marais, this new five-star hotel joins Grand Pigalle Experimental and Grands Boulevards Experimental, marking the next chapter in the group’s evolution. True to the Experimental spirit, its Marais outpost is theatrical yet precise, sensual yet curious — an ode to its enviable location that builds upon the brand’s signature irreverence. Just a short stroll from some of Paris’s best restaurants, bars, and boutiques, it’s the kind of place you might easily pass by. Purposefully discreet, the hotel retreats from Rue de Temple behind tinted, frosted windows. But behind its dark doors, a sprawling, hedonistic haven unfolds.
A stylish stay
Meticulously reimagined by Tristan Auer — the French designer behind Hôtel de Crillon and Les Bains — Auer envisioned a curious and adventurous traveller while designing the space; someone who collects stories, trinkets and art from every corner of the world. This fictional character informs every aspect of the hotel; from travel-inspired talismans to the collection of drawings and photographs in its on-site restaurant. Through this lens, Auer created a visual narrative that feels lived-in yet opulent: stained glass windows, gothic arches, moody browns and burnished golds that recall a painter’s studio at dusk. Every space tells a story, every corridor feels like a secret waiting to be discovered, and this continues to its 43 guestrooms. Both intimate yet grand, there’s a curious mix of travel-inspired souvenirs alongside rich, tactile materials like velvet, wood and the soft shimmer of aged metal. Grand wooden baldaquin beds are dressed with sumptuous white linen and amenities are suitably luxurious.
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Dine in
Downstairs, the Spa is powered by natural skincare brand Susanne Kaufmann, offering transcendent facial treatments and bespoke massages alongside a sexy Roman Bath and Hammam. But the pièce de résistance is arguably the hotel’s restaurant, Temple & Chapon. Set within a spectacular cathedral-like space with glass ceiling and striking white drapery, this dramatic dining room is helmed by acclaimed chef Mélanie Serre (Joël Robuchon, Louis Vins, L’Auberge du Bassin), who reimagines American classics with French flair and rigour. Inspired by the classic New York chophouses of the 1950s, highlights include Oysters Rockefeller, Crispy Shrimps, Beef Filet Rossini with Pan-Fried Foie Gras and an artful Lobster Salad — all over romantic candlelight.
Naturally, Experimental’s story begins in the cocktail glass — and the hotel’s American Bar is a wonderful expression of this. Mixing Experimental signatures and New York classics, order a Mysterious Traveler and sink into a low-slung couch after a long day of sightseeing and shopping.
A discreet retreat for aesthetes and epicureans alike, Hotel Experimental Marais proves the perfect hideaway in Paris, somewhere to both unwind and be inspired all the same.
Hotel Experimental Marais
116 Rue du Temple,
75003 Paris, France
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