Hôtel Panache

In the heart of the 9th arrondissement, a hotel with Art Deco charm welcomes families, without looking like one. The perfect base for a citytrip!

Push open the doors of this beautiful glass building to discover an intimate atmosphere. The reception area makes you want to relax for a few minutes after pouring yourself a glass of cucumber or citrus water from the attractive dispensers placed not far from the receptionists. It’s the end of August and we’re savouring our refreshing sips before the urge to discover our family room. We went up to the seventh floor in a narrow lift, which is an activity in itself when you’re five and three years old. On the last landing, we take a look at the spiral staircase we’ve just avoided climbing and head for our door.

Where do we sleep?

‘There’s a surprise for the children! The phrase from the girl at reception sticks in my head. I expect a few chocolates on the double bed. But nothing. We discover the view, the bathroom, the second room with the unfolded sofa-bed on which the girls rush. Had I been lied to about there being a surprise? Except that there’s a door we haven’t pushed open yet… Behind it is a mini-mini-golf course (the repetition is deliberate, you’ll understand). The long, narrow room is covered in fake grass. Colette and Simone quickly grabbed their clubs and fetched the balls from the replica of a Hausmann building at the far end of the room, where they set off to play a never-ending game of golf, amid shouts of excitement. It was well worth the surprise! (As proof, I didn’t even think to take a photo. So check out our Instagram account for a video of our discovery of the room).

What do we eat?

We would have liked to have detailed the menu, both in the evening and in the morning, but the call of Paris was stronger. The lively district is packed with good places to eat. For the evening, we plunged into a 90s atmosphere at Brique Machine. Comfort food on the menu and a games room to tide us over. For breakfast, we went to Immersion when it opened. We shared pancakes and granola. But note that we went for brunch in the hotel restaurant a few years ago and I have very fond memories of it! (And the decor…!)

What do we do?

While waiting, you can play a few games in the room on the ground floor. After that, we’re right in the heart of Paris, so we’re exploring! Our objective had been to see the Eiffel Tower, at Colette’s request. So we started there. As we were on our way back to Brussels, we were in the car and took advantage of the calm of the city in the middle of August to go from the Champs de Mars to the Ninth Arrondissement. But if you’re on foot, the area is very central and you can already see a lot without even seeing a metro up close.

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