This New Hotel in Paris Masterfully Blends the Best of Japanese and French Design – Here’s What It’s Like to Stay

Hotel Hana opened its wrought-iron doors this February in Paris’ 2nd arrondissement, making it one of the latest — and very welcome — additions to a slew of innovative openings in the city. The creation of hotelier Nicolas Saltiel of Chapitre Six (formerly Adresses Hotels) joins the group’s other seven boutique properties sprinkled throughout Paris, Cap d’Antibes, and Saint-Tropez. Each aims to “combine the warmth of a family home with the comfort of a grand hotel” while being deeply rooted in its particular environment, an endeavor that Hotel Hana pulls off brilliantly.

Located in an elegant Haussmanian building on the northern edge of Paris’ Little Tokyo — mainly the Japanese shop-lined Rue Sainte-Anne — Hotel Hana’s ties to its neighborhood can be immediately seen in its Japonisme-inspired aesthetic, which references the immense popularity of Japanese aesthetics in late 19th-century France. Every exquisite woven, lacquered, embroidered, and polished detail — as orchestrated by architect, interior designer, and “Queen of Colour” Laura Gonzalez and creative director Oliver Leone (whose background is in fashion) — invites touch and speaks to the location’s unique intersection between East and West.

From the aromatic matcha and black sesame madeleines that welcomed me on arrival and my room’s low travertine table subtly cut to suggest the contours of a sakura flower to my camembert tempura appetizer at the hotel’s restaurant, every element served to remind me of Japanese art de vivre refracted through a Gallic lens. (More than once, I was reminded of Ogata, that temple of haute Japanese living in the Marais, which coincidentally also happens to be one of Saltiel’s favorite places.)

I stayed in a Prestige Room, a soothing, elegant iroko wood- and woven straw-clad cocoon filled with tasteful East-West accents like red lacquer-finish cabinetry, cherry blossom-embroidered lumbar pillows, plush contour-lined Pierre Frey carpets and a complimentary furoshiki-esque tote with handles you tie together. My bathroom, outfitted with striking rust-red and cream checkerboard-style marble tiles, contained a high-pressure shower and Diptyque toiletries. Mornings were particularly atmospheric, with my room bathed in a glowing light thanks to the many French doors (perfect for browsing my bedside copy of “Japaneasy,” London-based chef and author Tim Anderson’s book on effortless Japanese cooking), while three wrought-iron Juliet balconies proved ideal perches for gazing upon a bustling weekend market on the streets below.

Beguiling looks aside, the hotel has just 26 keys, and its staff’s authentically warm, personalized service meant I immediately felt like a longtime resident — making this boutique gem one to return to over and over again. Here’s everything you need to know about Hotel Hana.

The Rooms

Hotel Hana has 26 rooms, starting from the 182-square-foot Classic Room to a 344-square-foot suite on the seventh floor that transforms into a spacious “Apartment” when combined with a connecting Classic Room. Guestrooms offer views of Rue du Quatre Septembre and Rue de Gramont, while the topmost floor affords views of the Sacre Coeur.

Rooms offer twin-, queen- or king-sized beds, Nespresso machines, and well-curated minibar selections where madeleines and French apple juices nestle alongside a petite pot of wasabi “pearls,” Japanese teas from 170-year-old Japanese brand Maruyama Nori, Japanese roasted buckwheat chocolate and Kaori-yeast sake.

Also included are Diptyque toiletries, showers with high-pressure rain showers or bathtubs, flat-screen LED televisions, fast Wi-Fi, and access to the pool and gym. Small pets are permitted at an additional charge of 25 euros per day.

Food & Drinks

Located next to the main entrance, the bar is a sultrily lit, stone-topped affair that serves an extensive array of sake and French wines, along with Japanese-inflected cocktail classics like a dry martini prepared with Japanese gin and sansho-pepper-infused vermouth or a Lemon Drop that combines French vodka with sake and yuzu.

The East-West theme continues in the hotel’s restaurant, Hanabi, which is located on the street level and draws a good mix of locals and hotel guests. Designed by Shirley Garrier of The Social Food, a creative studio specializing in food design, styling, and photography, Hanabi offers “Japanised” French culinary classics that diners can enjoy either at a chef’s counter framed in bamboo-esque, green-glazed tiles or at any of the pockets of seating created by curving plush, velvet seating and sculpted sage-green ceramic tabletops.

The menu (flipped right to left, as in Japan) offers up fun-to-eat fusion delights like pot-au-feu cooked in a mushi nabe, camembert tempura with Aonori seaweed and yuzu jam, soy sauce creme brulee and hojicha tiramisu.

I tried the kinmedai crudo, a study in pink with translucent slices of the prized red-skinned fish topped with red endive, tiny radish discs, and sauces of hibiscus shiso, umeboshi, and white miso. The udon with bisque and langoustine tartare, meanwhile, was a chaud-froid umami bomb, with the warm, bisque-coated noodles melding appealingly with the chilled langoustine nuggets and briny samphire.

Breakfast is served Western or Hanabi-style, with viennoiserie from Paris’s Maison Lalos bakery, or Ochazuke, a rice soup soaked in dashi and tea broth with salmon belly, shiitake mushrooms, and sliced leeks.

Activities & Experiences

The friendly concierge is ready to help with everything from restaurant reservations to specific ways to explore the neighborhood. There is a small gym, along with a pool (with curlicue handrails and an invigorating counter-current) that guests can book by the hour for complete privacy.

Hana Spa (in the hotel’s basement) comprises two treatment cabins where guests can enjoy a variety of Japanese-inspired treatments such as reiki, kobo, and reflexology drainage designed in collaboration with holistic massage expert Lymfea. For example, the detoxifying Hara – Belly Harmony massage (150 euros for 60 minutes) focuses on the abdomen, which in Japanese tradition is believed to be the center of vital energy linked to overall well-being.

Accessibility

The hotel has two accessible rooms and there is an elevator. The restaurant and concierge desk are located on the ground floor and are wheelchair accessible.

Location

Situated at a “crossroads of cultures,” Hotel Hana is about a 10- to 15-minute stroll away from major sights like the Louvre and the Palais Garnier, along with the world-class shopping of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore. Mere steps away is Rue Sainte-Anne, with its buzzy neon-lit karaoke joints, udon bars, matcha cafes, and shops selling everything from Japan-imported crockery to Japanese groceries and colorful koinobori (carp streamers).

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

You’ll find the lowest rates during winter — specifically in November and February.