Pose and pout in the designer bar or lobby and you might catch the eye of your dream sugar-daddy (or mummy) - just be prepared to compete with the svelte models on their arms. You don’t have to stay here to experience the ‘Costes’ magic, because a slice of it can be bought from reception in the form of a Costes scented candle or its infamous series of mixed lounge CDs…
Telephone: +33 (0)1 42 44 50 00
The famous Costes bros team, Gilbert and Jean-Louis, opened their four-star Hôtel Costes in 1995 after the success of their Café Beaubourg and Café Marly.
At the time the formula was ground-breaking: a super-designed, sumptuous setting by renowned decorator Jacques Garcia, in an eclectic mix of styles – from Napoleonic Second Empire to opulent boudoir (even the armchairs have tassels) – with a bar and restaurant that were intended to become (and certainly became) just as important and trendy as the hotel itself.
Their commissioning of an in-house DJ, Stéphane Pompougnac, was probably what catapulted the hotel to make it stand out. Pompougnac’s ‘Costes’ CDs have sold globally to great acclaim, pushing the brand internationally. It immediately became the place to see and be seen, stuffed with celebrities and beautiful people lounging about the courtyard and pool.
Over 10 years later, however, the formula has become a little staid, having been reproduced by the Costes mafia themselves alongside many copycats. Garcia has since left his trademark décor on many other Parisian boutique hotels in which DJs have become as prerequisite as a mini-bar. Now the Costes has more celebrity spotters than true celebrities, yet the staff remain notoriously snooty, even by Parisian standards.
More perplexing is the image the Hôtel Costes has of itself: while priding itself in being discrete, a hidden secret without a website, it’s probably Paris' most talked about hotel. By selling its own merchandise at the reception desk for guests to show off at home, it transforms its image from classy chic to distasteful Disney. The rooms are brothel dark and seductive, whose with a balcony are the best. The hotel’s notoriety will make it an unforgettable, if very expensive, stay whether you love it or hate it.
