Tucked along the grand Avenue de l’Opéra, just a short breath away from Palais Garnier, is a
place where Paris quietly rediscovers its own elegance. Nolinski Paris isn’t the kind of hotel that
needs to shout its presence. Rather, it lures you softly: through warm lighting, velvet textures,
and the scent of polished marble.
For two days, I made Nolinski my home in Paris. But it didn’t feel like a hotel stay; it felt like
slipping into a secret chapter of the city, where Haussmannian grandeur meets the intimacy of a
private residence. From the very first moment, you sense that this building has stories. And
indeed, it does.
Nolinski is housed in a 19th-century Haussmann-era building, formerly home to offices and
ateliers, just steps from the city’s cultural core. The address alone is steeped in history; the
Avenue de l’Opéra was created under Baron Haussmann’s grand transformation of Paris,
connecting the Louvre to the Opéra Garnier, and symbolising modern Parisian ambition.
That spirit of transformation lives on within Nolinski’s walls. Designed by the renowned French
interior architect Jean-Louis Deniot, the hotel blends Belle Époque romance with a thoroughly
modern sensibility. There’s an ease in how old and new converse here, marble hallways accented
by brass details, moody lighting softened by velvet banquettes, and Art Deco geometry
reinterpreted with contemporary flair.
It’s this thoughtful blend of eras that carries into the rooms. Mine, dressed in rich textures and
tones of emerald and dove grey, was more than just a place to sleep; it felt like a cocoon.
Carpeted floors softened every step, and the window opened onto a living Parisian painting.
People strolled by in quiet conversation, the soft sound of music rose near the Opéra, and the
refined glow of Rue Saint-Honoré guided shoppers toward its world of elegance.
That balance of warmth and refinement defines the entire experience. The bed, cloud-soft and
wrapped in crisp French linens, made deep, uninterrupted rest inevitable. Every detail, from
scent to artwork to finish, felt like it had been placed with intention.
This sense of intention extends seamlessly into Nolinski Le Restaurant, a space that evokes quiet
elegance through its warm, golden lighting and Art Deco-inspired design. Subtly echoing the
hotel’s 1930s façade, the dining room feels like a natural extension of Nolinski’s identity:
refined, tranquil, and quietly cinematic.
At the heart of it all is Executive Chef Philip Chronopoulos, whose culinary vision is rooted in
French tradition yet shaped by a distinctly modern sensibility. Trained at the Paul Bocuse
Institute and refined under Joël Robuchon’s mentorship, Chronopoulos brings a deep
understanding of balance and flavour to the table.
Behind the main dining room lies a hidden salon, a quiet escape within the escape. With plush
armchairs, gilded mirrors, and 1950s Nordic undertones, it’s a space that naturally slows the
pace, inviting late-night digestifs and the kind of stories only Paris knows how to keep.
While the city pulses just outside, one floor below awaits something entirely different. Nolinski’s
spa, by La Colline, is a hidden sanctuary that feels detached from time. A mirrored ceiling
reflects the soft glow of candles, and a 16-meter pool stretches out in silence, wrapped in calm.
It was here I understood Nolinski’s quiet magic. It doesn’t try to be Paris; it lets Paris happen
around you. You can lean into the performance, or step backstage and breathe. It gives you both.
That sense of balance, between spectacle and solitude, is Nolinski’s signature. From its location,
ten minutes on foot from everything you want to see, to the velvet armchairs, the soft glow of
dimmed lighting, and the glimmer of golden faucets, everything feels composed, confident, and
true to itself.
Paris has many beautiful hotels. But Nolinski is for those discovering the city for the first time
and for those returning to fall in love with it all over again. It’s for anyone looking not just to
stay in Paris, but to feel it.
