Opened in 1979, the former private mansion marries French design with contemporary materials dreamed up by Laura Gonzalez
Nicolas Egloff, director of Sales and Marketing at Relais Christine
«The Relais is 42 years old. It was created by a French family», says Nicolas Egloff, director of Sales and Marketing. «A brother and a sister decided, in 1979, to move to the Left Bank of Paris, in the Latin Quarter. At that time there were many hotels for wealthy families who wanted to visit Paris, particularly Americans, but there were not yet intimate, private options. They wanted something smaller, something personal. There were small hotels, but low-end: that’s why they decided to create the first boutique hotel in Paris. Today it’s still the same family that owns it».
History and tradition at Relais Christine
Tucked discreetly behind a gated garden on the Rue Christine, sits Relais Christine. A 16th century residence built on the ruins of the Austin Friars monastery, founded in 1231 by Saint Louis. «Paris started on the Ile de la Cité, and then the Latin Quarter developed with a monastery. It’s in this abbey. It took up a whole neighborhood. There was a college in this building where the latin language was taught, until this whole area was destroyed by fire. After the 16th and early 17th century, Paris was running out of space: in the same place of this abbey – which was destroyed –people started to build houses and private mansions. We call them mansions because you had a porch on the street where you could go inside with your horses, and an entrance courtyard, the house at the back which was for the owners, and small workshops with craftsmen. In the place where they formerly used to cook, we decided to build our Guerlain Spa». Thanks to its unique garden “carriage” entrance and a central courtyard you can feel the life of that time.
Guerlain Spa
In collaboration with Guerlain, Relais Christine opened their spa. The spa, built under the 13th century vaults, consists of two private rooms. Here guests are able to escape the rush of the city, either as a pair or by themselves. The spa includes A well-being area with dry sauna, whirlpool and gym equipped with treadmill, elliptical, rowing machine, bike, a weight-lifting machine and free weights.
Relais Christine: In the heart of the Latin Quarter
«We like to hide ourselves a bit. We are located in a small street, with a courtyard in the front and a private garden behind: we are in the middle of all the attractions – art galleries, museums, Notre Dame, the Fontaine Saint-Michel – and many restaurants and bars. Relais Christine is like a retreat where the guests stop to chat and relax. When you walk past it, you can’t notice that it’s a hotel: there’s just an old sign, and no car parks. Sometimes the guests have the impression that they have found a gem in Paris: it’s a typical Saint-Germain house, that combines French design with contemporary materials dreamed up by Laura Gonzalez».
Laura Gonzalez, a parisian decorator, renovated the property obsessing over the DNA of the place. She drew inspiration from old stones of the College of the Austin Friars Abbey upon which the hotel was built. Gonzalez mixed influences from various periods, including trimmings and velvets.
Fabrics and sustainability
The services offered by the hotel are in keeping with environmental concerns. «We are attentive to fabrics and textiles: there are no synthetics here. We have charging stations for the customers who have electric cars and offer to our guests bicycles or tandems».
To protect biodiversity they have installed beehives to preserve the bees: they produce their own honey. In the morning, at breakfast, guests can taste the honey with fruits and vegetables that come from the Ile-de-France. The same goes for meat and eggs, as they only work with local producers and prioritize Parisian products.
«Our jam comes from small shops “next door”, made in Parisian houses. That’s why we integrate into the neighborhood: we allow customers to discover things previously seen in our relais».
Relais Christine
3, rue Christine, 75006, Paris, France. Tucked discreetly behind a gated garden on the Rue Christine, sits Relais Christine. A 16th century residence built on the ruins of the Austin Friars monastery, founded in 1231 by Saint Louis.
Francesca Fontanesi
