What did you want to create with Evok Hôtels Collection when you launched the brand with Pierre Bastid and Romain Yzerman in 2014?
We wanted to open hotels with a different kind of lifestyle—with luxuries that connect to the environment and fit within the fabric of the community. We are enthusiastic pioneers in our way of innovating and reinventing tailor-made hospitality.
How do you pick neighborhoods and design partners, which include Christophe Tollemer, Jean-Louis Deniot, and Philippe Starck?
We seek out neighborhoods that do not typically have hotels to give the place a second life, and we choose designers who align with our spirit and vision so the project has personality—a style that is free of the past.
What inspired the Brach, a glass house that evokes the 1930s?
We were taken with the original building and size, which gave us the opportunity to do exactly what we wanted. It’s an amazing playground, a former postal sorting center from the 1970s that is a perfect project for a designer like Starck. Then came the elegance, timelessness, and cultural offerings of the 16th arrondissement. We wanted to contribute to the life of the neighborhood.
What can you share about the Tristan Auer-designed Sinner and Cour des Vosges by Lecoadic & Scotto, both opening in Paris this year?
Sinner is decadent, fitting the culture of Le Marais, a destination for art, design, and fashion. For Cour des Vosges, we adapted an exclusive 17th-century building with 12 apartments that offer prime views onto the Place des Vosges.
F&B venues, like the standalone Michelin-starred Restaurant du Palais Royal, are also important to you. What is your culinary approach?
The key is fresh, seasonal products from quality producers we trust. Each restaurant must represent the values of its surrounding neighborhood, so the atmosphere is essential: a warm place where locals and visitors feel welcome and comfortable.
