Highstay designs Paris holiday apartments for Olympics visitors

Highstay designs Paris apartments for Olympics visitors and holiday makers

Hospitality brand Highstay has brought a contemporary spin to these 19th-century Parisian apartments, which its team has renovated to offer accommodation during the Olympic Games and beyond.

The holiday apartments are intended for short- and long-term stays of up to one month, offering an alternative to hotels "for those coming to the city this summer for the Olympics", Highstay said.

Living room with dark marble fireplace surround and contemporary furniture — Highstay's has created holiday apartments within historic buildings

The apartments are spread over four central Paris locations: Champs-Elysées, Saint-Honoré, Louvre and Marais.

The majority are located within historic Haussmann-era buildings typical of the French capital and were designed by Highstay's in-house team to retain their character while offering a contemporary twist.

Living room with a neutral palette and contemporary furniture — Each apartment is designed with a neutral palette and contemporary furniture

"Our interior designers combine the quintessential Parisian style of 19th-century architecture with contemporary materials and modern equipment," said the Highstay team.

"The association of natural stones, elegant woods and high-quality fabrics shapes the atmosphere of a room and best connect our guests to the spirit of a place."

Living room with parquet floors, bronze mirrors and marble accents — Parquet floors, bronze mirrors and marble accents are common throughout

Ranging from one to three bedrooms, the apartments are decorated in a neutral palette, combining classical mouldings with minimally detailed stone and pale wood surfaces.

Common materials and elements found in most of the interiors include arched architectural features, parquet flooring, travertine surfaces and dramatic marble used across fireplaces, bathrooms and kitchens.

Living room with a white sofa in a 19th-century Parisian apartment building — The buildings' classical mouldings were retained

"Each high-end pied-à-terre positions the kitchen area as the focal point and central hub, inviting conviviality while suite-style bedrooms offer a warm and intimate ambience through carefully selected wood materials, varied fabrics and textures," said the team.

Unique features tailored to the different contexts of each location range from large-scale upholstered or wooden headboards to full-wall panelling, bronze-tinted mirrors and various contemporary furniture and artworks.

Kitchen with tambour-panelled cabinets and a marble backsplash — The kitchen area is positioned as a focal point

In the two-bedroom Louvre I apartment, which overlooks the famous museum on Rue de Rivoli, a grand salon room contains the kitchen and living area.

A ring-shaped light hangs over the centre of the tall space, which is vertically emphasised by the kitchen millwork and full-height windows.

Arched niches display decorative items on either side of the dark stone fireplace, from which the TV emerges at the touch of a button.

The primary bathroom is wrapped almost entirely in richly veined black-and-white marble accented by black fixtures while the second is clad in warm-toned travertine.

Bedroom with dark walnut panelling — Highstay's Louvre I apartment includes a bedroom with dark walnut panelling

Paris is gearing up to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games over the summer and is preparing by renovating many of the city's iconic sites and landmarks including the Grand Palais, which is set to host the fencing and taekwondo events.

Only one permanent new sporting venue – a timber Aquatics Centre by VenhoevenCS and Ateliers 2/3/4 – is being constructed for the event, in a bid to minimise its carbon footprint.

Bathroom with walls and floors lined entirely in dramatic black and white marble — Louvre I also has a bathroom with walls and floors lined entirely in dramatic black and white marble

Other accommodation options across the city for design-minded travellers include the Canal Saint-Martin hotel designed by Bernard Dubois, Hôtel de la Boétie by Beata Heuman and Hôtel Madame Rêve by Laurent Taïeb.

The photography is by Thomas de Bruyne.