Closed in 1807 on Napoleon's orders, this former theater, once home to women of loose morals, was reborn as a hotel with more respectable practices, though its scandalous past remains. Acumen tells the story.
A theatre with questionable offerings, then a convent, the building located at 6, rue de Saintonge in the 3rd arrondissemente This Parisian arrondissement seems to have had several diametrically opposed lives. After housing the Convent of the Daughters of Calvary, it closed its doors only to reopen them more than a century later. Now a listed building, it is today a hotel called Boudoir des Muses, open since September 2024. The owners are capitalizing on this unique identity. This former place of pleasure is resurrected through the numerous photos of nude young women displayed throughout. In the corridors leading to our room, a snake, an obvious symbol of temptation, adorns the carpet. The theatrical element is evoked through the heavy fringed fabrics found throughout the common areas, and also through a few artificial palm trees that recreate a kind of glass-enclosed palm grove. As for the "convent atmosphere," it can be found in the "monastic-inspired rooms," in the cross-shaped podium that stands in the middle of the bar, and also, more or less subtly, in the cocktail "The Verse of 6.9," which is served not in a glass, but in a flask hidden inside a pseudo-religious book. Finally, pointed arches, in the form of mirrors and niches, also remind us of the hotel's religious past, as do Latin inscriptions from the Book of Revelation.
If you're not entirely won over by the hotel's distinctive aesthetic, the cocktail menu is sure to captivate you. Among our favorites are La Flamme du Péché (The Flame of Sin), with bourbon and amaro, and the refreshingly cool Les Fleurs du Mâle (The Flowers of Male), with tequila, fresh chili, and mezcal. These can be enjoyed under the Directoire-era glass and steel dome, in the center of a striking atrium lined with walkways that lead to the various rooms. In addition to its well-appointed suites, the hotel offers a real bonus: its private baths. Located in the basement, there are two of them. The first, Venus, features a whirlpool and sauna, while Hedona (named after the goddess of pleasure) offers a hammam and swimming pool. The latter is nestled beneath a stone vault, in semi-darkness, inviting you to a truly relaxing experience. Enjoy it with a few glasses of champagne or other cocktails with inspired names.
Boudoir of the Muses
6, rue de Saintonge
Paris 3e
