Madame Drouot Hôtel & Spa Invites R&R In Style

On a given day, one can find any number of rarities on the auction block at Hôtel Drouot in Paris. Gestural floral paintings by Renoir? Mais oui. Roman-era bronze busts? Bien sûr. Or, if your ap­petite is whetted more by modern design, why not feast your eyes upon its trio of Mosquito chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen?

It’s this spirit—collected, curious, eclectic—that has inspired the interiors of Madame Drouot Hôtel & Spa, a 33-room property located less than a block away from the auction house. Both Drouots fall within the city’s 9th arrondissement, a culturally savvy Right Bank enclave that’s home to the Opéra Garnier and the Passage Jouffroy arcade. As a gallerist, designer, and principal of SC Édition, Stéphanie Coutas was uniquely qualified to devise the interior scheme of Madame Drouot, which opened in April (and, despite its name, is not actually affiliated with the auction house). Her own showroom sits in the city’s posh Golden Triangle, brimming over with luxurious trappings of her own design, and she plans to open another location in Dubai later this year.

Explore The Renovated Madame Drouot Hôtel & Spa By Stéphanie Coutas

Coutas’s concept for the hotel—which spans 15,000 square feet across five floors that, in addition to the basement spa, include the 30-seat Café Monsieur—originated from an open-ended brief from the client, a family-owned hospitality group. The existing building needed an injection of new life, not a restoration: something “fresh, distinctive, and with a strong DNA,” as Coutas puts it.

What that looks like in practice: interiors chockablock with surprising antiques, vintage finds, and custom creations—a textural, compelling mash-up that mirrors the auction house’s amalgam of personalities, periods, and styles. All of this, Coutas notes, is in service to the desires of today’s travelers, who chase an experience that isn’t just comfortable but also creative and communal. “They seek personality, narrative, and a sense of belonging,” she says. “This project reflects that shift by offering a layered, art-filled environment that invites discovery.”

How This Art-Filled Space Invites Discovery

Certain elements, like a revived original stair that processes to the guest rooms, or the extra-tall ceilings of the Haussmannian architecture, make it no secret that guests are in the city of light. And yet, discovery indeed awaits. Coutas conceived each area to have its own distinct ambience—a move in line with her ethos as a designer. “I aim for spaces that are both cozy and sophisticated, places where guests can feel relaxed but also stimulated by their surroundings,” she says. “It’s about crafting a mood as much as it is about designing rooms.” Geometric coverings enliven the walls and occasional ceilings of guest quarters—some in subdued aquatic shades, others in high-contrast black and white or terra-cotta—the colors in each re­verberating in the throw pillows on beds. In keeping with the Drouot muse, Coutas also wove in one-off finds from flea markets and auctions, and cheerful, character-rich ceramics in niches and on landings. The hotel’s four types of guest rooms range from standard queens to more spacious suites, which overlook the neighborhood’s polite Haussmannian facades.

In public areas, Coutas’s singular, collected vocabulary gets another chance to shine. The lobby, for instance, is equally home to custom oak woodwork, rhythmic wallpaper, a selenite mirror by Coutas (also available at her gallery), and vintage seating sourced from the Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen flea market. (Auction finds have their space there, too—an 18th-century marble won at the block lords over comings and goings.) Custom lighting and furnishings appear regularly, highlighting Coutas’s deep appreciation for craftsmanship: A freestanding oak Puzzle counter in the lobby, for example, draws on the patchwork marquetry language seen in a line at her showroom. 

Overnight guests aren’t the only ones who will get to enjoy Madame Drouot’s fine regalia. Café Monsieur, a jubilant daytime bistro (dinner service arrives this fall), serves locally roasted coffee and golden pastries to travelers and locals alike, setting them among bold wall graphics and custom oak banquettes Coutas has upholstered in luxe fabrics. Overhead, more testament to Coutas’s penchant for craft: She credits her longtime collaborator Atelier Van IF, a specialist in lampshades and embroidery, with “bringing to life all the ideas I have in mind,” and here, as well as in the lobby, the designer and maker have realized custom fabric pendants that bring a textural, steady drumbeat to the lighting scheme.

Madame Drouot has its moments for stillness, too, particularly as guests wind down a spiral staircase to the hotel’s lower level. There, they’ll encounter a vaulted-ceilinged hammam spa and sauna, where Coutas strove to preserve the stone from the original structure. “These stones are not just a construction material—they bring a tangible sense of place, history, and authenticity to the interior,” the designer says. “They balance the more refined and contemporary design gestures, grounding the environment in something real and timeless.”

Whether they spend an afternoon wandering the halls of the neighboring Drouot treasure trove or soaking up the steam at the hotel’s spa, one thing is certain: Guests are sure to have their style reserves met.

Walk Through Stéphanie Coutas’ Design For Madame Drouot Hôtel & Spa

FROM FRONT ARTE: WALLPAPER (LOBBY). ATELIER VAN IF: CUSTOM PENDANT SHADES (LOBBY, BISTRO). CASAMANCE: VINYL WALLCOVERING (GUEST ROOM, CLASSIC SUITE). LORO PIANA: ORANGE UPHOLSTERY (BISTRO). ÉLITIS: RAFFIA WALLCOVERING (GUEST ROOMS). FLORIM: VANITY STONE (BATHROOM). GESSI: SINK FITTINGS. SAINT-LOUIS: SCONCES (GUEST ROOM).