Le Grand Hôtel du Midi****

French interior designer, Julie Gauthron has directed the renovation of the Grand Hôtel du Midi, Montpellier.

Neighbouring the Opera Orchestre National, the Grand Hôtel du Midi over looks La Place de la Comédie, one of Montpellier’s most beautiful squares. Its ornate façade and Haussmanian architecture setting the tone.

With a wink to its famous neighbour and to Montpellier’s renowned festival of contemporary dance, the hotel’s new design draws inspiration from opera, dance and movement. Its 44 rooms, including 3 suites and the restaurant-bar, mix the classical Haussamnian lines of its architecture (such as the lavish ceiling mouldings, decorative staircases and stained glass windows) with an unexpected and contemporary rhythm.

The concept of movement is reflected in the engaging choice of wallpapers, upbeat colour associations, the silhouettes of dancers engraved into the furniture and the rolling form of the bespoke fabric headboards, designed by Gauthron. In the corridors and reception area, the choice of colour is symbolic. Rouge opéra, rouge griotte, rouge incarnat, rouge Médicis…, a symphony of reds differentiating each floor. The contemporary chic and baroque design of its bar, an echo of the opera house across the street, giving a perfect backdrop for a pre- or after show drink.