A contemporary Parisian setting – a place to live and connect, shaped by a heritage of timeless elegance. Just steps from the city’s grandest department stores, the art of hospitality, refinement, and intimacy come together within this luxury 5-star hotel in Paris, enhanced by the creative artistry of interior designer Tristan Auer. Together, we revisited the reimagining of this Haussmannian icon and the vision of luxury and design that inspired it.
From Traveler to Interior Designer
When you stay in a hotel, what is the first thing that catches your attention?
Tristan Auer: I’m a creator of emotions and stories – just like Sofitel. A hotel is a dream factory, and those dreams should begin the moment you step inside. Travelers today are no longer seeking luxury products; they seek luxury moments. They come in search of immersion, of shared experiences, of memories to be made. The hotels that truly matter today are those capable of offering that.
The bed being where we dream, does that make the guestroom the most important space in a hotel?
Tristan Auer: No, that would be too limiting. I see a hotel as a succession of sequences. First the lobby, which sets the tone. Then the reception, which should almost fade from view. The public spaces next, like a stage on which everyone has a role to play. And finally, the guestroom – that intimate, serene, and unreachable world where I’m relaxing in slippers and a bathrobe. A hotel stay is a composition of moments – of changing intensities, varying scales, shifting lights, and different moods. It’s a genuine experience, even if that word is overused today.
“In truth, we don’t come to a hotel to feel at home – we come to experience new sensations, to be transported beyond our daily lives.”
So luxury is today less about opulence and excess, more about experience and immersion?
Tristan Auer: For me, luxury has always meant the bespoke. Something created especially for you. Fewer things, but better conceived, better chosen. The experience begins when brands truly place themselves at the service of their guests. A hotel should give you the freedom to do what you want, when and where you please.
Travelers today want to learn. They are cultured, educated, far more than before. They can tell the difference between good and poor design. They spend time on Pinterest; they’ve seen everything. They’re not easily impressed anymore. They come to learn something from a place – and that’s exactly what we set out to do with Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opéra: to tell its story, to explain why it exists.
“There was so much to tell, but we chose to highlight only the most essential stories.”
Behind the Scenes of a Parisian Design Hotel: Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opéra
Do you remember the features of Le Scribe that most caught your attention or surprised you?
Tristan Auer: I have a terrible memory, but that, I’ll never forget. It’s a very special place, notably because it once housed the very first Jockey Club. There was something distinctly masculine and institutional about it – ties, wood, cigars. I kept all of that, even amplified it. But at the same time, I brought in another element for balance – the image of a beautiful redhead, her wavy hair cascading gracefully over a softly draped dress.
“It’s not about losing a place’s essence, but rather distilling it, embracing it, and playing with contrasts.”
Le Scribe was once a secret, secluded, almost introspective place. But it was also a historic Parisian hotel rooted in imagery – literally so, since it was here that the Lumière brothers screened the world’s first commercial film. During the war, it played a central role in propaganda, on both sides. It was also the first building ever to be entirely covered by an advertisement – for Bébé Cadum soap. There were also ties to the Compagnie des Wagons-Lits and to the very first Louis Vuitton boutique in the world.
Imagine the stories this place could tell! The idea was to discreetly infuse fragments of them throughout the hotel. Displaying portraits of the Lumière brothers or a train pulling into the station was out of the question. Instead, I chose to scatter clues, like in a detective story – subtle details and quiet revelations that make you want to return again and again, to discover a little more each time.
How did the French art de vivre, so integral to Sofitel’s world, find expression in your project?
Tristan Auer: International travelers remain fascinated by the way the French inhabit their spaces. It’s not only about the beauty of museums, architecture or monuments – it’s about refinement, that uniquely French way of living and extending hospitality. It’s the bar where you are greeted with a smile, a cocktail, a sense of generosity. It’s the scent of coffee and pastries from Scribe & Cie spreading warmth through the air. It’s the proximity of the Opéra and the Grands Boulevards that infuses the atmosphere. It’s the idea of the grand salon, the grand hotel.
“To stay at Le Scribe is to learn the art of balance – between openness and intimacy.”
BAR - RIVAGES
Where Paris shines
At Rivages, Parisian elegance is captured and distilled in creative elixirs, served in a relaxed, intimate atmosphere. Whether for a refined afterwork moment or a romantic evening accompanied by live jazz, this welcoming setting invites you to linger.
What would you like guests to experience when they visit the hotel for the first time?
Tristan Auer: Exactly what we wanted to convey. Classic interior design codes that feel familiar to Parisians yet exotic to others: moldings, textures, and a color palette with unexpected accents. We wanted everything to make sense, to feel right. In the bathrooms, for instance, we chose nineteenth-century-style tiling rather than marble, which would have been anachronistic. If you visit the Musée Nissim de Camondo, you’ll see that everything there is tiled, with refined patterns. We drew inspiration from that. It’s this historical precision that allows us to stay true to the spirit of the place without being influenced by trends.
It sounds as though trends might irritate you – perhaps because they tend to make design more uniform?
Tristan Auer: Fashion is completely irresponsible. What we create today to be “on trend” will be outdated in four years, and then everything has to be redone. You can’t do “fast design” the way people now do “fast fashion” – it’s just as destructive. Established, serious French brands like Sofitel have a role to play: they must assert a different vision.
The Keys to Interior Design According to Tristan Auer
When you design a hotel, what matters most to you – the atmosphere, the history of the place, or something else?
Tristan Auer: The magic of the unexpected. Things that aren’t announced but that reveal themselves gradually. The mystery. All those small details that hold real importance. It’s about the place itself – its personality, what it has to say. You have to be curious, open, willing to look deeper, to lift the rugs, to peek behind the curtains. The goal isn’t to tell a story just for the sake of it. Rather, we strive to enrich a place so that it can be preserved, renewed, and elevated in every sense – growing more beautiful over time.
Do you think first of the traveler’s sense of pleasure with their current experience, or do you try to anticipate future expectations?
Tristan Auer: Hospitality today in 2025 has nothing to do with how it was in the 2000s. New technical elements have changed the way we work. There’s now much more permeability between personal and professional life.
“Being five years ahead of travelers’ aspirations already means being ten years late.”
In a hotel, people make love, laugh, celebrate birthdays, work. The grand, formal desk once reserved for businessmen is gone. Today, it’s a sofa and a table at the right height – a place to enjoy breakfast, or open up a laptop. Guests also spend much more time in the shared spaces. Everything has evolved. We’re moving toward something increasingly anchored in the spirit of each destination – something that reflects it and extends it. Even when traveling for work, people want to experience the city, to feel its energy.
How does design foster that sense of immersion?
Tristan Auer: Through attention. There’s no ready-made formula. A hotel in Shanghai, the Middle East, or Paris will never be the same. Everything changes each time: the culture, the age of the guests, the size of the hotel, its category. Creation always arises from constraints. They’re not limitations – they’re triggers for creativity and intelligence. Today, it’s almost too easy to design a hotel; you can design a room on a computer in just a couple of clicks. What makes the difference is seeing things through to the end. When a brand entrusts you with a project, it’s not just to post a pretty image on Instagram.
Is that also what has contributed to Sofitel’s reputation?
Tristan Auer: Sofitel is a mature brand – responsible, experienced, grounded in real savoir-faire. It guides travelers toward something truly timeless, but above all toward a form of maturity. And in an ever-changing hotel world, that maturity is a rare virtue.
