News

The Harlem Globetrotters® make the show in Paris!

They are in France! From October 1 st, the Harlem Globetrotters® will travel all over France for 16 exceptional dates. And it’s on October 14th that they will be in Paris, at the Accor Arena! More than a match, more than a show, it’s a unique event waiting for you!

 They are world legends. The Harlem Globetrotters® have the best basketball players in the world in their ranks. Since the team’s inception in 1926, they have entertained more than 148 million fans in 123 countries and territories around the world. And every year, they are still eagerly awaited by thousands of fans. Why is that? Because their show is like no other! On the field, in front of a euphoric audience, the Harlem Globetrotters® perform a series of dribbles, passes, dunks and sensational basketball shots. Their athletic skills are breathtaking in themselves. But to spice things up, the team also plays the fun and humor card!

The audience is literally overwhelmed, standing in the stands. On the field, the players are having fun, while the referee is keeping watch, whistle in hand. And their pleasure is communicative.
Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard, Cheese Chisholm, Lister and Ace Jackson are the stars of the moment. And they will be there in front of you! They are now part of the 750 men and women who have played for this world-renowned team.

In October, the Palym Hotel welcomes all basketball fans! Good plan: the hotel is located only 15 minutes walk from the Accor Arena.

Louis de Funès at the Cinematheque

The Cinémathèque française reopened its doors on July 15 with an exhibition dedicated to Louis de Funès. Laughter and gags, like a thumb to the epidemic. Screenings, conferences, meetings, workshops: everything, everything, you’ll know all about de Funès!

It is no longer presented. The name of Louis de Funès is known throughout the world. He is known by all generations, even the youngest. An inimitable actor, he is certainly the greatest French comedian. And in 2020, his fans are still as numerous as ever.

So an exhibition dedicated to the great “little” man is not only wise but also welcome! Who has never seen a film by Louis de Funès? Who has never laughed at his mimics or his lines?

The Cinematheque gives you the opportunity to revise your classics! You will be able to attend screenings spread over the months. But to discover the extent of de Funès’ talent, nothing beats the guided tours of the exhibition dedicated to him. It brings together more than 300 works, paintings, drawings and models, documents, sculptures, costumes and, of course, film extracts.

It is an opportunity to better understand the actor’s sources of inspiration, his working methods and the components of his acting.
A family outing par excellence, the Louis de Funès exhibition can be complemented by workshops for children. For budding comedians who want to play and direct short burlesque sequences!

In October, everyone will find a smile again at the Cinémathèque! The Louis de Funès exhibition can be seen until May 31, 2021. Information and reservations on the Cinematheque’s website : www.cinematheque.fr

#CultureHome: visit the museums without moving around

Confinement forced us to invent new ways of doing things, of living, of visiting too! You had to cancel your stay in Paris because of Covid-19? To make a cross on this so awaited exhibition? Thanks to the virtual tours, you will still be able to push the door of several Parisian museums. In complete safety!

In May, most public places, such as museums, remain closed. But part of their collections are still accessible! So get to your keyboards to discover the digital cultural offer proposed by the Ministry of Culture via the #CultureChezNous device.

The Centre Pompidou allows you to revisit exhibitions and explore the permanent collection. All modern and contemporary art is brought into your home in the form of videos and animations!

The Louvre, the largest museum in the world, opens several of its rooms to virtual visits. Egyptian antiquities, medieval Louvre,Apollo’s gallery… Move at your own pace from room to room, take the time to admire the works, spot the ones you would like to see “in real life”. It’s simple, you’ll have the Louvre all to yourself. Exhilarating!

Visit the Grand Palais in 2 and a half minutes, if you opt for the virtual tour! We advise you to complement it with the “Pompeii at home” exhibition, a preview of the contents of the exhibition that could not be presented to the public due to the health situation.

Another possible visit is to the Quai Branly. Videos of exhibitions, concerts, conferences…: many contents are accessible. It is also possible to explore the collections via the database. This should occupy hours during the most fanatical of extra-European civilizations and arts.

Champs-Élysées Film Festival 2020: online and free of charge

In 2020, the Champs-Élysées Film Festival will be online! Due to the health crisis, the 9th edition had to be cancelled in its usual form. But you will be able to find it online and free of charge from June 9th to 16th. Cinephiles, to your screens!

As its name suggests, the Champs-Élysées Film Festival is a film festival. Its objective? To defend and promote independent American and French cinema.

Usually, festival-goers and film personalities meet on the most beautiful avenue in the world. For a week they attend screenings, ceremonies, previews, festive evenings…

This year things will be a little different. Exit the crowd baths, the red seats in the cinemas, the rhinestones and sequins evenings organized in some exceptional place of the capital… You will have to be satisfied with your sofa and the digital version of the numerous directors, actors and authors participating.

Among them, two guests of honour will sponsor this rather special edition: directors Stephen Frears and Edgar Wright. You will be able to meet them during interactive masterclasses online and live!

As for the programming, it promises some nice surprises. Feature films, shorts, retrospectives, masterclasses, musical showcases and exclusive bonuses: you can enjoy everything in its entirety!

The other good news is that the official competition will continue. The films and shorts that win the favour of the various juries and the public will be awarded a prize. Don’t hesitate to vote!

In June, celebrate the 7th art from the comfort of your own home, thanks to the Champs-Élysées Film Festival

Photo Credit: CEFF 2020

The Fab. Agnès B.: cultural and solidarity factory

It’s the new cultural venue in the 13th arrondissement! Opened in February 2020, the Fab. houses the contemporary art collection of agnès b., a gallery, a bookshop and 75 social housing units. One metro station away from the Palym Hotel, this is the new trendy and supportive address to discover in Paris… as soon as the health situation allows it !

The building stands on Place Jean-Michel-Basquiat, in a vibrant and promising neighbourhood. In this sober and stylish, brand new building, agnès b. wanted to honour three actions that are dear to her: artistic creation, solidarity and the environment.

For her opening exhibition, the designer, patron and collector has chosen the theme of boldness. All the pieces presented come from her private collection. An eclectic and atypical collection that will be revealed through temporary exhibitions.

Upstairs, the gallery of the day awaits you, a gallery conceived as a house where everything is for sale: paintings, sculptures, photographs, some furniture… The works, well highlighted by the refined setting, are displayed without distinction of style or period. They have only one thing in common: agnès b liked them. If you are touched by one of them, you might as well take it home with you: the price range is adapted to all budgets, assures agnès b.

The Fab. is certainly an unusual place, worth a visit. And it’s worth coming back to it (the exhibitions are subject to change every quarter). It is also an opportunity to learn about the solidarity and environmental actions carried out by the designer.

After the confinement, treat yourself to a breath of contemporary art! You can find the entire program of La Fab. agnès b. on the website: https://la-fab.com

Photo : Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1984 – collection agnès b. © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat – Licensed by Artestar, New York.

Bercy Village: a pleasant place to walk

Certainly not the time for a walk because of the confinement. But nothing prevents you from writing down some good ideas for later walks. Starting from the Palym, Bercy Village and its shops are an excellent place to go for a walk, which you can extend to the nearby Bercy Park or the Fairground Arts Museum. To keep in a corner of your head and to do as soon as the health situation permits!

The walk to Bercy Village is already a pleasant journey in itself. It will make you come across the Ministry of Economy and Finance, a large stone ship anchored to the Seine. Further on, the silhouette of the Cinémathèque stands out on the edge of the Bercy Park.

At last, you’ve reached your goal! Bercy Village is a rather special enclave within the capital. Entirely pedestrian and preserved from the hustle and bustle, this complex has been built on the site of the former wine storehouses and warehouses of Bercy, which are listed as historical monuments. They now house some thirty signs.

Once you have crossed the stone arches, you are plunged into the heart of a picturesque village, with its cobbled streets, its string of shops with exposed stones and pointed roofs. It’s hard not to fall under the spell!

Outside of the confinement period, you’ll be in a hurry at any time of the day to stroll around, go shopping in the Cour Saint-Émilion, have a drink or lunch on the terrace, or treat yourself to a treat at one of the street counters. In the evening, it is the cinemas, bars and restaurants that attract night owls.

All year round, entertainment and exhibitions are organised there. The festivals, such as Christmas or Easter, are notably the occasion of sympathetic stagings and decorations. Not to be missed, especially with children!

The 13th arrondissement: the main spot for Parisian street art

After days and weeks of confinement, you’ll only want to get out! To combine a cultural visit with a walk in the open air, head for the 13th arrondissement of Paris. There awaits you a real open-air museum 100% street art. But be patient: venturing into the streets of Paris in tourist mode is still not on the agenda!

The 13th arrondissement had a dream: to compete with New York, Lisbon and all these great metropolises promoted to the rank of temples of urban art. The bet was a success! Thanks to the 13th arrondissement’s town hall and the Itinerrance gallery, the district has become a huge playground for street artists.

Spray graffiti, interactive installations, stencil drawings, stickers, monumental frescoes, 3D illustrations, street art works take a thousand and one forms. The 13th alone concentrates dozens of them. Thus 35 frescoes created by 26 artists are visible from the street or via line 6 of the metro.

You will therefore walk preferably with your nose up in the air, looking for these creations. There, a huge fresco, perhaps signed Shepard Fairey, C215 or Conor Harrington. Here, a colourful mosaic of the Frenchman Invader, further on a message stenciled by Miss Tic.

For the walk, you will have the choice: either wander at will through the streets of the neighbourhood and let the unexpected surprise you, or follow a route, guided or not, to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Don’t forget to push on to the Butte-aux-Cailles, which is also home to many works of art.

In May, the health situation related to the Covid-19 still requires caution and restrictions on travel. So, for the time being, we invite you to enjoy the street art course of the 13th from the comfort of your couch on the website www.boulevardparis13.com

A romantic dinner in the 12th arrondissement

Lovers love Paris, and Paris gives it back to them. For a getaway for two, the capital is the perfect destination, especially on Valentine’s Day! But, dear visitor who is staying at the Palym Hotel with your partner, have you thought of reserving a table for your February 14th tête-à-tête? Don’t panic, there’s no shortage of addresses in the immediate vicinity of the hotel!

From the nearest to the furthest away, a few restaurants to discover as a duo (non-exhaustive list).

The Blue Train, chic and emblematic. To show off your sweetheart, take a seat in the sumptuous decor of this gastronomic restaurant located in the Gare de Lyon. The map is just as sparkling.

Café Barjot, a 100% Parisian bistro. Red velvet benches, mirrors, subdued light, Art Deco frame and, on the plate, traditional French cuisine. A 5-minute walk from the Palym Hotel, this address will appeal to those nostalgic for the breweries of yesteryear.

Maguey, handsome and good. Here, no map. You choose two adjectives and they will articulate the meal you will enjoy. An original concept, delicious dishes and a warm setting. Success guaranteed!

VIP Paris Yacht Hotel, to captivate your heart. What could be more romantic than a dinner on the Seine? Moored on the Quai de la Rapée, this hotel-restaurant boat serves a fine cuisine. To be enjoyed while admiring the illuminated monuments that parade along the cruise.

The Swann, original and trendy. Chic decoration for this restaurant, which offers an equally refined menu. The preparations are well executed and the service warm. Your lover will appreciate it!

For Valentine’s Day, book a table in the 12th and your room at the Palym Hotel!

Trips to the Mediterranean at the Atelier des lumières

Renoir, Monet, Chagall… From February 28th, L’Atelier des lumières takes you to the shores of the Mediterranean in the footsteps of some twenty artists. A new digital and luminous creation, to be savoured without moderation as a foretaste of summer.

Since its opening in 2018, the Atelier des lumières has established itself as the capital’s new must-see cultural and artistic venue. After Klimt and Van Gogh, he invites you for a new immersion.

Monet, Renoir, Signac, Derain, Vlaminck, Matisse, Bonnard, Chagall… Through seven sequences, the artistic currents and their greatest representatives follow one another. On the walls of this former foundry converted into an art centre, and on the floor, the works are projected, immense, radiant, colourful, they encompass everything, flooding the room and visitors.

From Impressionism to Modernism, including Pointillism and Fauvism, among others, the exhibition focuses on the link between artistic creation and the Mediterranean shores. All these currents have in common their new approach to light and colour, here admirably highlighted.

You don’t need to know anything about art to enjoy the trip. Proof if proof were needed, the joy of the toddlers, crawling in the coloured light, trying to capture the moving images.

In total, more than 500 works come to life, recomposing line after line, giving the illusion of a shimmering sea and a sparkling sun.

At the same time, and still in homage to the Mediterranean, you will also discover a short programme entitled “Yves Klein, l’infini bleu” (Yves Klein, the infinite blue).

In March, treat yourself to a round-trip Paris-Mediterranean trip to the Atelier des lumières.

Photo Credit: Atelier des lumières

Visit the Opera Bastille!

In Paris, old stones are popular with tourists: Notre-Dame cathedral, the Louvre palace, the Arc de Triomphe, Pont-Neuf… How about a change and a visit to a modern monument equipped with the latest technology? The great theatre of the Opera Bastille opens its doors to the public during guided tours. A unique opportunity to go behind the scenes…

The French capital is full of heritage treasures that have survived through the centuries. But some of them, without being so old, also constitute a full part of the Parisian heritage. This is the case of the Opéra Bastille. Inaugurated in 1989 and designed by the architect Carlos Ott, this large modern theatre with a glass façade sits majestically on Place de la Bastille.

Maybe you already know him from a concert, ballet, opera? How would you like to go backstage now? For 1 hour and a half, a guide and lecturer takes you into the bowels of this fabulous opera city. And explains everything.

The Opéra Bastille conceals spectacular machinery and stage equipment of incredible dimensions. See for example the orchestra pit that can accommodate up to 130 musicians. Did you know that in addition to the main stage there is a rehearsal stage, of the same dimensions and with its own pit? That’s not all. The Opera houses workshops, storage facilities and employs hundreds of people. Stage technicians, sculptors and painters, seamstresses and hairdressers… a veritable anthill at the service of art!

The tour includes the public foyers, the auditorium and the backstage area of the theatre. A unique discovery that the guide will spice up small and big stories about this high place of culture.

More informations on the visit of Opera Bastille and the programmation on the site :

operadeparis.fr

Three, two, one, one: sell out!

You will love… staying in Paris during the sales! From June 26 to August 6, the fashion capital is multiplying bargains, lower prices and discounts. Whether you’re a fashionista from the beginning or not, put your suitcases down at the Palym hotel and let yourself be won over by the buying fever that seizes Paris every summer!

Every year, at the beginning of summer, it is the same ritual: everywhere on the windows of large posters announce the promotions to be seized. On the racks, in the shelves, labels appear indicating -30%, -50% and up to -70% reduction. Clothes, shoes, furniture, perfumes… nothing escapes the big sale! Come in, ladies and gentlemen, everything must disappear before the new collection arrives!
As soon as you leave the Palym Hotel, the pretty boutiques of the creators and craftsmen of the Viaduc des Arts will keep an eye on you. A little further on, the cobblestones of Bercy Village welcome you under a flood of colourful balloons, tracing a path through the shops. To do if you are as interested in walking as you are in shopping.
For the hard-core, let’s head for the must-see, the streets and districts that have earned Paris its reputation as a temple of shopping: the Marais district and its trendy boutiques; Saint-Germain-des-Prés for haute couture and the rue de Rennes for the great ready-to-wear brands; boulevard Haussmann and its legendary department stores; not to mention the Champs-Élysées, avenue Montaigne, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, home of the great names in luxury.

Note: Summer sales last six weeks and generally have three markdowns.

Garden Parvis: the largest outdoor living space

Why don’t you take your summer quarters at La Défense? Imagine: 5,600 square metres of square footage transformed into a space for celebration and relaxation. From July 11 to August 25, the capital’s business district welcomes Parisians and visitors to Paris for a drink, concerts and a variety of entertainment! See you at the foot of the Great Ark!

In summer, Paris is no longer quite Paris. Emptied of its inhabitants, languid under a beautiful blue sky, the city goes into holiday mode. But Paris without Parisians would still not be Paris. Don’t worry, there are still a few workers left in July and August, ready like you to enjoy the summer warmth. And where does everyone gather to have a good time and celebrate? At Garden Parvis, the capital’s new freshness hub!

Food Court, shaded terraces, experiential bars, free concerts, pop-up stores, thematic activity areas, free activities… For six weeks, La Défense will do its utmost to offer you a good time. All for free!
All day long, the hungry will find something to satisfy themselves. And enjoy it! Among businessmen and women, enjoy fresh and seasonal produce, tapas, salads… At afterwork time, mingle with the crowd for a drink at the foot of the Grande Arche, surrounded every Thursday and Friday by a live DJ set.

But that’s not all. During the day, the four thematic areas are full of activities of all kinds for adults and children: cultural and sports activities, DIY workshops…

This summer, discover the esplanade like you’ve never seen it before with Garden Parvis!

Celebrate Halloween in Paris !

Why do we like the All Saints’ Day holidays? For Halloween! Whether you’re tall or short, you love to scare yourself… and have a good laugh. It’s all a question of dosage: a night of horror more real than nature or a little good-natured fiesta, in Paris for Halloween, there’s something for everyone. Hotel Palym offers you some good tips… scary!

Mandatory costume! No way to celebrate Halloween until you have put on the perfect little monster, vampire, zombie… The most eccentric ideas are welcome! Thus prepared, you are ready to blend into the Parisian night, alongside creatures just as horrifying or hilarious.

The bars and clubs, redesigned for the occasion, remain one of the favourite gathering points for all partygoers on October 31. Thrills and fun guaranteed! The same terrifying atmosphere with decibels at the Docks de Paris where France’s biggest Halloween party is held: the 2019 Halloween Festival! Let yourself be carried away into the heart of a dark and evil forest surrounded by some fifteen artists.

The most adventurous will dare to visit the Manoir de Paris, an intense experience not recommended for children under 12 years old and sensitive souls… More soft, several museums and Parisian places are in tune with each other and also offer special activities to discover with family or friends. Examples include the Paris-Muséum d’histoire naturelle zoological park or the Grévin museum. Not to mention Disney Park, which will be in the Halloween colours every year from the end of September.

For Halloween, book your stay at the Palym Hotel, and come and shiver with fear and pleasure thanks to the many activities organized in the capital.