Give me Five
The Five offers 24 rooms with surprising designs, thanks to the talents of architect Vincent Bastie.
The warm tone and designer furniture are enhanced by the original use of fiber optics. Whether lounging on the vast bed suspended from the ceiling by gossamer steel threads or, more prosaically, sprawled on the shimmering carpeting, you can let your thoughts drift under a constellated ceiling with its gems of light that change color at your command. Within reach, you have a control-switch that allows you to play with seven different color-tones: pale yellow through to indigo, blue and deep red. The edge of the glass table reflects the light to create enchanting shadows. The bedroom’s ambiance is carried over into the bathroom, with walls and bas-relief tiles studded with sparkling diamonds and ultra-modern taps and fittings. Along with downy bedding, this unique setting will convey you gently to the sleep’s door. But for the insomniacs, rest assured: a flat-screen television gives you a choice of over 300 channels. The owners, Pascal Laffon and Philippe Vaurs, can boast the collaboration of Isabelle Emmerique, who created a tailor-made lacquer sculpture for each room to complement its unique character.
The elevator servicing the seven floors is graced with a flat screen displaying an overview of the artist’s works (the only Western lacquer work artist to have won an international prize in Japan) as well as a virtual tour of each bedroom.
In the basement, a small room decked out in red and black welcomes guests for an ample breakfast: coffees, various Provence teas, fruit juices, delicate pastries, breads and jams, yogurts and cereals – enough to satisfy any appetite. The warm welcome you’ll receive from Tanya, head receptionist, is echoed by the presence in each room of a welcome boutique gift from L'Occitane.
Away from Paris’s hustle and bustle, you can let yourself be soothed to sleep by the fascinating atmosphere of the Five Hotel, a cinch for a successful Parisian escapade.
To visit nearby: the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Sorbonne, the market of Rue Mouffetard, the cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Pantheon.
The Five Hotel, 3 rue Flatters, 75005 Paris
Tél: 00 33 (0)1 43 31 74 21
Design and taste
Still on the theme of ‘hip and trendy’, we recommend you reserve a table at Mood, a bar-restaurant lounge with Asian influences and over 1,000 meters of square footage. Sublime and ‘Zen’ with its giant portraits of Chinese women adorning the walls, its effective use of mirrors, lacquered furniture and cushioned atmosphere, you will be ‘in the mood for love’. In terms of food, the cuisine is Asian and high-quality, with shrimp noodles, four-dish combos and cocktails of every conceivable hue. A new and fresh experience for food lovers. Mood, restaurant-bar lounge, 114 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris 8th district. Tel: +33 (0)0 33 (0)1 42 89 98 89. Allocate €40 per person.
Mood, restaurant-bar lounge, 114 av. des Champs-Elysées, Paris 8. Tél: 00 33 (0)1 42 89 98 89. Comptez 40 € par personne.
THE GIFT OF EXPERIENCE
Need to buy a gift but no time to shop? Afraid it will be uninspired or won’t please? There’s one perfect solution: Bongo! This concept is sure to please many. The gift consists of a Bongo gift box containing a catalogue and voucher for the recipient to participate in one of the featured activities. The choice is varied: a cooking course with a great chef, a parachute jump, a dream weekend in a château or a trip to a health spa. Prices range from €25 to €400. There are no price tags in the box – the cost stays hidden from the gift’s recipient. To find out more, contact Weekendesk on +33 (0)3 202 16 60 (Mon-Tues 9 am-7 pm, Sat 10 am-4 pm). info@weekendesk.be - www.gobongo.be.
COMPETITION
We have five ‘hip and trendy’ Bongo gift box sets for grabs.
For a chance to win one of these box sets (each worth €119.90), answer the following question:
How many hotels feature in the ‘hip and trendy’ Bongo box set category?
6
20
26
Tiebreaker: how many correct answers to this competition will reach us by November 1, 2006, midnight?
HOW TO ENTER
Go on the Femmes d'Aujourd'hui website (www.femmesdaujourdhui.be) before November 1st, 2006, and answer the competition question and tie-breaker.
By mail. Send in your answer on a yellow post office card with your contact details before November 1st, 2006, to Femmes d'Aujourd'hui, Bongo Competition, Telecomlaan 5-7, 1831 Diegem.
Rules of the competition can be found on www.sanoma-magazines.be/reglementconcours.htm. Only one prize will be awarded by address or home for more than one person in the same family.
Your contact details will be recorded on the address records of Sanoma Magazines Belgium, Telecomlaan 5-7 to 1831 Diegem, so we can respond to your request and keep you informed of our products. Your contact details are also recorded in the address records of Wegener DM S.A., Allée de la Recherche, 65 to 1070 Bruxelles, to keep you up to date with Wegener DM products. Unless you decline, Sanoma and Wegener DM can also pass your details on to third parties (such as commercial partners) for direct marketing purposes. You can, at any time, update or remove your contact details from Sanoma and/or Wegener DM records.