The 4* Literary Hotel The Swann is the first hotel entirely dedicated to Marcel Proust. Located just a few minutes’ walk from Saint-Lazare station in Paris, this hotel boasts a rare distinction: here, luxury is measured in manuscripts and literary heritage. Opened in 2013 to mark the centenary of the publication of Swann's Way, the establishment was also the first in the collection of Literary Hotels in France.
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The Swann was already a renowned hotel in the days of Proust (1871–1922) and hosted many writers. The Hungarian poet Endre Ady (1877–1919) lived there during his stays in Paris between 1904 and 1911. Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918), who also lived for a time at 9 Rue de Constantinople, stayed there on several occasions.
Far from merely offering a few decorative touches or quotes on the walls, Le Swann invites its guests to fully immerse themselves in the world of Marcel Proust.
When you step into the Swann, you realise straight away that you’re not just here to spend the night, but to immerse yourself in a work of art. Far beyond the cliché, you’re welcomed with a madeleine… « But the very moment that the sip, mixed with crumbs of cake, touched my palate, I shuddered… » Rarely has a scene from literature left such a lasting mark on the collective imagination."
Haussmannian elegance at its finest
The building was constructed in 1889, the same year as the Eiffel Tower. The building's Haussmannian architecture provides a natural setting for this immersion in the fashionable Parisian society of the late 19th century.
The spirit of the place owes a great deal to the work ofAleth Prime, interior designer for the Hôtels Littéraires, who has chosen to create a dialogue between contemporary furniture and Belle Époque influences. The décor exudes understated refinement: a muted colour palette, subdued lighting, fine fabrics, and contemporary furniture punctuated with historical touches.
Rooms designed as chapters
One of the Swann’s greatest achievements lies in its 80 individually designed rooms, conceived as extensions of In Search of Lost Time. Each is named after an iconic character, figure or place that left its mark on Marcel Proust’s world, from Oriane de Guermantes to Céleste Albaret, via Combray and Balbec. The rooms invite guests to immerse themselves in literature, thanks to quotations from the writer inscribed on the glass walls and an original watercolour by the artist Jean Aubertin in keeping with the room’s theme, as well as a copy of Proust’s work resting on the bedside table.
The headboards are adorned with original photographs ofAlexei Vasiliev inspired by the Time Regained. On the ceiling, a Japanese paper chandelier designed by the German designer Jörg Gessner revisits the famous magic lantern of Combray, one of the formative memories in Proust’s work. Through this « little poem of light », the décor plays on the boundary between memory, dream and reality, in keeping with the world of Proust. On each floor, visitors continue their journey through the novel’s legendary settings, from Combray to Venice, via the salon of the Verdurin or the Faubourg Saint-Germain, turning every night into a chapter in Proust’s great epic. This carefully crafted setting transforms a stay here into a cultural experience as much as a hotel experience, true to the spirit of the Hôtels Littéraires.
A hotel for keen readers
The Swann Library houses over 500 works on Marcel Proust, available in several languages. Novels, critical essays, biographies, rare editions, illustrated works and translations make up a collection aimed at readers new to the writer as well as those already familiar with his work. The library also houses several remarkable items, including a first edition of Swann's Way, published by Grasset in 1913, a real treasure for literature lovers.
As much a cultural venue as it is a hotel
Another distinctive feature of the Swann is its cultural programme. The venue regularly hosts lectures, award ceremonies, book launches and literary evenings. In particular, the venue is associated with the Céleste Albaret Prize, a tribute to Proust’s governess, who became a central figure in his memories. This event transforms the hotel into a veritable contemporary intellectual salon.
Reading Proust takes time. So does staying at the Swann. It is no coincidence that the experience appeals as much to literature lovers as it does to travellers seeking a more subtle form of luxury – that of rediscovering, in Proust’s beautiful words, a little of that wasted time which everyone is trying, somewhat haphazardly, to win back.
Address
Le Swann Literary Hotel, BW Premier Collection by Best Western
15 Rue de Constantinople
75008 Paris – France
Tel.: +33(0)1 45 22 80 80
Text : Laurence Grémy-Flamand
www.hotel-leswann.com
www.hotelslitteraires.fr
