Hotel L’Arlatan by Max Romanet
Located in the historic center of Arles, France, Hotel L’Arlatan is a beautiful hotel composed of 35 standard rooms, 6 residential rooms with kitchen and a guest house. It was redesigned in 2018 by Jorge Pardo, Max Romanet and Renzo Wieder.
About Hotel L’Arlatan
Discovering L’Hôtel l’Arlatan
L’Hôtel l’Arlatan sits right in Arles’ historic heart. Just around the corner, you can find the Rhone, the Arena, and the lively Place du Forum. The hotel itself is big, spreading over 4,000 square meters (approx. 43,056 square feet). And guess what? It has 35 standard rooms, six rooms with kitchens, and a really large GuestHouse measuring 300 square meters (approx. 3,229 square feet).
Now, back in 2018, the hotel had a grand reopening. After being closed for three years, it got a new look. The creative mind behind this? Jorge Pardo, an artist from Cuba. Together with experts Max Romanet and Renzo Wieder, they gave the hotel a fresh start. They fixed up old ceilings, repainted frescoes, and even took special care of some old underground spaces.
A Look Back: L’Arlatan Through the Ages
The hotel has a long story to tell. It first started off as the “Palace of the Sovereigns of Provence” back in the 5th century. Later on, in 1150, people knew it as “The Palace of Arles”.
In 1444, a big change happened. A guy named Jean Arlatan bought the place. Under him, the mansion became pretty famous, even hosting Queen Claude of France. Jean also became rich in 1448 and used that money to decorate the mansion in 1449. But, sadly, a fire in 1716 did a lot of damage.
Jump to the 19th century. A man, Jean-Baptiste Chapus, got the keys. Instead of living there, he let others use it. At one point, soldiers stayed there too. Later, the Saulcy-Desjardins family took charge. They fixed things up and even found some old Roman stuff buried.
In 2014, Maja Hoffmann stepped in. She teamed up with Jorge Pardo, and together, they gave the mansion a makeover. Three years of hard work, and by October 2018, the doors swung open again.
Jorge Pardo’s Creative Touch
So, Jorge Pardo had a big job to do with L’Arlatan. They gave him freedom to design, but with some rules. The place had some old parts that needed protecting. With his team from Mexico, he got to work. They used a mix of inspirations: Mexico’s beauty, personal stories, the local area, and even Van Gogh’s art. What did they create? A hotel that feels both new and full of history.
Photography by Herve Hote
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- by Matt Watts
