La Rochelle, FranceVieille Ville
Arty Hotel & Spa Monnaie
Art-filled mint mansion
Vieille Ville La Rochelle, France
Renovated
2011
Price
$$
Rated for
Design Heritage WellnessOutside the door
The house
BL HotelsArt-filled mint mansion
A seventeenth-century royal mint serves as an intimate gallery, filled with contemporary sculptures and rotating regional art.
What it’s good at
Notable
Vibrant pop-baroque interiors display rotating sculptures and paintings by regional contemporary artists.
Listed
The seventeenth-century royal mint building stands beside an annexed nineteenth-century shipowner mansion.
Listed
Subterranean treatment suites provide traditional sauna sessions, a hammam, and Sothys skincare.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
its exteriors still contrast vividly with its ultra-modern interiors, done up in vibrant colors and contemporary design furniture.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
The Tour de la Lanterne stands just down the lane, and seafood bistros ring the medieval Vieux Port.
The rooms
Sleek modern furniture brings vivid color indoors, and several bedrooms overlook quiet white-stone courtyards.
The spa
Woven cocoon chairs sit around low stone tables in the tea lounge, facing an organically shaped backlit mirror.
Baths and gym
A mosaic-tiled whirlpool bubbles inside the private wellness suite, and cardio machines line the mirrored fitness room.
At the table
Turquoise velvet chairs surround the dark cocktail counter, which pours regional wines and serves charcuterie boards.
How it began
The property operated as a royal mint from 1691, stamping currency with a secret mark beneath the ninth letter.
La Rochelle
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.