Les Bains douches, from temple of well-being to icon of Parisian nightlife

"Paris needed a place where the mind and body could meet." With this idea in mind, in 1885, François-Auguste Guerbois, a visionary of the artistic scene, founded the Bains Guerbois, a temple of wellness and culture. Already the owner of the famous Café Guerbois on Avenue de Clichy, this café was the gathering point for the great figures of the avant-garde, where Zola, Renoir, Degas, Manet, Monet, and Cézanne met for passionate discussions. This environment, conducive to exchange and intellectual fervor, inspired François-Auguste and his son Albert to imagine a more ambitious project: to offer Parisians a unique place of relaxation, halfway between a social salon and ancient baths. In the heart of the Marais, they created Bains Guerbois, an establishment embodying the refinement of 19th-century Paris, with Turkish and Russian baths and steamy showers. Eugène Ewald, the architect behind this magnificent stone building, conceived a temple of wellness that quickly became a must-visit destination for Paris's high society. Marcel Proust became a regular visitor, along with the Batignolles circle, as the literary and artistic elite of the Belle Époque came here to rejuvenate. This remarkable success reflects the era's appreciation for the fusion of health and culture, where people came not only to heal their bodies but also to nurture their minds in an exclusive, cozy ambiance.

The story of Les Bains took a turning point in 1978, when Jacques Renault and Fabrice Coat decided to transform the declining venue into a true temple of Parisian nightlife. Renamed "Les Bains Douches", the space became more than just a nightclub: it was a hybrid concept that fused a bar, restaurant, concert hall, and club. To mark this transformation, they enlisted a young, unknown designer, Philippe Starck. He turned the place into a setting where punk, new wave, and avant-garde influences converged, making Les Bains a space where art, music, and fashion intersected. The biggest names in international music performed here: Joy Division, Suicide, The Clash, and Rita Mitsouko. But beyond the music, it was the iconic personalities that made Les Bains Douches legendary. Andy Warhol was a regular, as was Jean-Michel Basquiat, while the fashion elite, embodied by Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, Naomi Campbell, and Claudia Schiffer, could be found on the iconic black-and-white checkerboard dance floor. The club's subversive spirit also attracted pop culture icons like Prince, David Bowie, and Mick Jagger, alongside French designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Loulou de La Falaise. Diversity was the golden rule at Les Bains, where Marie-Line, the famed doorman, curated her clientele with the eye of an artist choosing colors. The electrifying, bold parties made it a hallmark of Parisian nights in the 80s.

The 2000s marked the end of an era, however. Les Bains Douches began losing its appeal, challenged by new clubs in the 8th arrondissement. The building itself weakened, making its closure inevitable in 2010. That’s when Jean-Pierre Marois, son of the former owner and a witness to the club's 80s heyday, decided to take over and bring the iconic venue back to life. Far from a simple renovation, this project was a true challenge: preserving the pioneering spirit of Les Bains while adapting it to the 21st century. Marois gathered top talents for this transformation, including Vincent Bastie, a Parisian boutique hotel architect, and decorators Tristan Auer and Denis Montel. Together, they conceived a hybrid hotel, Les Bains Paris, which opened in 2015. The venue, featuring 39 unique rooms and suites, a spa, restaurant, bar, and club, preserved numerous nods to its glorious past. The legendary Les Bains Douches pool was relocated and integrated into the new wellness area, while rooms were equipped with private hammams, reminiscent of the establishment’s thermal origins. The atmosphere is infused with an "arty" vibe with contemporary artworks and regular cultural events, rekindling the venue’s festive spirit. Artist residencies, exhibitions, and concerts keep this legacy alive, making Les Bains Paris a place where people from all walks of life meet again, writers, artists, and creators, in an ambiance reminiscent of Les Bains Douches’ golden age. As Jean-Pierre Marois puts it, "Les Bains is a place to enliven your senses,” whether by diving into the pool at any hour or savoring a cocktail in one of the futuristic lounges. The story continues, bridging a glorious past with a radiant future.