Hotel Louvre Lens

he hotel structure is an integral part of the surrounding mining region which recently became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is the living memory of the industrial past that shaped the local scenery and people for centuries. The structure of the authentic row-houses was originally named Cité 9. A judicious use of tact was required to turn the old miners’ houses into a 4-star hotel, which we luckily and quickly found among local businesses. Architect Claire Duthoit (Maes Architectes, Lille) worked hand-in-hand with interior designer Guillaume Da Silva (Roubaix) to keep the authentic settings and the building’s sense of place intact. The regular pattern of the façades joined by two glass sections and a large garden now boasts 52 rooms, fitness and wellbeing facilities, conference rooms, a brasserie and a bar. The hotel is shaping the future history of a quite unusual destination which has become a must-see since the Louvre-Lens Museum opened, located just opposite the hotel (a 3-minute walk).