24 Feb 24 Hours in Paris!
Last week, Atout France in partnership with Eurostar and MAMA Shelter was kind enough to invite us on their fabulous 24 hours in Paris FAM trip!
We started the trip checking into the Business Lounge at St. Pancras station – where we were treated to a coffee and pastry, met the group and boarded the train. Eurostar offers a direct service between St. Pancras International and Paris Gare du Nord and the journey is a swift 2 and a half hours.
Once in Paris, we started our tour by visiting the Potel et Chabot venues. The three venues we visited were completely unique and serve various event types. The Pavillon Cambon Capucines (pictured) is the perfect setting for a unique gala dinner, conference or exhibit!
After a tasty lunch, we transferred across the city to Galeries Lafayette. This Parisian department store is split between 3 buildings housing various brands including Gucci and Chanel. Behind the scenes, there’s The Apartment which is a great event space, suitable for a drinks reception, breakfast meeting or relaxed networking. Nestled at the back of the home department is the new Ferrandi kitchen, where groups of up to 12 can enjoy an interactive cookery class. Each class is tailored to the groups’ requirements, depending on the time you have and your tastes! We had a lot of fun making a chocolate souffle – see our picture below!
After a busy day, we headed back to MAMA Shelter Paris West which opened its doors last year. This purpose-built hotel is everything you’d expect from a MAMA – quirky, cool and relaxed. The meeting space is flexible and informal whilst the rooms are homely, functional and contemporary. The restaurant is the true heart of the hotel, with its large bar in the centre and casual dining tables dotted around. There’s a DJ most nights and the staff are fun and happy to help! This hotel is perfect for young, relaxed groups looking for a home away from home in Paris!
The following day, we visited Liège Saint-Lazare, a property which is part of the Chateaux Form group. This elegant townhouse is located just minutes from Saint-Lazare station. Each space has been perfectly crafted to provide the ideal space for creative meetings and brainstorms! There’s a strong focus on delicious food – Chef Stephane takes pride in using locally sourced and in-season products.
Before heading back to the station, we stopped off at Le Cheese Geek – Fabrice our host is incredibly knowledgeable about French cheese, making this activity perfect for groups of any size! Smaller groups can visit the tasting room in trendy Belleville or tastings can be held in larger venues. We tried 6 different kinds of cheese, each paired with a local wine or cider – the perfect way to end the trip!
Thanks once again to Atout France, Eurostar and MAMA Shelter for planning this fab FAM trip – we can’t wait to send a group to Paris very soon!