The area surrounding Galeries Lafayette is
popular for hotels, due to the presence of this world renowned department store
in conjunction with Opéra Garnier, Paris’ most famous opera house. Hotels can
be expensive, but cheaper hotels such as Hotel Opera Vivaldi and Helder Opera
Hotel also offer comfort and charm. Chain hotels are also present in this area,
for example Best Western Hotel Opera d’Antin. Offering a higher standard of
accommodation, Hotel Banke Paris is a more luxurious hotel near Galeries
Lafayette.
Often, travellers who visit Paris with the
intention of enjoying some shopping opportunities want to stay in hotels close
to this famous department store. Galeries Lafayette had humble beginners as a
haberdasher’s shop over a century ago. The shop today covers an entire block on
the opposite corner – at the confluence of Boulevard Haussmann and rue de la
Chaussée d'Antin. The centrepiece of this magnificent building is a beautiful glass
and steel dome, which looks down over the ten floors to the atrium below. The
interior of Galeries Lafayette, designed by Georges Chedanne and then Ferdinand
Chanut, is an impressive example of Art Nouveau – in particular the steel
staircases. The department store is located just inside Paris’ 9th arrondissement,
close to Opéra Garnier. Access is easy thanks to nearby Chaussée d'Antin - La
Fayette metro station.
Galeries Lafayette is a massive complex dedicated
to shopping. Its ten floors are home to over 75,000 brands. A wide range of
products and services are represented here, with a strong emphasis on fashion
and beauty products. Galeries Lafayette is a popular tourist attraction thanks
to its reputation and exclusivity. The brand has now travelled overseas and has
shops in Berlin and Casablanca. The Galeries Lafayette shop in Dubai features
Dubai’s first gold ATM, into which people insert cash and receive gold nuggets
or coins.