Hôtel Lilybloom

In the playground, marbles and hopscotch have given way to the dreams of a grown-up child: entrepreneur Léa Lassarat. Eleven years ago, she opened Les Enfants Sages, a restaurant housed in the former headmaster's residence. From its windows, she spent years gazing at the early 20th-century Jean Macé school across the street, one of the few buildings to survive the 1944 bombings. Eventually, "Lily" bought the school and filled its classrooms and covered playground with laughter and life once again. Since 2023, La Grande École has welcomed "students" of every age to its bar-pizzeria, pub, cookery workshops and inviting lounges. At its feet stand ten Tiny Houses, tucked among wild grasses and dense shrubs alive with butterflies and chirping sparrows. These wooden cabins feel like an invitation to escape to the countryside—without ever leaving the city. And that's more than just a figure of speech. Beyond this leafy oasis rises the striking ensemble of Jean Perret's UNESCO-listed modernist buildings, created as part of Le Havre's post-war reconstruction. The contrast—in both scale and atmosphere—is spectacular. The ten dollhouse-like cabins are warm and wonderfully cosy. In the tiny living room, two people can curl up on the sofa in front of an (electric) imitation wood-burning stove, complete with the crackling soundtrack of a real fire—if you fancy it. Shelves overflow with books to dip into at will, while the sleeping alcove, wrapped in bookshelves, is made for book lovers. Those who prefer a little more breathing space should opt for the more spacious Double Superior cabin. In summer, each private terrace pleasantly extends the living space of these 17- or 23-square-metre hideaways (yes, they really are tiny). Léa Lassarat—known to everyone as Lily—personally designed the interiors, drawing on the experience she gained running her family's furniture company, Interior's, before turning to hospitality. A model pupil, and a masterclass in reinventing a place.