The best hotels in Paris
For a long time I kept a secret guiltily. Not a guilty secret but a secret I felt guilty about keeping. The secret was the Hôtel Henri IV, overlooking the raked-gravel paradise that is the Place Dauphine on the Ile de la Cité. It was cheap and shabby but inexpressibly glamorous – a remnant of an elegantly careworn Paris that has, in the course of my own lifetime, been either polished beyond recognition or dissolved in a fast-flowing, irresistible current of money. The Henri IV was sold some years ago. Maybe I shouldn’t feel guilty about having kept it a secret. Simply spreading the word wouldn’t have been enough to save it. And in truth it was probably never quite as squishily ripe with promise as I remember it to have been. Yet isn’t that the point about hotels in Paris? The good ones are more than the sum of their parts, even when the parts are heavenly. The really curious thing is that, however many Henri IVs the city loses, it always seems, year after year, to gain even more of them.
How we choose the best hotels in Paris
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve.
Which hotels in Paris are good for families?
The glossy hotels of Paris might not all be the most child-friendly, but there are some addresses that welcome families with open-arms. At the top of the list is Hôtel de Crillon, where rooms are turned into miniature kids' wonderlands via balloons and toys, and every tiny guest is gifted with a stuffed Bernie the elephant – the hotel's mascot. If you're travelling via Eurostar for a weekend away, 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord hosts is ideally located and hosts a special Sunday brunch with a dedicated kid's area complete with ball pit and miniature kitchen. For more recommendations, see our pick of the best family friendly hotels in Paris.
Which hotels in Paris have a view of the Eiffel Tower?
For the quintessential Parisian view from your hotel room, you're going to need to book carefully. SO/ Paris is on the Seine has arguably some of the best views of the city, including the tower. Hotel Lutetia has a perfect vantage point from the 6th arrondissement, with a number of the top floor rooms boasting postcard-worthy tower views. At Hotel Grand Powers, you can spot the tower poking above the romantic rooftops of the 1st arrondissement from almost half of the rooms. At La Demeure Montaigne in 8th arrondissement, request apartment 605 or suite 608, where king-sized beds face balconies with views of the tower. For more options, see our edit of the best hotels with a view in Paris.
LUDOVIC BALAY1. Hôtel Dame des Arts, Left Bank
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Nobody could say that Paris’s Left Bank is unknown or unloved or crying out to be rediscovered. Yet it’s true that in recent years most of the city’s new hospitality hotspots – bars and restaurants as well as hotels – have popped up on the other side of the river. One of the most endearing things about Hôtel Dame des Arts is its commitment to its Left Bank location. The Mid-century Modern aesthetic works brilliantly well in this particular building, in this particular street, in this particular corner of the 6th arrondissement. It channels a Nouvelle Vague vibe without veering into pastiche or cliché. The design, by Raphael Navot, is subtly seductive, all about the lively interplay between curved and straight lines, hard and soft textures, and glossy and matte surfaces. The classic-with-a-twist approach is reflected differently in the restaurant’s menu, a beguiling Franco-Mexican fusion with pan-Asian influences, which literally puts a fresh zing into old-school brasserie standbys. The Dame has another ace up her sleeve, however. The views get better and better as you get higher and higher, and those from the rooftop bar are, on a sunny afternoon, just about as good as it gets – which in this city is very good indeed. Steve King
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benjamin rosemberg2. Maison Proust, Le Marais
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
It’s easy to imagine renowned French author, Marcel Proust, teacup poised, trading witticisms amongst friends – Parisian high society countesses, painters, actresses and writers – in the sublimely elegant salon/bar of this 23-room romantic boutique hotel, tucked away on a tranquil street in the Marais. Opened in November 2022 – timed for the 100th anniversary of Proust’s death – nothing here is left to coincidence. Each of the lavishly furnished Belle Époque-style suites, masterminded by design guru Jacques Garcia, is named after Proust’s famous fin-de-siècle circle. And what a gang! Renoir, Manet, and Monet for the dreamy-eyed; Baudelaire, for the extravagant, Zola for the down-to-earth (there are 19th-century paintings galore and over 2,000 vintage volumes), as well as two floors devoted to sparkling-witted salon-hosting aristocrats, for madeleine cake addicts. The third hotel of the independently-owned Maisons Particulières Collection, every detail from the fabric-lined walls (birds, flowers, luxuriant palms) to the swoon-worthy Moroccan-style heated pool exudes unpretentious luxe at its best. Lanie Goodman
Gaelle Le Boulicaut3. SO/ Paris, between Bastille and Marais
Where can you get the best view of Paris? It's the million-dollar question. Right now, it's not from the Eiffel Tower, the top of the Arc de Triomphe, or Montmartre. It's from the 15th-floor roof terrace of SO/ Paris, a 2022 opening from the Ennismore group (the team behind the Euro-cool Hoxton hotels and Scotland's Gleneagles). Wedged between Bastille and Marais, just across the Pont de Sully bridge that leads to Notre Dame, the property itself is somewhat out of sorts among the Parisian white-washed Haussmann buildings and slate roofs. A behemoth glassy box built in the 1960s has been reimagined by architects RDAI, the team behind a clutch of worldwide Hermès stores. Interiors lean into the mid-century vibes; specks of burnt orange and brown wood, geometric carpets and groovy geometrically shaped furniture deck out the lobby. Bedrooms are more of the same: all reeded wood, colour-block fabrics and parquet flooring. But, really, you're here for the view. Floor-to-ceiling windows show off Paris in her best light, overlooking the rooftops below, the Seine, the Eiffel Tower and beyond (it goes without saying that the higher the floor, the better the view). Breakfast is taken in that 15th-floor restaurant Bonnie, which has wrap-around glass doors that lead to a covered terrace, and you can grab supper here too: think steak frites with a price tag as sky-high as the views. A bar and club can be found on the 16th floor, although we found the service a little frosty and the decision to save the best views for the indoor fumoir curious. But it's worth it for those never-ending vistas of Paris in all its glory, best drunk with a perfectly made cocktail. Sarah James
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Gaelle Le Boulicaut4. Maison Delano, 8th arrondissement
While much of the city's top hotels shout with grandeur, Maison Delano whispers sweet luxuries. There’s been a lot of talk about quiet luxury of late, but this feels like it. Despite its flashy Faubourg Saint Honoré neighbours – Hermès, Gucci and Cartier are all within mere steps – the 18th century mansion is surprisingly discreet. The Delano name is one that’s well known within the hotel world. It was the name in Miami in the 1990s, when the Art Deco South Beach hotel Delano was the place to be seen alongside Madonna and Prince. For its first opening outside of the US, the mood is paired back and neutral while contemporary art by names like George Terzian and Damien Hurst adorn the walls throughout, and the sweetest citrus fragrance lingers in the air. Hidden behind black lacquer doors, rooms are spacious, crisp and airy, with sleek wooden floors, white fluffy cloud-like beds and remote-controlled Japanese toilets in the bathrooms. The mansion’s original grandeur is on full display in much of the 19 suites – most notably he Grand Historic Suite with its chandelier adorned gold high ceiling. The centrepiece of the hotel is the courtyard restaurant La Chambre Bleueone, headed up by Michelin Star Chef Dani García. The leafy open-air setting is enough to make you want to book a table – which guests need to do as it’s one of the most popular restaurants in Paris right now. Read our full Maison Delano review for more. Lauren Burvill
Matthieu Salvaing5. Cheval Blanc Paris, 1st arrondissement
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
It seems fitting that Cheval Blanc would open its first urban hotel where so many of its clients reside — and where better than within the landmark La Samaritaine? With nearly 600 artisans involved in the restoration and works by global artists exhibited throughout the space, Cheval Blanc Paris feels like entering a living museum, one where you can very comfortably spend the night. Almost every one of the 72 sleek rooms – most of which are spacious suites – overlooks the Seine; the seventh-floor Art Deco brasserie meets cocktail bar, Le Tout-Paris, is the place to be seen before escaping to the subterranean spa helmed by Dior. Their first-ever spa cruise on the Seine is one of our favourite things to do in Paris. See our full Cheval Blanc Paris hotel review for more. Kasia Dietz
6. JK Place, 7th arrondissement
Could this be designer Michele Bönan’s finest hour? The Florentine interiors guru has always gone the extra mile in his work for Italo-Israeli hotelier Ori Kafri’s small but growing JK Place stable, which launched in 2003 with the much-imitated Florence bolthole before opening equally suave outposts in Rome and Capri. This is the group’s first hotel outside Italy, a 29-room conversion of a maison particulier in Paris’s Saint-Germain district. Bönan has raided galleries, antique shops and the Saint-Ouen flea market to create an eclectic collection of post-Cubist canvases, African chairs, classical busts, David Hicks sideboards and Balmain and Hermès sketches. Spread across five floors and three interconnected buildings, the smart rooms seem to demand cufflinks. They come with perks that help to soften the muscular rates, including free minibars with organic juices and single-origin chocolate, and bathrooms so big you could take afternoon tea in them. With warm service from a largely Italian team, the place feels more like a private-members’ club than many actual private-members’ clubs. Downstairs, the glass-roofed Casa Tua restaurant serves up good southern Italian food, while a small pool – the highlight of the dinky basement spa – invites lazy lengths before Negronis at the bar. Lee Marshall
To find out more, read our JK Place Paris hotel review
François Halard7. Château Voltaire, 1st arrondissement
Best for: city insiders
When I first moved to Paris to study, aged 19, I lived on rue Saint-Roch – a 1st arrondissement street which was then largely unloved and little visited, except for financiers, a few tourists and the odd fashionista drawn to the church that hosted Yves Saint Laurent’s funeral. So there was a certain buzz when the corner townhouse at number 55 was unveiled during Paris Fashion Week as a new hotel owned by Thierry Gillier, co-founder of cult fashion label Zadig & Voltaire. What was once the brand’s showroom has been transformed into a timelessly chic bolthole by in-demand architectural duo Festen (also behind Hôtel Rochechouart) and Franck Durand, the creative director married to ex-Vogue Paris editor Emmanuelle Alt. The prevailing sense is of undone elegance; almost of being in Gillier’s home, with his art collection including a Picasso in the suite that was his private quarters.
Like many great Paris hotels, there’s an in-house pet – in this case the GM’s French bulldog, Bobby. Spaces here seem to be for locals as much as hotel guests: the low-lit, baroque-style La Coquille d’Or bar, with its scallop lights that are subtly echoed throughout the property; the inviting living room; and the under- stated Brasserie l’Emil, an almost rustic setting for oysters or steak bleu, with its tiled walls and marble bar. The 32 rooms – the smallest at 226 square feet – are like smart little apartments, with dusty-pink velvet sofas, bean-to-cup coffee machines and white bathrooms. Nothing here feels forced, which partly explains why it is already a key address for Parisian insiders. And on the rue Saint-Roch, of all places. Shivani Ashoka
8. Hôtel de JoBo, 4th arrondissement
The splendidly named Bambi Sloan, who did the interiors of this ravishing little place in the Marais, isn't quite sure how to describe herself. She says she's part designer, part storyteller. She might consider calling herself a history teacher as well. Among other things, Jobo is an amusing education in certain aspects of French life, art and culture in the post-revolutionary period. The name comes from Josephine Bonaparte, Napoleon's first wife and, briefly, Empress of France. From this position of eminence, she indulged her racy and refined tastes – leading the craze for leopard skin, for example, and for swans, and, more than anything else, for roses. All of which are not merely in evidence at the hotel but effectively define it. The result is intense but delightful - it's too witty, too thoughtfully executed to be oppressive. The decadent toffs with whom Josephine caroused in the years after the revolution called themselves 'Les Incroyables et Les Merveilleuses'. Hôtel de Jobo is both incredible and marvellous. It's also tiny. The ceilings are low, the corridors narrow and the size of the bedrooms ranges from a mere 15 square metres to a modest 40. But that's more than enough if you're Napoleon and Josephine in the early throes of fascination, with no need for anything more than a comfortable bed surrounded by roses and leopardskin and swans. By Steve King
Matthieu Salvaing9. Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle, Versailles
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Set within the gates of Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle provides an unrivaled exclusive glimpse into the lives of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette—every silver spoon, antique armoire, and gilded portrait tells the tale of life pre-French Revolution. The 14 rooms and suites take their cues from a more opulent era, with opulent chandeliers and marble fireplaces setting the tone; meanwhile, dinner takes a theatrical turn, with waitstaff decked out in period costumes and a five-course meal serving up the Sun King’s favorite dishes (all helmed by Alain Ducasse). Ask for the “king’s wake-up call,” to the tunes of classical music and a bubble bath accompanied by crystal glasses of orange-scented milk, and you might be spoiled for life. See our full Le Grand Contrôle hotel review. Kasia Dietz
Sophia van den Hoek @un_fold_ed10. Hotel Hoy, 9th arrondissement
Best for: Yogic balance
Palo santo burns in every corner of this 22-bedroom hotel, banishing negative vibes on the upper end of rue des Martyrs in the 9th arrondissement, where Pigalle bumps into Montmartre. Hoy not only means ‘today’ in Spanish, but also stands for Home of Yoga. Franco-Mexican owner Charlotte Gomez de Orozco, a certified teacher, has created a Japanese-influenced wabi sabi sanctuary of slate greys and mints, where the air is purified and the minibar has been replaced by a ballet bar with instructions for pre-sleep and post-waking stretches. For all the artwork featuring yogic poses, and the reminders to breathe on lift doors, Hoy nonetheless feels like an indulgent sanctuary, where the little details have been thought of: the ceramic iPhone speaker stations, the old-school telephones with circular dials, the gorgeous slouchy kimonos, a collaboration with French brand Pausania and yours to keep for about £46.
The hot yoga studio from local collective Yuj offers residents a discounted rate of about £20 for classes under special Japanese infrared light. In the lobby, florist Chiaki Kokami runs flower-arranging classes, another Japanese touch in a hotel where the water is carbonated with binchō-tan charcoal. The plant-based Mesa restaurant is a surprising joy, with dishes such as carrot lox, a take on the smoked-salmon version from the minds of Lauren Lovatt and Carolina Rodriguez, of the Plant Academy London. There are also sweet chia puddings with fruit compote and almond- butter-stuffed purple corn pancakes. As with so much in this impeccably curated space, there’s pleasure to be had in living purposefully. Sara Lieberman
Patrick Locqueneux11. St James Hotel, 16th arrondissement
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Best for: Chateau grandeur
If ever there were a reason to camp out in the elegant but sleepy 16th arrondissement, it’s for this property, Paris’s only officially designated château-hotel. Occupying what was once the site of the city’s first hot-air balloon landing field, this neoclassical former home of President Adolphe Thiers became the site of the Thiers Foundation, a school and academic residence, in 1892. In the 1980s, the space was transformed into the Saint James Club of Paris, a London-style private hangout. The hotel came about a decade later, with the decor handled by legendary designer Andrée Putman. Since then, it’s undergone two other radical transformations, most recently by Laura Gonzalez, whose affection for mixing antiques with modern furnishings has turned it into a romantic Parisian abode once again.
Soaring volumes, decorative frescoes and contemporary nods to old-world elegance abound, from the grand entrance to the library bar. That extends upstairs to 50 bedrooms and suites done up with nature-inspired wallpaper, custom-designed carpets, stunning chinoiseries and a warm palette of earthy greens, mustards and terracottas, alongside a mish-mash of motifs and Pierre Frey fabrics. Chef Julien Dumas plays exclusively with seasonal ingredients (sourced largely from the hotel’s organic garden) for an inventive menu at Bellefeuille restaurant, kitted out like a winter garden. The most notable change comes one floor down with the addition of a three-room Guerlain spa, inspired by Greco-Roman thermal baths. It all seems decidedly more château than hotel, and entirely unlike any other getaway in Paris. Lindsey Tramuta
Artwork by Roberto Ruspoli, photo by Alexandre Tabaste12. Soho House Paris, 9th arrondissement
Between the 9th and 18th arrondissements, in the heart of Pigalle, sits one of the most-awaited and inconspicuous of Soho Houses. Set behind the unremarkable green doors of the 19th-century building, this Soho House leans into its Parisian location, with a sprawling garden courtyard, three bars, a cabaret space, and 36 bedrooms.
It's the result of a four-year renovation that the team completed in 2021. Chintzy fabrics courtesy of the Pierre Frey archive, of-the-moment handpainted lampshades, tasselled velvets and seemingly unlimited amounts of wall sconces sit alongside the existing wall panelling, Art Deco features and other enviable original details. The third floor houses the attic rooms, with murals inspired by French poet Jean Cocteau (Cocteau grew up here as it was his grandparents' home). They are extremely cosy, with original raftered ceilings, but have all of the classic Soho House elements, such as the always-welcome trolley bar – although there isn't enough room for a freestanding roll-top bath.
On the other side of this rabbit’s warren of a building sits the rooftop, with a pool bar and terrace lined with sunbeds. It’s tiny, but this is central Paris. Down in the garden, the restaurant is where you can while away the day under the conservatory roof and graze on French classics like Croque Monsieurs and Tarte Tatin. This, topped with Cocteau’s presence in the air, really is the Parisian dream. Martha Ward
Bulgari Hotels & Resorts13. Bulgari Hotel, 8th arrondissement
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Best for: La dolce Paris
Think of this quietly decadent hotel on avenue George V as a portal, or possibly even a break in the space-time continuum – one that can spirit you from Paris to Rome in the time it takes to order a croissant. Between the Gio Ponti artwork, plush Maxalto furniture and even the dozen signature Italian pastries on offer, there’s more than a hint of the bel paese suffused into this high-polish Parisian hideaway. Close to Le Bristol and the Plaza Athénée on the so-called Golden Triangle, it’s the sort of place where patrons in Prada glasses might convene for an aperitivo at the backlit onyx bar to discuss the latest show at the Palais de Tokyo while nibbling on plump Castelvetrano olives and crumbly focaccia rings. Swiss businessmen swim morning laps in a semi-Olympic pool glimmering with malachite and gold mosaics.
There’s a certain pristine perfection to the place, which was a decade in the making. Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel led the renovation of a Seventies post office, extending the window openings over two floors – a nod to the Renaissance palaces designed by Andrea Palladio – and constructing the façade with the same pale ashlar masonry as Paris’s most recognisable monuments, including the Louvre and the Trocadéro. The food and drink, developed by science-driven chef Niko Romito and former Ritz mixologist Leonardo Zanini, is precise but unfussy – expect luscious spaghetti e pomodoro preceded by fizzy tequila cocktails. The Bulgari feels like a crisply sumptuous cocoon; a slice of high-fashion Italy that somehow fits just right into one of the world’s great hotel quarters. Betsy Blumenthal
Ludovic Balay14. Hotel Rochechouart, 9th arrondissement
Best for: Twenties decadence
Strolling through the Pigalle neighbourhood and into this eight-storey Art Deco relic, there’s a distinct sense of a time when the Twenties roared. A late-night hotspot on boulevard Marguerite de Rochechouart, the hotel’s Jazz Age incarnation drew in travelling artists, intellectuals and a smattering of stars. It’s now part of Orso, a new collection of hotels run by industry veterans Louis and Anouk Solanet (also behind Hotel Wallace below), and the sultry theatrics of the era make a welcome comeback. The couple teamed up with Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay of Festen Architecture to revive the building’s legacy with modern touches. Some of the finest original details were restored, from the Thirties blue mosaic floor in the restaurant to the marble staircase and glass lift.
Upstairs, 106 rooms were given an autumnal, woody touch with shades of bronze, ochre and terracotta. Decorative details, from the burl-wood headboards to the curved armchairs and alabaster suspension lamps, thoughtfully whisk guests to another time. The Sacré-Coeur looms large from northern-facing bedroom windows (and in some cases, balconies) but is visible to all from the rooftop bar. On the ground floor, an old-world brasserie with plush banquettes serves up comforting Parisian classics, from chicken-liver pâté to roasted pork belly with crisp frites and the signature crêpe cake – a family recipe guests invariably try to coax out of the staff. Come spring, the experience will come full circle when the old Mikado club of the 1920s, one floor underground, returns as a speakeasy to begin a new chapter of Pigalle nightlife. LT
Jerome Galland15. Kimpton St Honore, 2nd arrondissement
Best for: Revitalists
What is it with hotels and department stores in Paris? Within months of the Cheval Blanc appearing next door to the famous La Samaritaine last year, Kimpton’s first French property opened in what was once the department store’s luxury outpost on the storied boulevard des Capucines. Designed by La Samaritaine architect Frantz Jourdain in 1914, its Belle Epoque façade is still a showstopper, with its wrought- iron balconies and arched bay windows that once housed elaborate product displays. Inside, many of the original features remain: the imposing spiral staircase, balconies and monumental period lifts that have been restored but aren’t in use. The scheme by local design darling Charles Zana is sympathetic to the history, and feels like a Parisian pied-à-terre meeting the Art Deco style of Thirties luxury hotels.
There’s a creamy elegance to the 149 bedrooms and suites, all parquet floors, Carrara marble and Chanel-inspired black-and-white curtains. If the design feels quintessentially French, from the Pierre Mesguich mosaics to archive-inspired Pierre Frey fabrics, there is also an American notion of convenience that’s true to the Kimpton brand: yoga mats, portable phone chargers, even a little sex kit. But the most un-Parisian place of all is the 190-seat Montecito restaurant that channels insouciant Palm Springs, with its green-walled terrace, seaside colour scheme and Cali-Mex menu created by Paris-based food writer Carrie Solomon. With a modest but inviting pool and a spa from French cosmetics company Codage, there’s a sense that this American brand has done right by a Parisian icon. LT
Jerome Galland16. Hotel Madame Rêve, 1st arrondissement
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Best for: Nostalgia
Post offices are – or at least used to be – inherently romantic places, and none more so than the central post office in Paris. Not only was it as vast and grand as any of the galleries in the nearby Louvre Museum, it was also open 24 hours a day. Its closure for renovation seven years ago was an inconvenience that over time became a matter of consternation to residents. What would become of this beloved landmark? Alors. You should have seen the looks on faces of passers-by – the double-takes, the eyes widening in astonishment – when Madame Rêve, which occupies a substantial portion of the post-office building, opened this past autumn. A seductive honeyed glow emanates from the discreet corner entrance. Through the windows of its ground-floor café are visible a stupendous space of boiserie panels, acres of golden velvet, a forest of columns rising to 26ft-high ceilings. These tantalising hints of splendour are matched by the transcendent outlook from the hotel’s top-storey restaurant, La Plume. The rooftop terrace, directly accessible from the restaurant, is an ideal place from which to survey a rapidly changing neighbourhood – one referred to as ‘the New Golden Triangle’. And perhaps most marvellous of all, a smaller version of that much-missed old post office has reopened almost directly below. SK
17. Four Seasons George V, 8th arrondissement
Situated off the Champs Elysées, this landmark hotel is a swish experience from the outset – staff in winter coats greet you by name every time you come and go, and the lobby is a flutter of pink ferns and white marble. The bedrooms are a sea of gold – thick curtains with cream tassles, swirly carpets and gold-trimmed frames. The Four Seasons are renowned for being brilliant with families, and there’s nowhere in the hotel little ones aren’t welcome, including all three of the Michelin-starred restaurants. Le Cinq is the hottest table to secure with three Michelin stars – Parisians book months in advance to taste chef Christian Le Squer’s ‘foie gras like a pebble’, a truly beautiful trio of pebble-like pate poached in iodised vinegar broth. But there are two more stars to choose from – one at Italian Le George which serves fluffy focaccia and crispy saffron arancini, and another at L’Orangerie for the fish and plant-based tasting menu. Downstairs, the basement spa is an instantly tranquil escape that feels a long way from the hussle at the foot of the Eiffel tower just a short walk away. A dream Parisian pied-a-terre. Tabitha Joyce
Le Pigalle18. Le Pigalle, 9th arrondissement
This little Parisienne in the heart of once-sketchy, now super-cool Pigalle (on the on the border of the 9th and the 18th arrondissements) is well thought through. It’s from the group behind Instagram-famous Les Roches Rouges on the Côte d'Azur , so we knew it would be. The rooms, which are small, are kitted out with Art Deco furniture and shelves stacked with well-curated photographs. There are turntables and a selection of vinyl as well as pre-mixed Negronis and Manhattans in bottles in the mini bar. There’s no denying the neighbourhood is lively at night – the hotel is on a strip just south of the Metro that’s full of strip clubs and sex shops, but also fun bars such as Dirty Dick and Lipstick. Downstairs in the lobby, as well as a marble-topped co-working space, there’s a red velvet curtain which pulls back to reveal a velvet banquet, neon sign and pole. Find young couples recovering from hangovers over a breakfast of avocado toast with cream cheese and croissants that’s served until 4pm. For those seeking a cool sleepover within walking distance of a fun night out, this is the place to stay if you’re partying in Paris. By Tabitha Joyce
Yann Audic19. Brach Hotel, 16th arrondissement
The staid 16th arrondissement hasn’t exactly drawn visitors over the years. So it’s a testament to the cool factor of Evok Hotels that it can take a former mail-sorting facility in this bourgeois, residential district and make it le talk of Paris. After a four-year renovation overseen by designer Philippe Starck, the resulting hotel is as much about a lifestyle as a place to crash. For one thing, the buzzing restaurant draws fashionable locals starting at breakfast and continuing until the early hours with its patisserie, plates-to-share and potent drinks. A terrace bar lures the pretty people. The subterranean fitness club channels a Thirties boxing club and had a waiting list the minute it opened. Even the swimming pool has a killer sound system. The party continues in the rooms, each with its own mini concept store (the mini-bar is so 2018), stocked with pre-made cocktails by the Avantgarde Spirits Company. The design smacks of Starck’s typical sassy eclecticism: walls covered in rich rosewood and leather, African masks and Masai-style beadwork, and in the bathrooms there are potted cacti next to sinks hewn from unfinished blocks of marble. Who knew that the 16th of all places would become the city’s next hip address? Read more on our Brach Paris hotel review.
20. La Réserve, 8th arrondissement
Designed by Jaques Garcia, colours at La Réserve are largely limited to black, red and green, blue-grey, Champagne and chocolate, with here and there some vivid flashes of gold and pools of burgundy so deep you could drown in them. Facing the Grand Palais and, at a slightly greater distance, the Eiffel Tower, overlooking the Champs-Elysées, a few doors down from the presidential palace – the location couldn't be much better. Discreet on the outside, shameless on the inside. It is not huge. There are 40 rooms, 26 of them suites. But there is a sense of tremendous generosity and volume throughout, of airy grandeur and a rarefied kind of intimacy. A pleasing paradox. Could it be the low lights and trick mirrors? Read the full La Réserve exclusive first hotel review.
21. Le Meurice, 1st arrondissement
Paris’ first palace-status hotel, Le Meurice is a gilded city spin on Versailles – an institution and ornate refuge from the rue Rivoli crowds. Since its 1835 opening, the hotel served as an epic shorthand for Parisian history – Picasso married here, Salvador Dalí lived here, and Queen Victoria stayed here in 1855. Its splendid Haussmann façade overlooks the Tuileries gardens, with a sweeping panorama from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, and bejewelled Louis XIV wall peacock inside. This is where Philippe Starck’s fabulously jarring modernity creeps in – note his Dalí-inspired sweeping ceiling art in the Restaurant Le Dalí and his transparent plastic chairs spread across the decadent Restaurant le Meurice Alain Ducasse. Rooms and suites vary in size and splendour, all echoing (to a more modern pitch) the 18th-century spirit governing the ground floor. Amaury Bouhours is at the helm of the two Alain Ducasse restaurants which, with French classics and Mediterranean dishes, pull in a curious mix of coiffed locals and global movers and shakers. By Rosalyn Wikeley
22. Le Bristol, 8th arrondissement
Le Bristol, one of the greatest grande dame hotels in Paris, is undeniably grand, but for all the polished marble, Louis XVI fauteuils, showcases by Paris’ premier jewellers and stupendous flower arrangements, the place feels delightfully warm rather than stuffy, correct rather than stiff, and refreshingly untroubled by corporate diktats. And look out for the fluffy white Burmese cat draped over the concierge desk – this is Socrate, the hotel mascot. Located close to the Elysée Palace – at the quieter end of the chic rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, it was built as a hotel in 1925 and today is owned and run by the Oetker Collection (whose other hotels include The Lanesborough in London and Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes). A top-to-toe facelift was finished in 2018, with further renovations completed during lockdown in 2020 – but the overall style remains untouched: classic, conservative, chintzy and understated. Pale boiserie walls are hung with gilded mirrors, luxuriant Manuel Canovas and Pierre Frey fabrics, rooms are filled with antique furniture and chandeliers, and bathrooms are awash with marble. The loveliest rooms – each different – are the 36 that overlook the 12,900 sq ft enclosed garden, with its geometric lawns, clipped boxes, magnolias, azaleas and honeysuckle. There’s a brilliant La Prairie spa, a delightfully retro pool, plus four Michelin stars under one roof – legendary fine-dining restaurant Epicure is often lauded as one of the world’s best. Le Bristol is as quintessentially Parisian as hotels come – no wonder this was where Woody Allen chose to shoot parts of Midnight in Paris.
23. Sinner, 4th arrondissement
It’s not difficult to stumble across a romantic hotel in Paris, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more explicitly sultry place to stay than the suitably named Sinner. The third Parisian hotel from the EVOK group, Sinner is the naughty little sister in the Haut-Marais channelling medieval Catholicism-meets-Fifty Shades. From the moment you arrive, you’re immersed in the decadent theatrics: ecclesiastically clad staff with glowing red lanterns guide you through the Frankincense-scented, candlelit lobby past the confessional booth and crypt, down dramatically dark corridors with sinister-looking red doors, to your room. Unless you opt for the brooding, almost dungeon-like black and red Justine Suite, the rooms are surprisingly serene and comfortable with pastel colours, Art Deco and classical flourishes, an opulent minibar, a turntable and shelves of art books – although the lubricant in the bathroom and the riding crop in the wardrobe cheekily remind you that naughtiness is more than encouraged. Elsewhere, the suggestive atmosphere continues in the cosy candlelit spa with black-tiled hammam and hot tub, which offers treatments created by Jimmy Jarnet, including a 50-minute blindfolded massage with hands and feet tied (as well as more conventional scrubs and facials). The popular ground-floor restaurant is headed up by Algerian chef Adam Bentalha, and serves an eclectic menu spanning dishes from North Africa, the Middle East, Malaysia and Peru. By day, it’s light and airy, full of sophisticated families enjoying tagines and ceviche while their toddlers try to grab nearby artworks. Head back once night falls and it transforms into a pumping party spot with a dramatic smoke machine, DJ and a crowd of cool kids and flirty couples. Although it’s the ideal spot for seekers of debauchery, hedonists and couples celebrating, ahem, special occasions, you can easily ignore the more sinful suggestions and just innocently enjoy the handy location, comfortable and stylish rooms and exciting food. Read our full Sinner hotel review.
Benoît Linero24. Hotel Providence, 10th arrondissement
Once slightly seedy neighbourhoods most notable for being close to the Gare du Nord and Gare d’Est, the 9th and 10th arrondissements have long been smartening up their act. On a surprisingly quiet stretch of this part of town, bohemian Hôtel Providence is fighting hard for the title of coolest design hotel in the area – and with stiff competition from neighbours The Hoxton and Hôtel des Grands Boulevards. Bedrooms here are swathed in the kind of patterns interiors junkies wish they were bold enough to include in their own home: palm print; black with striking gold leaf; intricate needle-work designs like a Moroccan Berber rug; solid, bold indigo. Bigger rooms are furnished with velvet sofas in deep jewel shades to collapse into after a day of exploring, and some have a balcony overlooking the peaceful street below. All have stylish bathrooms with monochrome metro tiles and double sinks, and rainfall showers. Downstairs, the floral bar spills onto the street outside, where guests drink rosé glacé.
Around the back, a cosy room near the kitchen is the setting for breakfast – although our advice is to get your fill of sensible foods here (there’s plenty of yogurts, fruits and cereals, and an ice bucket of individual green juices) and then head around the corner to Du Pain et des Idées for croissants and pain au chocolat (it’s one of the best boulangeries in the city, so why not?). Also in the area find game-changing bar Experimental Cocktail Club and Big Mamma Group outpost Pizza Popolare, French cousin to Shoreditch’s hottest table Gloria. By Sarah James
Karel Balas25. Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, 2nd arrondissement
In 2007, the Experimental Group – actually three perfectly respectable former school chums – transformed the Paris bar scene with their sweetly raffish Experimental Cocktail Club. More recently they went into hotels, first with the charming Grand Pigalle, then with the equally perky Henrietta in London. A few years later they opened Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, which may be the most irresistible of all.
Grands Boulevards is at once a historical term, referring to Baron Haussmann’s transformative thoroughfares; a Métro station; and, for many Parisians, words likely to conjure up a rather unkind image of wide-eyed yokels from beyond the périphérique pouring into and out of the theatres in the area. You really ought to join them. This is one of the most diverse and dynamic parts of the city, from those much-loved theatres to the glorious covered arcades and teeming textile workshops.
The would-be flâneur couldn’t choose a more convenient or prepossessing base than Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, an 18th-century townhouse converted into 50 rooms, a restaurant and three bars. Interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon riffs with textures, shapes and colours in her distinctive, delightful way.
None of the rooms are vast but there isn’t a dud among them: with their luscious greens, blues and pinks, they’re at once simple and sensuous. And the group continues to deliver on its experimental promise: whatever you order to drink, expect to be pleasantly surprised. If in doubt, start with the Experience 1: vodka, elderflower syrup, lemon juice, lemongrass and basil. By Steve King
26. Hôtel Plaza Athénée, 8th arrondissement
Sheer luxury hits you in its grandest form at the Plaza Athénée, one of the best hotels in Paris. Immortalised as the glamorous backdrop in the season finale of Sex and The City, the hotel has 145 spacious rooms and 43 suites, all impeccably furnished – some in Louis XVI and Regency style (six floors) and others in Art Deco style (two floors). Some rooms overlook avenue Montaigne, others face on to a peaceful internal courtyard, where an ice-skating rink is erected in winter. Rooms are beautifully decorated, with elegant furnishings, marble bathrooms and every comfort imaginable: from plasma screen TVs and high-speed Internet access, to a pillow menu, hypo-allergenic linens, and the Berluti Service, bespoke grooming for the well-being of your shoes. The sleek bar serves some of the best cocktails in Paris, all perused on mini hand-held digital screens by an improbably glamorous clientele.
27. Hotel Panache, 9th arrondissement
Surely a stay in Paris should mean an inexpensive hostelry, with quirky stairs and a receptionist who points you in the direction of the best tagine or moules, located next to a thrift shop piled with back editions of Tintin et les Egoutiers. And so it is here, in the spirited 9th arrondissement, created by Dorothée Meilichzon, who started off designing toys. The unusual flat-iron shape of Panache's 19th-century building means that each of its 40 bedrooms has a slightly odd configuration, with everything a little askew, prettily Deco-tiled, dove-grey bathrooms and bevel-edged mirrors positioned to coax a sense of symmetry. All is perfectly quiet until (and this is a moment to cherish) you fling open the windows of your room in the early evening and people-watch from a little balcony overhanging the sweet clamour of the streets radiating from the corner below: locals walking their Jack Russells, antiquarian booksellers hurrying back from the nearby Passage Verdeau, all the café conversations of the Grands Boulevards district. Panache also has a mosaic-decorated restaurant serving Middle Eastern-inspired small plates, with a female sommelier who modishly recommends delicious natural or raw wines supplied by dedicated French growers whose hard-working, summer-dusty hands are sometimes photographed for the bottle labels. Then a stagger up those lopsidedly long-winding stairs to bed. There is little here not to love. By Antonia Quirke
Alexandre Bailache28. Le Montana, 7th arrondissement
Most ordinary citoyens have a better chance of being awarded the Légion d'Honneur than they have of getting into the basement nightclub at Le Montana, off the Boulevard Saint-Germain. Since it opened in 2009, it has set new standards in ego-crushing exclusivity and it's still turning them away in droves. The upper floors of the building, however, have evolved in interesting ways, with the recent addition of a restaurant, six rooms and a roof terrace. The bedrooms, one on each floor, are individually themed but very much of a piece, with designer Vincent Darré's fingerprints all over them - as yours will be, too, the moment you touch any of the glossy surfaces. There's the luminous Miroir d'Argent room (mirrors and brushed steel); Blanc Graffiti (inspired by Jean Cocteau's scrawled-upon studio); Bleu Acide (something to do with Montparnasse in the 1950s); Rouge David X (as in David Hicks, with the X pronounced 'eex'); Noir Métaphysique (walls painted in de Chirico-esque shapes), and Gris Paris (playful, feminine and not especially grey). All have bathrooms covered from floor to ceiling in black tiles. For easy access to a glamorous club and a spectacular roof terrace, minus the indignities of a long queue and a pre-dawn reverse commute, a room at Le Montana is money well spent. For a quiet night's sleep, you'll need to spend a little more on a pair of earplugs. By Steve King
29. Amastan Paris, 8th arrondissement
Glimpsed from its quiet street behind the Champs-Elysées, this elegant little hotel could easily be mistaken for a private townhouse, which is exactly what the owner, Paris-based entrepreneur Zied Sanhaji, had in mind for his new project. Beyond the discreet entrance that leads to the reception is the lobby – a gorgeously assembled, high-ceilinged space with petrol-blue parquet floors and a gargantuan bookcase lined with leather-bound classics. But the real hub is the cheerful bar, flood-lit with natural light all day, and its leafy courtyard garden for summer soirées. The 24 bedrooms vary from small but cosy to big, attic-like spaces with private balconies. In all, uncluttered simplicity prevails, with white and blue contrasting walls, contemporary walnut desks and immaculate white bed linen; bathrooms are sensible and decked out in marble, some with standalone bathtubs, all with large showers. Generous breakfasts - fresh fruit, cheese platters, smoked salmon and baskets of croissants - are served at one long, high table in the bar. The hotel also has a small pop-up shop stocking a range of art, jewellery and homeware from lifestyle brands such as Lola James Harper and NOCC interior design. After midday, the bar morphs into Anouk, an informal restaurant for light meals (chicken-liver mousse with whisky-spiked jelly; avocado toast; passion-fruit cheesecake). And you'll be back again after dark for a flashy signature cocktail, such as the G&T infused with goji berries or squid ink. By Lanie Goodman
30. C.O.Q Hotel, 13th arrondissement
The acronym actually stands for Community of Quality, and the idea is to showcase French creativity in a laid-back, guesthouse atmosphere, a concept masterminded by the owner, entrepreneur and first-time hotelier Michel Delloye. Don't be misled by the name: it has nothing to do with the puffed-up Gallic rooster, le coq, the emblem of French pride. There's nothing remotely showy about this place in the 13th arrondissement. The 50 bedrooms - dreamed up by young interior designers Pauline d'Hoop and Delphine Sauvaget of Agence Favorite - are a study in sober elegance, with deep-blue walls, 19th-century portraits in gilt frames, and accents in mustard, rust and pink. Go for one of the bigger rooms with balconies and baths instead of showers, or a deluxe ground-floor room, hidden away on a terrace around the back. Quirky Made in France goodies - from tricolour men's underwear to watches - are on sale in the lobby, where visitors can help themselves to a glass of Bordeaux while browsing. And with 20-odd French vintages stocked in the honesty bar, guests tend to make themselves at home in the cosy winter garden, lined with woven rugs and brocante finds. Breakfasts are bountiful - freshly squeezed juices, charcuterie, cheese and granola - but ask for the sublime, soft-boiled organic egg, served with baguette strips for dipping. By Lanie Goodman
31. Hotel Bachaumont, 2nd arrondissement
It took three years to retune this one-time grand hotel, more recently a clinic, occupying a huge Haussmannian chunk of rue Bachaumont. The location is fantastic for Paris lovers who are just as into the hip food scene as they are the Musée d'Orsay and the Louvre. The trade-off for such a central stay is that the rooms are Paris-standard stingy in size, although you do get handsome design by Dorothée Meilichzon involving lots of mirrors, her signature upholstered headboards and smart Pierre Frey fabrics. If you jump straight into a suite, or at least a deluxe double, and give the noisy street-side rooms a miss, you won't feel hard done by. Otherwise, the smaller rooms make perfectly good crashpads from which to enjoy the buzzy restaurant and bar, masterminded by the Experimental Cocktail Group. These spaces are on either side of a glazed passageway, tricked out with Phaidon and Taschen wares and trendy little cacti. More of Meilichzon's covetable textiles give the lofty dining room a grown-up, fashion-y appeal, although it's a young crowd who flirt over the roast-chicken rillettes, steak tartare and lamb shoulder to share. The vibe is still cool at breakfast when witch-house tunes drift around as creative-industry types attack Alain Milliat fruit juices, very buttery scrambled eggs and home-made chocolate-and-hazelnut spread. Stay a few days and make yourself at home in this car-free rue Montorgueil neighbourhood, which is almost entirely composed of bakeries, food and wine shops, bistros and bars. By Sophie Dening
Guillaume de Laubier32. Nolinski Paris, 1st arrondissement
The French, while loftily affecting to despise American culture, have always been obsessed with certain of its manifestations – jazz, for example, and film noir, which they loved so much they named the entire genre. Perhaps it's the very intensity of their love that prevents them from making many decent films noirs themselves. But when they do get it right - think of Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï – the results can be sensational. I mention this because Nolinski, in a fine six-storey Haussmannian building on the Avenue de l'Opéra, moments from the Comédie Française, is rather like that. Its designer, Jean-Louis Deniot, fresh from his success with the Chanel spa at the nearby Ritz, has woven an intriguing nest from elements gathered with magpie relish from all over the world. (Many are for sale to guests - putting the 'boutique' back into the boutique hotel.) Nevertheless, there's a distinct preponderance of mid-century urban America about Nolinski – brassy, varnished, hard-edged, angular. And yet a certain Frenchness also inheres. One example: every room has a mini-bar housed in a cabinet designed in imitation of a safe – a bank safe of the kind a robber would crack in a film noir – inside which, among the spirits and sodas, guests will find a bottle of jus de cassis. Which is as quintessentially French as a mini-bar designed to look like a safe is American. A Le Samouraï moment: a collision of two worlds, from which both emerge not only unharmed but enhanced. By Steve King
Stephane Cardinale33. Le Roch Hotel and Spa, 1st arrondissement
When Le Roch ('rock' not 'rosh') opened, the local parish priest and the headmistress from the school around the corner dropped by to say hello. They must be pretty chic pastoral types; certainly they're tending their flocks in a very smart neighbourhood adjacent to the Place Vendôme. But somehow the gesture seems just right. Le Roch, despite its velvety textured swishiness and its fancy address, has a winningly unaffected aura. You sense it the moment you step inside off the rue Saint-Roch – a quiet byway hidden among the grand thoroughfares that dominate this part of the city. There's an easy flow from lobby through to library, bar, dining room and courtyard. The space is small enough to seem intimate, big enough to seem buzzy – an agreeable balance that characterises the hotel as a whole. Designer Sarah Lavoine's rooms are elegant but not flamboyant, imaginative but not ostentatious. She has a particular fondness for bleu de canard and subtle Moroccan elements: zellige tiles in the bathrooms and thick, contemporary Berber carpets that feel great underfoot. Staff are enthusiastic and on-it. There's no attitude but bundles of know-how. Guests can order their own personalised range of bespoke skincare products, whipped up by cult brand Codage following a consultation and delivered to the hotel 48 hours later. By Steve King
Jerome Galland34. Pavillon Faubourg Saint Germain
After closing its doors during the pandemic, Pavillon Faubourg Saint Germain underwent a serious interior makeover within its 17th-century structure. Bedrooms are modern and bright; our suite was full of trendy furnishings – a lounging chair, comfy velvet sofas, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and huge statement lamps fill the sitting room, with furnishings in natural shades blending with the duck egg walls and warm white curved panelling that runs throughout the hotel. Monochrome marble bathrooms come with a rainfall shower and a bathtub big enough for two. Should you book into a suite, breakfast can be enjoyed on the private balconies that overlook the pretty streets of the left bank Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood.
The highlight – best enjoyed in the comfort of a hotel robe and slippers – is an underground spa built into sandstone brick archways with a hydrotherapy pool and a refreshing smelling steam room. There’s also a 24-hour gym and yoga studio for keen beans.
The ground floor restaurant, Les Parisiens, has become a destination in its own right, filled with Parisian business men and well dressed locals dining on Michelin-starred chef, Thibault Sombardier’s delicious French menu. By Sophie Knight
Gaelle Le Boulicaut35. Monsieur George, 8th arrondissement
Best for: Velveteen glamour
George Washington never went to Paris. The farthest he ever got from home was a short visit to Barbados. Yet the Parisians held him in sufficiently high esteem to erect two fine statues in his honour and to name a street after him, each of them in a notably posh part of the capital. Now the street dubbed rue Washington in his memory has a hotel in a converted townhouse at number 17 that bears his name too: Monsieur George, a delicious bite-sized macaron of a place. Credit for the hotel’s deliciousness must go to its interior designer, Anouska Hempel, a woman of many talents and exceptional energy. Among her claims to fame is nothing less than the invention of the boutique hotel – an era-defining phenomenon that sprang into existence when she opened Blakes in London in 1978. Blakes was full of mirrors, velvet and exotic flourishes suggestive of a well-travelled, sophisticated, possibly rather decadent way of life. And so is Monsieur George.
The mirrors, the velvet and the exotic flourishes are very much in evidence – and it is testament to the enduring strength of the Hempel aesthetic that it all still works so nicely, that it all still seems so fun and fresh, sexy and chic. The rooms at Monsieur George, let it be said, are not large. Rather compact. Ask, therefore, for one of the suites, either the Marly, in the courtyard to the rear, a sort of miniature mews house with the bedroom upstairs and lots of clever partitions and screens; or the Franklin, on the sixth floor, an utterly unexpected white-on-white affair beneath the eaves, an essay in monochrome minimalism, more monastic than presidential – and only the more delightful for it. SK