Ice Bar, Kube Hotel
People flock to Paris for the quaint little bistros, croissants and gorgeous sweeps of dove-grey facade, all found in plentiful supply from Maris to Montmartre. But well-trodden stereotypes aside, what’s often overlooked is the sheer quantity of ultra-stylish luxury hotels in Paris tucked away amongst its tree-lined boulevards.
This is Ile de France, the cultural and commercial hub of a nation of philosophers, designers and artists. And whether you opt for a grand dame like Le Meurice or a fashion fabulous boutique hotel like Hotel Bellechasse, you’ll sleep in a place unique, unrivalled and unlike any other.
The selection below shows just a little of the breadth and variety of the most stylish luxury hotels in Paris. All are visionary and all are shaped by the people behind them, be that a fashion designer seeking new ground, a design-savvy hotelier or a manager with decades of industry experience. All are utterly Parisian and completely inimitable.
Kube Hotel
Undoubtedly one of the kookiest luxury hotels in Paris is the Kube, located just north of the Gare du Nord. Stay here and have a drink in the city’s only Ice Bar (be sure to get kitted out in fake furs first; it’s minus fifteen degrees).
From the cube-shaped toilets (geddit?) with accompanying black tissue paper (we did warn of ‘boundary-pushing’) to the anthropomorphic cushions and bubble chairs in the bar, this definitely isn’t a hotel for the straight-laced.
Hotel Bellechasse
Room, Hotel Bellechasse
This is ‘hotel couture’ in its purest form, the second offering from designer Christian Lacroix. The bedrooms are a fantasy land of butterfly-winged men, feather-masked women and romantic murals of the Tuileries, all painted or wall-papered meticulously for dream-filled nights.
Continue your artistic musings at the nearby Musee d’Orsay, or in the wealth of galleries and shops that scatter Saint Germain. And although the hotel lacks a restaurant (in the true sense of a boutique hotel, this place does nothing by half measures) there are plenty of great options close by.
Le Meurice
Who said that palace hotels had to be staid and serious? This venerable old lady – one of the grandest of all luxury hotels in Paris – fell into the creative paws of Phillipe Starck, who decked her out with cupboards full of antique hand-mirrors, ceiling-spanning murals and table lamps commissioned from Salvador Dali’s original sketches.
Dali was one of Meurice’s most infamous former guests. He once let loose a flock of sheep in Meurice’s gilded corridors, something that would surely flutter even the most dignified concierge. Although as the staff here are thought of as the most impeccable in Paris, perhaps not…
Hotel Particulier Montmartre
Curtain of Hair Suite, Hotel Particulier Montmartre
The Particulier can be hard to find, hidden as it is amongst the hilly backstreets of Amelie’s Montmartre. But once settled into one of five sophisticated suites, the slightly odd location makes perfect sense: it exemplifies the micro-hotel family, small in size but significant in personality.
Owners Morgane Rousseau and Frederic Comtet commissioned renowned artists to design each suite. Expect wallpaper that mirrors the trees outside, murals of hair-covered faces stretching over entire walls and painted plaster angels peering out from odd corners.
Trianon Palace
You’ll have to travel just outside Paris for this elegant luxury hotel; the Trianon Palace is located in Versailles, and has hosted world dignitaries and celebs since 1910. Lavish in a thoroughly old-school way, expect crystal chandeliers, Roman arches and stellar service.
There’s more star quality to be found in Trianon’s amenities. The restaurant is headed by Gordon Ramsey, whilst the Guerlain Spa is a destination in itself, complete with a hammam and Grecian-style pool area. It’s a complete sanctuary from the bustle of the city centre.
About the writer: Nadia Latif is Assistant Editor of boutique and luxury hotels specialists TravelIntelligence.com. She counts Hotel Particulier as right up there with the most stylish of all the many, many fabulous hotels she’s visited and reviewed.
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Fri, Jun 18, 2010
Destinations, Europe, Hotel Reviews, Travel Bloggers