On the eastern edge of the Marais in the 3rd, this 17-room hotel with 17 different decors by designer Christian Lacroix is a favorite of the international style crowd. What they love is the reception area with painted glass ceilings, which was created from what was formerly the oldest bakery in Paris, and the lushly funky Baroque look that is Lacroix's signature. Walls in Room 302, for example, are covered in anise-colored leather and chocolate-brown canvas, while other rooms are themed around Lacroix croquis (fashion sketches), toile de Jouy, '60s pop and op art, Baroque Paris, and the Opéra.
29 rue de Poitou, 3rd; 01-42-74-10-10; hotelpetitmoulinparis.com
Old Louis Vuitton trunks cover the tiny elevator; bold trompe l'oeil stripes coat the walls. Service isn't perfect, but the exuberance of the whimsical decor compensates for the wake-up calls that never come. Perfect for fans of high style and design who are looking for love in the haute bourgeois16th arrondissement.
117 rue Lauriston, 16th; 800-763-4835; accorhotels.com
117 rue Lauriston, 16th; 800-763-4835; accorhotels.com
The lobby at the Hôtel de l'Abbaye, on the Left Bank, is a warren of tasteful rooms, right out of Cote Sud, the French decorating magazine. A glass-enclosed breakfast terrace opens onto a courtyard with a Bacchis fountain and lush foliage. If there is a caveat to staying here, it is that the double bed in the standard room is not large enough to sleep two comfortably. (As with many French hotels, here you need to choose a twin room to get the classic linked-together singles that sane couples prefer.)
10 R. de Cassette, 6th; 011-33-1-45-44-38-11; hotelabbayeparis.com
10 R. de Cassette, 6th; 011-33-1-45-44-38-11; hotelabbayeparis.com
This Left Bank boutique hotel, designed by Bruno Borrione, of the Philippe Starck design firm, is set in a former 19th-century private house in the 6th—right next door to Le Bon Marché department store, known for the city's largest indoor food market, La Grande Épicerie. With only 11 rooms (2 per floor) and brand-new fixtures, it makes you feel as though you're visiting an especially stylish friend's house in Paris. The young, attractive, multilingual staff are eager to please and up to any challenge. (One staff member manages the multiple roles of concierge, bellman, front desk, and even chef.) Who should stay here? Travelers who prefer a smaller, more modern hotel, and serious shoppers who want access to the chic boulevard Saint-Germain and rue de Grenelle boutiques.
6 rue Saint-Placide, 6th; 01-42-84-34-61; leplacidehotel.com
6 rue Saint-Placide, 6th; 01-42-84-34-61; leplacidehotel.com
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