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