< Previous110 If ever there were a reason to camp out in the elegant but sleepy 16ème arrondissement, it’s for this property, Paris’ only offi cially designated château-hotel. Occupying what was once the site of the city’s fi rst hot-air balloon landing fi eld, 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 aff ection 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 fl oor 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 Doubles from about AED 1,815; saint-james-paris.com BEST FOR CHÂTEAU GRANDEUR SAINT JAMES PARIS111 Despite being within eyeshot of the Eiff el Tower and the gilded dome of Napoleon’s tomb, the 15ème arrondissement in western Paris has always felt more like a neighbourhood than a destination per se. For the Wallace’s owners, Louis and Anouk Solanet, that was part of the charm when they gave a coolly retro makeover to a derelict building which locals might vaguely recall was once a low-cost hotel. Now, it feels like the heart of a quietly hip village, in an area of little boutiques and specialist food stores. The Solanets maintained the original structure but added several fl oors and a leafy terrace accessible from the third fl oor, with a Nordic bath, outdoor sauna and classic view of Parisian rooftops. Among the 45 bedrooms, several on the fi rst few fl oors have more of a motel vibe – small but comfortable, with windows looking onto an interior glass roof. The others, including the top-fl oor junior suite with a sizeable double balcony dotted with deckchairs and bedroom skylight, evoke the elegance of an Orient Express-style night car. Headboards and shelves are sleek, in lacquered and varnished wood, while brass reading lamps, fringed light fi xtures and Kartell nightstands add to the retro vibe. Striped coral-and-white curtains lend a hint of Riviera colour, while the terrazzo fl oors and bathroom countertops are signatures of the interior designers, French-Italian duo Samantha Hauvette and Lucas Madani. There’s no on-site restaurant, but the glass-covered cocktail bar has a menu of local nibbles selected by the team at cult rotating-chef restaurant Fulgurances. LT Doubles from about AED 580; hotelwallaceparis.com BEST FOR MOD-RETRO STYLE HÔTEL WALLACE PHO T OGR APHS: CERR UTI DR AIME112 With so many Parisian hotels done in fi ercely good taste, there’s something refreshing about one with a loose Eighties theme and a colour scheme heavy on hot pink. It starts with the words ‘Forever Young’ on a rug beside the entrance, but goes further. The lyrics from the 1984 hit by German synth band Alphaville are woven into the design of two custom- made wallpapers; and when you pop a cassette into the USB-port-enabled boomboxes – there’s one in every room – the Jay-Z version of the song comes on. Yes, this is that place – where green neon signs above beds implore guests to ‘Scream’, possibly into a retro bedside phone, which is just about doable given that soundproofi ng foam lines the walls. Exiting the lift into the hallway feels like stepping into a scene from Star Wars or Pac-Man: ceilings and carpets are covered in a black-and-white-check pattern, while blinding white lights outline room doors. Then there are the artworks, including a Super Mario character made of Lego above a stack of Rubik’s cubes that spell out R-E-M-I-X. Guests who are here to work can access nine hi-tech meeting rooms named Madonna, INXS, Elton, Freddie, Cyndi, Prince, Tina, Blondie and Bowie. Non-residents are invited to use the spaces, too, and communal areas on three fl oors are often booked for events. Channelling Van Halen’s Hot for Teacher, there are even old-school lockers in which to leave any work accoutrements or luggage. There are pool and table-football tables, arcade games and a tile-walled restaurant that, slightly incongruously, serves American soul food inspired by Marvin Gaye. In this Remix, almost anything goes. SL Doubles from about AED 330; remix-hotel.com BEST FOR THROWBACK THRILLS THE REMIX HOTEL113 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 suffi ciently high esteem to erect two fi ne 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-defi ning phenomenon that sprang into existence when she opened Blakes in London in 1978. Blakes was full of mirrors, velvet and exotic fl ourishes suggestive of a well-travelled, sophisticated, possibly rather decadent way of life. And so is Monsieur George. The mirrors, the velvet and the exotic fl ourishes 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, seductive 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 fl oor, an utterly unexpected white-on-white aff air beneath the eaves, an essay in monochrome minimalism, more monastic than presidential – and only the more delightful for it. SK Doubles from about AED 1,440; monsieurgeorge.com BEST FOR VELVETEEN GLAMOUR MONSIEUR GEORGE PHO T OGR APHS: G AELLE LE B OULIC A U T114 When I fi rst moved to Paris to study, aged 19, I lived on rue Saint- Roch – a 1er arrondissement street which was then largely unloved and little visited, except for fi nanciers, 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 understated 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 coff ee 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 Doubles from about AED 1,660; chateauvoltaire.com BEST FOR CITY INSIDERS CHÂTEAU VOLTAIRE115 https://magnet.itp.com/magnet/app/ navigator/view_fi le.php?sf_ id=12097189&sl_id=2&coming_from=navi gate&r=1655807755&fetch_ type=image&a_id=1&img_ id=12097189&dynamic_creation=1&user_ id=1305360&server=np&a7x=1 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 fi rst 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 fl oors, 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 and portable phone chargers. 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 Doubles from about AED 1,660; kimptonsthonoreparis.com KIMPTON ST HONORÉ PARIS BEST FOR REVIVALISTS PHO T OGR APHS: FR ANÇOIS HALARD , JÉRÔME G ALLAND116 Post offi ces are – or at least used to be – inherently romantic places, and none more so than the central post offi ce 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-offi ce building, opened this past autumn. A seductive honeyed glow emanates from the discreet corner entrance. Through the windows of its ground-fl oor 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 offi ce has reopened almost directly below. SK Doubles from about AED 1,840; madamereve.com BEST FOR NOSTALGIA HÔTEL MADAME RÊVE117 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 Hôtel Wallace), 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 fi nest original details were restored, from the Thirties blue mosaic fl oor 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 fl oor, an old-world brasserie with plush banquettes serves up comforting Parisian classics, from chicken-liver pâté to 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 fl oor underground, returns as a speakeasy to begin a new chapter of Pigalle nightlife. LT Doubles from about AED 700; hotelrochechouart.com BEST FOR TWENTIES DECADENCE HÔTEL ROCHECHOUART It takes a certain level of confi dence to arrive in Paris’ Golden Triangle, among the Chanel boutiques and urban palaces such as the Four Seasons and Hôtel Plaza Athénée. La Demeure Montaigne – a newcomer from the Frontenac Group that has three hotels nearby – does so with sly whimsy. There are feather-fl ower chandeliers, jungle wallpaper and ginkgo-patterned carpets throughout the 93-bedroom address. Soft jazz and the delicate scent of powder fi lters up from the subterranean spa – a future-forward draw, with its quartz-walled pool, hot baths, steam room and cabins with heated tables for massages using marine-based Thalgo products. Back upstairs, a Carrara marble hall leads to a stately billiards room that exudes cosy chic, with its fi replace, circular granite bar and Pop Art portrait of French philosopher Michel de Montaigne. The restaurant, L’Envolée (Flight), is in a dramatic glass atrium, above which soars a bird mobile by sculptor François Lavrat – a sort of metaphorical challenge to chef Grégory Réjou, who sharpened his knives alongside Alain Sanderens at the nearby Plaza Athénée; for dessert try the candied clementine and poached pear with tonka-bean cream. For all the sense of a hush-hush retreat, there are landmark views – in apartment 605 and suite 608, king-sized beds face wrought-iron balconies with views of the Eiff el Tower. There’s a fl oral femininity to most rooms, with reliefs of birds and fauna, and TVs are discreetly positioned behind dressers or ornate wall mirrors – all of which suits the overriding feeling of discovering a hidden treasure. SL Doubles from about AED 1,500; lademeuremontaigne.com BEST FOR CHIC WHIMSY LA DEMEURE MONTAIGNE PHO T OGR APHS: L UDO VIC B ALA Y , JÉRÔME MONDIER118 Some hotels clearly set out to be places in which to gather as much as to sleep. At the Opéra district’s new Chouchou hotel, it’s possible to miss the entrance entirely, drawn instead into Le Marché, a food market which doubles as a venue for DJs, live music and stand-up. On this visit, the space is buzzing with young Parisians packed onto trestle tables, ordering cheese and charcuterie plates or oysters for a euro a go from mock stalls with striped awnings. This is the 19ème hotel from the Elegancia group, the brand behind smart addresses such as the Left Bank’s fl oral-chic Hôtel des Grandes Écoles and the sultry black Hôtel Snob in Les Halles. But never has an outpost been so squarely aimed at locals as well as visitors. This is Paris, though, so the 63 reasonably priced bedrooms remain eminently grown-up: in L’Arrache Coeur (The Heartsnatcher) suite, named after the Boris Vian novel, there are blue-panelled walls, a forest- green sofa against a bookshelf wall (lots of Vian) and jazz LPs for the Grundig vinyl player. Slightly smaller junior suites are named after classic French songs, such as the pastel-pink La Vie En Rose, with views across copper chimney pots to the Palais Garnier opera house. Downstairs, the continental breakfasts are unfussily satisfying, though it’s worth saving room to join the queue later at nearby patisserie Cédric Grolet, where the croissants are famous. This needn’t feel sacrilegious: Chouchou isn’t a place to be sequestered away from the city, but a place to be plugged into its rhythms. TABITHA JOYCE Doubles from about AED 580; chouchouhotel.com BEST FOR A YOUTHFUL BUZZ CHOUCHOU119 Stepping away from the bustling boulevard de Belleville in the 20ème arrondissement and into this 31-bedroom hotel feels almost like walking into a souk in Marrakech, with glass lanterns, tomette tiles and tapestry-covered armchairs. Owner Joris Bruneel’s dream was to honour the neighbourhood’s rich multiculturalism. He employed prolifi c boutique-hotel designer Daphné Desjeux to take inspiration from the locale, as well as the Silk Road and the eponymous biblical fable in her rich aesthetic. He also wanted to involve the community – such as local street artist 13 Bis who did the clever Adam and Eve bathroom murals, while Franco-Afghan chef Clarie Feral Akram serves pesto babka topped with tahini in the excellent restaurant. Not only that, but the hotel works with the nearby town hall to help those in need of emergency housing for a few nights and, in a collaboration with the Refugee Food Festival, provides nine-month internships to chefs from war-torn countries. Saturday lunches, however, are all about the mamans du quartier, who come in to cook their own cuisine, be it Algerian couscous or Damascus muhammara. In the minimalist rooms, thoughtful details make up for missing mainstays such as robes and TVs. There are jars fi lled with tea or ground coff ee from local roastery La Brûlerie de Jourdain. But the most clever touch is the framed photographs on the walls. “We asked all our friends to send us the best pictures from their travels,” says Bruneel. There’s one of his friend’s kids in Kabul, and another featuring the manager’s girlfriend in Bolivia’s salt marshes. Babel is a rare thing – a new hotel with a tangible soul. SL Doubles from about AED 445; babel-belleville.com BEST FOR COMMUNITY SPIRIT BABEL PHO T OGR APHS: BENOIT LINER O , NIC OLA S ANET SONNext >