Hotel Keppler
Hotel Keppler is an au courant 'new art' luxury boutique hotel in Paris, a stone's throw from shopping haven the Champs Elysees but also a welcome haven from the hustle and bustle of the city.
There are 44 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, each of which has been designed by interiors guru Pierre-Yves Rochon; think black and white decor with splashes of colour, custom- made furniture and hand-woven carpets. For a little bit of added luxury; the suites boast balconies overlooking the city and the Eiffel Tower. Guests can also expect sleek modern features such as iPod docks and bathrooms filled with Hermes goodies.
The hotel's bar is an elegant affair with a winter garden, spectacular glass roof and, most importantly of all, a superb cocktail selection, making it the perfect place to enjoy a flavour of the Parisian social scene.
For a bit of pampering after shop-hopping and culture vulturing your way around Paris, there is a sauna and steam room in the hotel's fitness centre for guests to un-wind in.
There is no restaurant at Hotel Keppler, but there is a great selection of chic bistros around the corner. Breakfast, on the other hand, is served at the hotel, and cliché it may be, the freshly ground coffee and delicious pastries won't disappoint.
Why We Love It
Hotel Keppler is just off Champs Elyseees that is home to some of the most well-known shops and fashion brands, making for a lovely afternoon of shopping!
L'Hotel
L'Hotel is a charming boutique bolthole located in the arty left bank of Paris. Being Oscar Wilde's last humble abode has done wonders for the hotel's marketing team and made the hotel quite the Parisian society highlight.
Renowned designer Jacques Garcia has given the property a hip new face lift, and no doubt Oscar would approve of the decadent bohemian feel. All 20 guest rooms and suites differ in size and have been individually decorated with theatrical flare. Think fabric covered walls, stylish furnishings, golden antiques and halls filled with original 19th century art works and Oscar Wilde accolades.
L'Hotel's Le Restaurant is simply Le Best, with Michelin star recognition and outstanding cuisine. Generally speaking if anything has a French label we assume it will be of a high quality, and this is very much the case in Le Restaurant, with its gourmet dishes, excellent service and superb wine list.
No prizes for guessing what the hotel's bar is called, and guests and visitors alike tend to linger in Le Bar for a glimpse of the long established left bank glamour this bar has in spades. Oh, and the cocktails aren't bad either.
Aside from exploring nearby art galleries, patisseries and French boutiques, guests can relax in the secluded hammam pool and steam room on the lower ground floor, where pampering treatments are also available.
Why We Love It
Long since heralded as the art boutique hotel of choice, L'Hotel now houses original Jean Cocteau drawings that hang in the lobby.
Hotel Bel Ami
In the heart of the literary left bank area of Paris, The contemporary Hotel Bel Ami is located, appropriately enough, in a former printworks.
There are 108 en suite rooms (including seven suites) decked out along almost Nordic design lines with minimal fuss and the odd blocks of greens and blues - basically the antithesis of the more lavish French capital's grande dame hotels.
The Mots Passants restaurant continues the literary theme with shelves full of art books and serves breakfasts and weekend brunches only. For other meals, the excellent concierges will advise guests on the best of the many bistros within easy walking of the hotel. Elsewhere, the Bel Ami bar is a sophisticated place to enjoy a relaxing drink after wandering the streets of Saint Germain. Choose from the extensive cocktail list (the Before My Detox concoction of vodka infused tea is particularly good) and settle into the hanging Bulle chairs for the evening.
An equally pleasing place to hangout is the Institut Esthederm Wellbeing Area (that's a spa to you and me) which has two treatments rooms where the staff offer facials and massages, and a sauna and gym room.
Why We Love It
The 'Clefs d'Or' concierge team at the Hotel Bel Ami is among the best in this or any city, and can arrange everything (within reason) from fast track exhibition admission to a babysitter if you're travelling with family in tow.