The Marais, 3rd arrondissement
Hotel Les Bains
Cool Kid Retreat
What it is
An Art World (and Art Deco)-inspired den that epitomizes the New Paris, with 39 vast guest rooms, buzzing bar and nightclub and a vitality pool.
What it isn't
Stuffy. Marie Antoinette wouldn’t recognize this version of France, which is fine by them.
What we think
Geometric shapes and 50 shades of gray (literally) have taken over the design world of late, and they’re everywhere in the Hotel Les Bains guest rooms. Yet rather than feeling trendy to the point of tiredness, they look like as timelessly stunning as Chocolat actress Juliette Binoche (note the Warhol inspired sofa and Gainsbourgian carpet). Even the smaller rooms are stocked with embroidered silk damask linens and Marshall speakers; upgrade to a Tristan Auer-designed Les Bains Suite for your own private steam room and a balcony overlooking (sigh) Paris.
You're here because
It seems all of the hippest Parisians head to the hotel’s darkly sparkly Roxo bar, where DJ’s spin into the wee hours and inventive dishes include guinea fowl with polenta in buckwheat crust.
The Moment
Honesty bars typically leave you feeling a little unenthused, but this one—with its tufted leather sofas, stained glass windows, chinoiserie accents and flickering wood fire—has you wanting to move in. One glass of whiskey into the evening, a stack of magazines calling your name from the cocktail table, and you think you just might.
Restaurants & Bars
La Salle A Manager - Traditional cuisine
Le Bar Les Bains
The Club Les Bains
Location
The fashion-forward 3rd Arrondissement, just a few blocks from both Le Centre Pompidou (designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers) and the Musée National Picasso, home to 5,000 of his works (Picasso once said “I am the greatest collector of Picassos in the world,” and he wasn’t wrong).