Rates: from €150
Added extras: the restaurant garden and its lush vegetation
Services: wifi
If you’re allergic to hype, you might be better off closing this tab. Since opening ten years ago, Hotel Amour has enjoyed a reputation for being a stronghold of Parisian trendiness. Located in the heart of SoPi (South Pigalle), just a few streets from Pigalle and its sex shops, this boutique hotel was opened by the prolific Costes brothers and la Clique (the team behind the renowned Paris club le Baron). The theme of the hotel is love and eroticism, an old-school recipe that seduces couples (especially the fashionable ones), to discover the side of Paris for lovers.
The decor is perfectly eclectic and ramshackle, influenced by a wide range of genres. The interior is designed by numerous artists includng Marc Newson, M/M, Pierre Le-Tan, M. André and Sophie Calle. All the objects are vintage – from unusual trinkets to antique furniture – and more risqué pieces (including the erotic magazines) are vintage too. Each of the twenty rooms (priced from €155 per night) is unique and seven feature art installations, while two have a private bar and spacious terrace. We fell head over heels for the ultra-classy all-black-everything room that we tested.
It would be a crime not to mention the famous restaurant with its incredibly lush secret garden, which the locals flock to. Inside is an atmospheric combination of art deco tables and fifties chairs. The well-thought out menu includes revisited classics and more off-piste choices, and the value for money is excellent. It is worth noting that its younger sister hotel le Grand Hôtel Amour in Gare de l’Est is equally as impressive.
