The top ten unique hotel stays in Paris

A luxury hotel in the la Chapelle area may not sound like a workable combination and admittedly, it’s not your typical 4-star hotel location. Kube Hotel sits at the bottom of a discreet alley between two kebab stalls and through a classical facade, you’ll find the reception in a glass cube at the heart of the courtyard.

While there is no shortage of high end hotels in the famous Golden Triangle of Paris – a bastion of French wealth, luxury and fashion – some will always stand out from the crowd. The prestigious Pershing Hall is a prime example. Located between Avenue George V and the Champs-Elysées, the building is steeped in history.

This eco-friendly hotel is quite a contrast to the charmingly grubby Canal Saint-Martin. The trademark of the Citizen hotel is its commitment to the environment by reducing all excess waste and overconsumption. The decor reflects the philosophy of the establishment with wood, wood and even more wood – mixed with natural materials that give a simple and luminous charm to the rooms.

The Marignan is a discreet hideout, tucked away from the throngs of tourists on the nearby Champs-Elysées. You might pass by without even noticing it, but behind the enormous black double doors, lies a masterpiece of a Parisian hotel.

This hotel was the final piece of the jigsaw for the Seine. It has its clubs, barge-restaurants and other cruise ships moored on its banks, but now it finally has its own floating hotel at Quai d’Austerlitz. Opened in June 2016 and designed by Gérard Ronzatti, Off Paris Seine is drawing the crowds to its enormous wood, zinc and glass structure. This has to be one of the most impressive hotel locations of the year. 

Travel the world while staying put in one of its most beautiful cities is a bold, novel idea. But make your way to Hotel du Continent, in between Place Vendôme and the Tuileries, and you’ll find that this ambitious project has come to fruition, directed by the designer (and globe-trotter) Christian Lacroix. Each floor of the hotel is assigned its own continent: Europe, Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, with the sixth and top floor representing the Arctic and Antarctic. 

The Particulier Montmartre is completely unique and seems to be able to stop time in its tracks. Hidden between Avenue Junot and Rue Lepic, the hotel is concealed by a big black metal gate. A former residence of the Hermès family, it boasts a 900m2 private garden where the tranquility will only be interrupted by the singing of birds or the noise of pétanque balls from the neighbouring pitch.

Design hotel par excellence, the Déclic functions on its own originality. This unique establishment plunges you into visual fireworks for an overnight stay. Design by Sandrine Alouf – an “atmospherist” who combines decor and stories to take visitors on a motionless journey – is truly magical; a telescope that is within reach of the bed, luminous plexiglass furniture and a glowing night sky which covers every surface (with the occasional moving shooting star).

The opening of the MGallery Molitor made quite a splash. The famous Art Deco swimming pool was defunct for twenty years after closing its doors in 1989. However, after two years of colossal work, the mythical establishment of the 16th arrondissement has reincarnated as a luxurious complex complete with five star hotel, restaurant and spa. 

There is a fair amount of hype surrounding the seven-storey luxury hotel in the Marais, Les Bains, former home to a club frequented by the likes of Andy Warhol and Yves Saint Laurent in the eighties. It was a risk – the place was shut for years and was threatened by the age-old torment of being deemed ‘better in the old days’.