Best for: Proximity to theatres
In 2007, the Experimental Group – actually three perfectly respectable former school chums – transformed the Paris bar scene with their sweetly raffish Experimental Cocktail Club. More recently they went into hotels, first with the charming Grand Pigalle, then with the equally perky Henrietta in London. A few years later they opened Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, which may be the most irresistible of all.
Grands Boulevards is at once a historical term, referring to Baron Haussmann’s transformative thoroughfares; a Métro station; and, for many Parisians, words likely to conjure up a rather unkind image of wide-eyed yokels from beyond the périphérique pouring into and out of the theatres in the area. You really ought to join them. This is one of the most diverse and dynamic parts of the city, from those much-loved theatres to the glorious covered arcades and teeming textile workshops.
The would-be flâneur couldn’t choose a more convenient or prepossessing base than Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, an 18th-century townhouse converted into 50 rooms, a restaurant and three bars. Interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon riffs with textures, shapes and colours in her distinctive, delightful way.
None of the rooms are vast but there isn’t a dud among them: with their luscious greens, blues and pinks, they’re at once simple and sensuous. And the group continues to deliver on its experimental promise: whatever you order to drink, expect to be pleasantly surprised. If in doubt, start with the Experience 1: vodka, elderflower syrup, lemon juice, lemongrass and basil. By Steve King
Address: 17 Bd Poissonnière, 75002 Paris, France
Prices: Rooms from around £254 per night
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