Hip, Eccentric, and Absurdly Cool Boutique Stays in Paris

I’m a self-professed lover of boutique hotels. I can’t travel without them—they connect me to the area I’m staying in and take such good care of me that I can’t ever go back to the chains. Paris really sets the standard for boutique hotels for me; they’re intimate, thoughtfully designed, and have a story that permeates their very cores. But you know what else I like? Boutique hotels that just get cool. I’m talking about the ones that set trends and attract the same sort of crowd to their chill ambiance. If that’s the sort of experience that gets you excited to stay somewhere, check out my top three picks of cool boutique hotels in Paris.

A quick primer on hotels in Paris for the unfamiliar:

Rooms are small. Hotels know this and usually work really hard to make the space super functional.
Not many hotels have restaurants, but many have a bar of some kind. It could be an honesty bar for hotel guests only or a slightly larger (real) bar that the public can also enjoy. Even if the city doesn’t come to you, remember you can absolutely chat up the bartender and your fellow travelers!
Whatever your experience out and about in the city, your hotel hosts will never be rude to you (especially in these gems!)

Hotel Fabric

Hotel Fabric sets the standard for industrial chic. Everything—and I mean everything—has been carefully chosen, yet the result feels effortlessly eclectic. In my mind, it’s the perfect study in thoughtful interior design. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a hotel that’s quite this in touch with its history (former textile factory) and district (Oberkampf, once very industrial and now young and trendy), never mind a hotel that makes it all so chic. Raw industrial touches play against the bright colors in the fabrics and on the walls in harmonious dissidence with one another. Oberkampf is the perfect area to stay if you’re all about finding the hottest haunts.

Hotel O

Hotel O immerses you in one–and only one–color. French industrial designer Ora-Ïto brought his signature simplexite to life, fusing organic lines with a fiercely contemporary take on design. Each room is splashed from tip to toe in one color. (Insider tip: you’ll know what general color to expect in your room when you step off the elevator.) Even for Paris, these rooms err on the side of small, but how much more do you truly need your room for than a place to sleep? The bar and lounge are a great place to unwind if you’re looking to kick back with a drink and a bit of conversation. The space feels like a cozy beehive and usually has a humming atmosphere to match. This area is stellar if you’ve got a modern soul but crave history and art.

Buddha-Bar

Buddha-Bar transports you to an otherworldly place by way of Asian-inspired style and French hospitality. From the moment you step into Buddha- Bar Paris, you’re submerged in a sea of deep red, golden dragons, shining lacquer, and Buddhas. Once you’ve checked in to your opulent pad, make a beeline for the Le Qu4tre bar where a DJ spins nightly and music from the Buddha-Bar soundtrack trickles in for a subtle soundtrack to your experience. Let’s be real: Champs-Élysées is gorgeous but on the touristy side. That being said, Buddha-Bar drops you less than a two minute walk from the Rue du Fauborg Saint-Honore to get your fashion fix, Place du Concorde, Jardin des Tuileries, and on down La Seine to the Louvre. We’re talking a 15 minute walk to most of Paris’s top sights, people.