Boutique and Chic Hotels in Paris

Fifty-two of the most beautifully decorated and luxurious small hotels in Paris are profiled and photographed in this lush little guide. You'll find bohemian hideaways, classic historic dwellings (often refreshed with contemporary d?cor), hip bed-and-breakfasts, and ultra cool classics with things to do and see and where to shop and stroll listed with each hotel. The rooms at one designer hotel, decorated by couturier Christian Lacroix, are variations on the theme of the boudoir, with jewel-like colors and baroque-hip furnishings. Another has the highly civilized atmosphere of an 18-century townhouse, with antiques and chandeliers set off by stone walls and exposed beams. In another, guestrooms were originally artists' studios, with views of a courtyard garden; the lobby/library/bar and dining room is housed in a 60-foot-high indoor tennis court built in the 17th century. You'll find lodgings are sleek and modern, but always peaceful and welcoming. Each hotel is enchanting and romantic, the embodiment of the quintessential French "luxe, calme et volupt?."

Lionel Pailles has written many guides to Paris, including ones on best massages, antique and bric-a-brac shops, and gyms. He has also written three guides for new fathers.

Sandrine Alouf is a French photographer, whose photographs appear in Paris Chic & Trendy (The Little Bookroom). Her installation of photographs of clouds along the platform of the RER Luxembourg station in Paris was called “A ceil ouvert” (“Open to the skies”).