Sinner

One of the most storied Parisian neighborhoods, Le Marais is known for its aristocratic distant past, its rather more debaucherous recent history, and its current status as one of the city’s most artistic and creative districts. Hoteliers EVOK, the group responsible for Parisian hotels Brach and Nolinski, have taken inspiration from the most colorful aspects of the Marais, and the proof is in the name: Sinner evokes both the ecclesiastical orders who first established this district and the contemporary pleasure-seekers who visit it today.

Designer and architect Tristan Auer was given free rein to create a truly immersive experience, one marked by dramatic public spaces, opulent guest quarters, and a dash of the carefree optimism of the Seventies. The result is colorful, eclectic, and though tightly composed, far from minimal — less “urban zen” than invigorating sensory overload. It’s vibrant and incredibly dramatic, but elegant all the same, and as plush as can be, in keeping with its hedonistic mission.

To that end it employs a number of specialists, with its music and book collections chosen by local creative experts. And equally creative is Sinner’s restaurant, where chef Adam Bentalha and pastry chef Yann Brys look to North Africa and South America for inspiration for their unique “tribal” cuisine. The bar, with its towering stained-glass windows, is the focal point of Sinner’s social life, and lends suitable gravity to the evening’s proceedings. Add a spa by La Colline with a heated indoor pool and you’ve got a proper luxury hotel — just one that’s far more adventurous than most other hotels in its class.