Molitor

If it’s getting a little bit tough to tell one Parisian hotel from another, here’s one you’ll have no trouble remembering. Piscine Molitor was, from the Twenties through the Eighties, a unique Paris landmark, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool complex which, in its Art Deco splendor, resembled nothing so much as an inside-out cruise ship: a little ocean ringed by porthole-studded cabins. And after a quarter-century of disuse, during which time it became a canvas for a burgeoning Parisian street-art scene, it’s found a second life as an Art Deco–influenced bathing complex — but this time around it’s also a luxury hotel, the Hotel Molitor Paris, designed by the architect Jean-Philippe Nuel and operated by Accor’s upscale Mgallery brand.

Needless to say, the indoor-outdoor pool complex sets it instantly apart from its Parisian hotel competitors. Nuel’s redesign was thorough, as was the renovation — adding two additional floors atop the existing three — but woven into its sober, contemporary visual language is an occasional touch of Art Deco heritage as well, from the rare porthole window to the universally near-monochrome color scheme and the Forties-inspired modernist furnishings.

Pool passes, naturally, are included in the nightly rate; needless to say, the atmosphere by the poolside is a little more rarefied than it was back in the public-pool days. It’s the price you pay for such a massive upgrade — the old Molitor also didn’t have rooftop terraces with city views, or a Clarins spa, or a gastronomic restaurant. For those with the means to enjoy it, the Molitor offers a city hotel experience that’s truly like no other.