Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg

Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg comprises two landmark buildings on rue Boissy d’Anglas, close to the Place de la Concorde — one of them previously the headquarters of the Marie Claire magazines, the other an 18th-century private mansion. The location is fantastic, adjacent to the US embassy and quite near the Louvre and Orsay museums, as well as Cartier and Hermes. Buddha Bar is just across the street, and Hotel de Crillon is also nearby.

What makes the Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg a special place, though, is the fact that despite the location, which is right in the middle of it all, there is an element of discretion, a feeling that this is the sort of place where even a movie star could go incognito. Le Faubourg feels like its own universe, walled off from the bustling center of Paris, an oasis within which to escape from the world outside.

The hotel itself is attractive, its décor bright and calm, bringing a touch of Zen to the otherwise traditionally opulent interiors. The lobby, in particular, is sunny and open, lit by vast skylights that span nearly the length of the ceiling – quite in contrast to the more typical Parisian lobby, which is little more than a desk at the bottom of a staircase. The guest rooms, masterfully styled by designer Didier Gomez, are outfitted with every modern convenience.

The restaurant, Blossom, plays on its winter-garden setting; here chef Anaïs Foray places plants and vegetables front and center, many of them grown in the restaurant’s own garden. Meanwhile, Le Bar du Faubourg serves lunch, tea, and an all-day menu of light bites, before becoming a classic Parisian cocktail bar by night.