Hôtel Madame Rêve

One of the First Arrondissement’s great landmarks, the grand Haussmannian edifice that was the Louvre Post Office, a few blocks up from the museum, closed in 2015. But Paris loves its classic buildings, and after a very thorough restoration under the direction of founder and art director Laurent Taïeb and designer Andrée Putman, this one is back in business, this time as the spectacular Madame Rêve.

The renovation brought out the best of this 19th-century structure’s glamorous side; the lobby level is a postmodern period piece, a fantasy that evokes the romance of travel in a bygone era. Meanwhile the rooms and suites are as contemporary as they come, decked out in warm tones and decorated with a wealth of mail-themed art. Some face inwards, for extra quiet, over the restaurant’s “sky garden,” while others look out over the rooftops and the Gothic spires of the Saint-Eustache church.

A luxe little spa provides an extra measure of relaxation, and guests and locals alike benefit from a pair of restaurants: Kitchen, the ground-floor restaurant, opens onto an intimate terrace, while La Plume, an exquisite Japanese-French hybrid, enjoys views over the rooftops of the city.