Hôtel de Nell

This is how hotel minimalism is supposed to be done — instead of feeling stripped to the studs, Hôtel de Nell is imbued with a tranquil, understated warmth, and a depth of texture that's so often lost at other pared-down hotels. As ever, it's all in the details: the heated parquet floors topped with easy-on-the-toes organic wool carpets, black stone-walled showers you'll never want to get out of, and, in the better rooms, massive Japanese bathtubs carved from single blocks of raw marble and fitted with Oregon myrtlewood accessories.

Though the location on Rue du Conservatoire in the 9th Arrondissement may not have enormous name recognition, the streetscape is nonetheless postcard-worthy. Across a narrow lane from the hotel is the 19th-century Sainte-Cécile church on one corner and a classic Haussmann-style building on the other. Most rooms have views of one or the other framed by the picture windows, and whatever the view, there’s plenty of natural light.

If it’s the tiniest bit out of the way (and really only the tiniest bit), the hotel more than makes up for it with a destination-worthy restaurant and bar. The former is a “bistronomy” concept by the highly acclaimed chef Yoni Saada, a happy inversion of the usual Parisian boutique hotel norm of forcing guests outside the doors to find something to eat; here, one of the city’s finest chefs comes to you.

Though the staff will gladly point you toward a typically atmospheric Parisian café when the mood strikes, you could just as easily spend the morning with a newspaper and coffee in the hotel’s elegant library, or an afternoon sipping cocktails in its glass-roofed bar. There’s even a small, very tranquil spa, a rarity among Parisian hotels of this size.

Another rarity in mid-size hotels, anywhere in the world: proper turn-down service. Luxurious bedding goes a long way, soft lighting and the slippers at the foot of the bed are nice touches, but what really tops it off is the treat on the pillow, a bonbon from À la Mère de Famille, a neighborhood institution (and one of the best chocolatiers in Paris) since 1761.