Cour des Vosges - Evok Collection

The Place des Vosges, in the Marais, is one of Paris’s most unique places — the city’s oldest planned square, it was once home to authentic nobility, and its gardens remain even as the city has grown around it. Now it’s been rediscovered by a new, stylish set, including Evok Hotels, the name behind Parisian favorites like Nolinski and Brach. Cour des Vosges is the latest work in their portfolio, and it stands proudly over the corner of this picturesuqe square.

One unusual detail: the Cour des Vosges may be a big deal, but it’s a small hotel, comprising just 12 rooms and suites. The style is a blend of 17th-century opulence and 1970s modernism, something of an Evok trademark, and it’s a memorable mixture, one that feels both surprising and somehow inevitable. Stainless steel mingles with black marble, and the color palette is distinctly contemporary — as are the comforts, as befits a modern luxury boutique hotel.

Some suites come with kitchenettes, in keeping with Cour des Vosges’ residential concept. And while it may lack palace-hotel facilities like a spa and a fine-dining restaurant, it comes close: not only are there Roman baths for a bit of low-key rest and recuperation, but there’s the Tea Room as well, for a drink and a light bite — including a “patisserie corner” featuring the creations of the award-winning pastry chef Yann Brys.