Hôtel Les Deux Gares

The two stations in question are the Gare de l’Est and the Gare du Nord, between which is sandwiched the incredibly colorful Hôtel Les Deux Gares, the first hotel project by the retro-obsessed English artist and designer Luke Edward Hall. And, English though he may be, the depth of Hall’s research combined with the boldness of his palette results a sort of dream-world hyper-Paris, more Parisian than the real thing.

This is more boutique hotel than luxury hotel, to be sure, and while comfortable, the rooms are cozy; a few have balconies, and all of them are a feast for the eyes. (Some hotels tone down their color sense in the bedrooms, but not this one.) Hall himself admits, with classic self-deprecation, that the look is “a little bonkers” — true though that may be, it’s what makes this place unique.

In typical Parisian boutique-hotel style there’s no hotel restaurant per se, but the Café Les Deux Gares, just across the street, is also a Luke Edward Hall production. It’s as closely affiliated as a restaurant can be without sharing an address, and a worthy destination in its own right, the sort of place you’d be glad to know about even if you were staying elsewhere.