L’Hôtel

Among travel writers it’s most famous as the final overnight resting place of Oscar Wilde, but L’Hôtel is perhaps even more notable for having been a boutique hotel before the concept of a boutique hotel had even been invented. This Left Bank cult classic packs as much personality as it’s possible to pack into its 20 rooms — which have been redesigned by no less singular a Parisian designer than Jacques Garcia himself.

In this case, at least, there’s no contradiction between boutique personality and luxe grandeur; by virtue of its scale, L’Hôtel can’t offer the full palace-hotel treatment, but its guests are spared no comfort. Every room is different, and not subtly different, either — though they bear the stylistic signature of the same designer, each one is an experience unto itself.

The subterranean hammam pool is a memorable luxury, and it’s possible to book a massage by the poolside. Meanwhile, the hotel’s social life takes place in Wilde’s Lounge, a nightspot as decadent as its namesake, dedicated to apéritifs, cocktails, and jazz. In Parisian boutique-hotel style, you’ll have to venture outside for a restaurant; given the setting in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, you won’t have far to go.