Park Hotel Grenoble

Compared to some French cities, Grenoble’s charms are on the subtle side; its mountainside location provides some topographical interest, and it’s a major center for education, science, and technology. Similarly, the Park Hôtel Grenoble, unassuming as it is, reveals hidden strengths: a city-center location adjoining the verdant Parc Paul Mistral offers the appeal of an urban luxury hotel with a touch of country charm, and its interiors are more colorful and more contemporary than you’d be led to believe by its relatively humble façade.

The rooms are decked out in stately monochrome, livened by color-block accents in crimson or turquoise (but not both); the comforts include such niceties as Clarins bath products and Nespresso machines. The suites, naturally, are much more expansive, with lounges large enough for a business meeting as well as an unusual amount of artwork.

A breakfast buffet, a bar and lounge, and a room service menu are the extent of the food and beverage program; in the center of Grenoble you’re presented with a wealth of restaurant options within a minute’s walk. There’s also a substantial fitness and wellness center, and a shuttle connects the hotel with the local resorts during ski season.