Hotel Les Capitouls Toulouse Centre - Handwritten Collection

Toulouse was officially named a UNESCO Creative City of Music in 2023, and Hotel Les Capitouls Toulouse Centre - Handwritten Collection embraces the theme. But instead of opera and classical music, two art forms which with the city has long been associated, this boutique hotel takes inspiration from more contemporary music, specifically that of 1980s Manchester. Posters from Joy Division and New Order concerts hang near reception, and vintage cassettes form the basis of art installations. The cavernous, coolly lit lobby, with its exposed brick walls, high archways, glass roof, and welcoming cocktail bar, feels more like a live music venue or a recording studio than a hotel.

Rooms are compact and stylish, with distressed wood-plank flooring, midcentury modern decor, and dramatic murals with bright, delicate flowers highlighted in sharp chiaroscuro against a dark backdrop. Bathrooms have a rock-and-roll edge, too, with asymmetrical mirrors and vintage-style floral wallpaper. There’s no restaurant, but with a central location like this, in the heart of historic Toulouse, you’re unlikely to miss it — and the chic Wilson Bar, which stays open late, is a good spot for a nightcap.