Villa d’Estrées - Hotel in Paris

The surrounding Latin quarter may have its feet in the 15th century, but within the walls of this smart hotel, the Empire strikes back—and more than holds its own. Symmetry prevails in the lobby and breakfast room, sumptuous in striped velvets, geometric-tiled floor and black lacquered beams. The air of late Napoleonic refinement extends all the way to the rooms. Double-windowed and roomy enough to accommodate a stripey fauteuil or two, they come in rich reds, tans and military blues. Crisp, white bedcovers and austere prints contrast impeccably. In the bathrooms, glistening, licorice-black Moroccan tiles add a dash of the exotic. It’s a terribly civilised place, the Villa; discreet, tranquil, and yet barely a stone’s throw from the hurly burly of rue Saint André des Arts