Rates: from €149 per night
Added extras: sauna for private hire, fitness room and afternoon tea
Services: breakfast, Rose et Marius shop, room service and minibar
Located between Bastille and the Marais, the latest of Christian Lacroix’s design hotels (which includes the globe-trotting Hôtel du Continent) pays tribute to its former life as an upholstery store. As one might expect from a fashion designer’s labour of love, the three-star L’Antoine is riot of colour in a lively area (it’s a stone’s throw from notorious party strip rue de Lappe so ideal for sampling the nightlife). A mix of the contemporary and the classic, expect Kilim prints, 17th century-style furniture, pared-back wooden fixtures, photo murals and Matisse-esque colour blends. Each of the five floors, with 38 rooms in total, is inspired by a different vibe, from artist’s workshops to the famed fifties Parisian dance hall, Balajo.
Take for example, our junior suite – lime green plush carpet, burnt orange velour curtains (a surprisingly satisfying combination), a giant squishy bed, a stripped pine wood headboard and a spacious Moroccan-style geometric tiled bathroom. Interior design nerds will be in seventh heaven: we had to refrain from peeking into every room to glimpse all the quirky details. But beyond that, everything is comfortable and functional. We’re still dreaming about the huge power shower.
Although it’s not super spacious, the lobby and breakfast room are cosy and welcoming –there’s a selection of hot drinks and cakes in the afternoon, while breakfast (€16) is a hot and cold buffet spread of cereals, breads, cheeses, meat and fruit. Don’t miss the fitness room and sauna in the basement, which is available for private booking so you can sweat it out in peace. They’ve hit the nail on the head with the addition of the Rose et Marius boutique too; all the packaging of candles and body products mirror the aesthetic of the hotel and guests get ten percent off – making it all too easy to bring a piece of the hotel home. This zesty design hotel has got the balance just right: a strong yet accessible aesthetic with a friendly atmosphere, in one of the city’s most vibrant areas.