Artus Hotel

Class: First

Style: Stylish alternative

Rooms: 27

Located on the rue de Buci, in the left bank, the newly renovated Artus is doubly remarkable; not only is it contemporary and stylish, but it’s quiet about it as well. Some of the most fashionable Parisian hotels take themselves a bit too seriously, with pompous service to match (we could name names, but won’t; not to worry, they aren’t listed here anyway). The Artus, by contrast, isn’t trying to be a lifestyle, an ideology, a religion, just a hotel, a rather good-looking one, with a personality all its own — clean lines, vivid colors, modern furnishings and some original artwork, and a gallery showing regular exhibitions. Rooms have dark wood floors, platform beds, modern designer furniture, and walls painted in deep, bold colors. The duplex room is split-level, with the bath upstairs, and the top-floor junior suite has a private walk-out balcony with a view over rue de Buci and Boulevard Saint-Germain. Breakfast is served downstairs in a chic minimalist space, and from there it’s out on the town — the Artus is ideally placed for a walk through the Odéon or a day of shopping in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.