Hidden

Class: First

Style: Cutting edge

Rooms: 23

You would think the first rule of establishing a truly hidden hotel would be, Don’t put a sign over the door that says “Hidden Hotel.” But some allowances must be made, we suppose, for the necessity of commerce — and even with that sign over the door, the Hidden Hotel is practically invisible compared to the ostentation with which the typical Parisian hotel announces itself.

This one, by contrast, is tucked away behind a weathered wood façade, right around the way from the Arc de Triomphe. Inside it’s more of the same, with unfinished wood and stone making up the bulk of the décor, and gauzy earth-toned muslin for a softening effect. Safe to say it’s not at all the style one expects from a Parisian boutique hotel, and that’s most definitely a good thing.

Which is certainly not to say that all your expectations will go unsatisfied. The rooms, unfinished-looking or not, come with the must-haves, including big flat-panel wall-mounted televisions and king-sized beds. And if there’s no restaurant (we mean that rhetorically; there’s no restaurant) then you can chalk it up to the concept — a hotel is one thing, but there’s no keeping a restaurant hidden in Paris.