Le Royal Monceau

Paris, France

• Style Where the art is
• Setting Upscale Avenue Hoche

Philippe Starck’s Le Royal Monceau hotel in Paris has a decadent, modern design: exposed brickwork, plush carpets and iron railings.

L'Hôtel

Paris, France

• Style Lavish Left Bank boudoir
• Setting Arty Saint-Germain

It may be the place where Oscar Wilde quipped his last, but opulent boutique hotel L’Hôtel, on Paris’ arty Left Bank, is so much more than a fin-de-siècle relic.

• Smith Vintage

Saint James Paris

Paris, France

• Style High-flying flamboyance
• Setting Erstwhile airfield

Saint James Paris sounds like the stuff of fiction. A grand château with gorgeous gardens – in the city centre? Home to the world’s first balloon airfield? With leopard-print and lipstick-red interiors? Trust us, it’s true.

Be Manos

Brussels, Belgium

• Style Belgian boutique noir
• Setting Central city streets

Smart monochrome decor, sexy portrait photography and Sixties-pattern furnishings lend a witty retro vibe to Be Manos, the smartest, buzziest boutique hotel in the Belgian capital.

• Budget boutique hotels

Soho Hotel

London, United Kingdom

• Style Modern British wit
• Setting Central secrecy

Soho Hotel is an establishment where the watering hole and eatery have independent allure; local media folk swap editing suites and photo studios for drinks at the bar.

Montalembert

Paris, France

• Style Classic Parisian elegance
• Setting Stylish St Germain des Prés

With its semi-hidden reception, art-filled rooms and open feel, the elegant Montalembert in Paris feels more like a private apartment building than a boutique hotel.