Boutique hotels in Paris with artistic soul

It’s hard not to be seduced by Paris, and its leading hotels capture the city’s insouciant flair – from boudoirs that riff on neoclassical grandeur to art-filled spaces that feel more like slick a pied-à-terre.

Where to stay in Paris

Neighbourhoods like Sentier and Pigalle combine independent boutique hotels with a vibrant cafe culture, boutiques and brilliant restaurants, while Belleville is a graffiti-clad, artsy enclave with a dynamic creative scene. There are also plenty of charming places to stay closer to the centre of Paris within touching distance of some of the world’s finest art galleries and museums.

These hotels have been chosen for their scale, service and impressive design, with heaps of Parisian flavour.

Pigalle

Le Pigalle

Best for: A boutique stay with Pigalle energy
Address: 9 Rue Frochot, Paris 75009
Price: Rooms from 190 EUR

Named after the buzzy neighbourhood in which it lies – known for its restaurants, bars and music venues – Le Pigalle is a lauded landing pad with rock ‘n’ roll vibes. A bar and restaurant occupy the ground floor, scattered with aluminium and cane-back Breuer chairs on terrazzo floors. You’ll often find a DJ spinning records to a room full of locals and guests, sipping cocktails until late. For a tamer ambiance, the next door cafe serves coffee with fresh baking. Rooms are curated with framed art, vintage curios and Le Labo toiletries, and guests are encouraged to listen to throwback vinyl on a vintage record player. Select from single beds for solo travellers, to larger pieds-à-terre with terrace views.

Hôtel Rochechouart

Best for: Jazz Age elegance and rooftop views
Address: 55 Blvd Marguerite de Rochechouart, 75009 Paris
Price: Rooms from 190 EUR

Founded by husband-and-wife team Louis and Anouk Solanet, Orso is a French group of seven boutique hotels in Paris. Among them, Hôtel Rochechouart occupies an Art Deco mansion in Pigalle and oozes Jazz Age charm. Rooms unfold in earthy terracotta and sage green tones, with brass lamps and antique furniture, while some have private balconies overlooking the basilica of Sacré Coeur in Montmartre. For wider vistas, head to the rooftop bar and herb garden, where wrought iron chairs and tumbling greenery create a hidden oasis above the city. Look out for hotel merchandise, including branded sweatshirts and the group’s in-house toiletry line, Soins Colomba.

Le Ballu

Best for: Slavic art and a private pool
Address: 30 Rue Ballu, Paris 75009
Price: Rooms from 234 EUR

Terms like ‘local secret’ and ‘hidden gem’ are often overused, but Le Ballu genuinely fits the bill. Located on a quiet backstreet close to Pigalle’s cocktail bars and music venues, the hotel occupies the former residence of 19th-century painter Charles Wislin. The hotel was overhauled by owners and architectural duo Julia and Thomas Vidalenc, blending mid-century and art deco forms, interspersed with Slavic artwork from their own collection. Rooms are painted in bright jewel tones with views of honey-hued Haussmannian stone buildings, and some larger rooms have private terraces. The high point is the leafy courtyard restaurant that comes alive in summer, and the intimate pool that must be booked in advance, giving guests exclusive access.

Opéra

Pulitzer Paris

Best for: An art-lined bolthole with B-corp prestige
Address: 23 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris
Price: 262 EUR per night

Pulitzer Paris was renovated by painter and designer Lázaro Rosa Violán. His creative eye is evident in the hotel’s unique artworks, bespoke furniture and thoughtfully selected books. A distinct woody amber scent drifts through the social spaces, including Le Patio, a softly lit restaurant, bar and library space. The hotel’s B-corp status exemplifies its commitment to sustainability and transparency, reflected in its locally sourced materials and zero-waste initiatives. Located in the 9th arrondissement’s Opéra district, the city’s cultural landmarks and Belle Époque history are just steps away.

Place d’Italie

Hotel Rosalie

Best for: A nature-driven hideaway with a rooftop garden
Address: 8 bis avenue de la Soeur Rosalie, Paris 75013
Price: Single rooms from 159 EUR

This four-star hotel is found in a picturesque courtyard, close to the creative Butte-aux-Cailles neighbourhood in southern Paris. Designed by French designer Marion Mailaender, the space is inspired by nature and with bags of contemporary soul. Rooms and communal spaces are furnished with local art, bespoke furniture and floral William Morris carpeting, which extends along the walls. Rooms range from pocket-sized singles to expansive triples, while the junior suite has its own private terrace. During the warmer months, guests linger on the large tree-lined patio or rooftop garden, where an old Peugeot 205 is planted with creepers – a reminder that nature holds sway over human-made structures.

Marais

Hotel National des Arts et Métiers

Best for: Artisanal craftsmanship and a destination rooftop
Address: 243 Rue Saint-Martin, Paris 75003
Price: Rooms from 219 EUR

Hotel National des Arts et Métiers is the second property from fashion tycoon-turned hotelier Samy Marciano, also behind Hotel Bachaumont (more on that below). It is well-placed between some of Paris’s most fashionable areas, namely Sentier and the Marais. Entirely gutted and rebuilt by designer Raphael Navot, renowned for designing the city’s Silencio club, the hip hotel draws on influences from the nearby Musée des Arts et Métiers (hence the name).

Almost everything here is handmade: black marble, untreated timber and oxidised copper form a tactile backdrop for hand-painted linen canvases by artist Gaël Davrinche. Overlooking a central courtyard, guest rooms have industrial cement walls, tempered by Kvadrat fabric headboards. Drink in the view on the intimate rooftop or at the Herbarium bar, where cocktails are concocted in vintage beakers and mixed with aromatic herbs and foraged flowers, transporting guests to a forest setting with every sip. There is also a treatment room for bespoke massages and a small gym.

Le Grand Mazarin

Best for: Maximalist escapism, muralled swimming pool
Address: 17 Rue de la Verrerie, Paris 75003
Price: Rooms from 690 EUR, including breakfast

A cheery hang-out in pastel tones with heaps of hand-drawn murals, Le Grand Mazarin radiates joie de vivre. Masterminded by Swedish designer Martin Brudnizki, the hotel presents a typically lavish depiction of Paris in all its tasselled velvet flamboyance. The hotel’s restaurant, Boublé, spans the entire ground floor, serving Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the Levant, at the crossroads of Europe and the Middle East. Rooms evoke Grand Siècle opulence, with four poster beds, hanging tapestries and ornate wardrobes rendered in Wes Anderson-worthy tones. A subterranean swimming pool – a rarity in Paris – features a floral mural by artist Jacques Merle, which curves along the barrel-vaulted ceiling.

Belleville

Babel

Best for: An offbeat and arty address
Address: 3 Rue Lemon, Paris 75020
Price: Rooms from 122 EUR

Around the corner from the action of cosmopolitan Belleville, Babel is a tribute to multiculturalism. Owner Joris Bruneel, also behind Hotel Rosalie, tapped designer Daphné Desjeux to inject an alluring Marrakech-meets-Havana vibe, taking inspiration from the Silk Road and various biblical tales. The restaurant mirrors this global approach, with a menu spanning flavours from Asia to the Middle East. Beyond aesthetics, the hotel provides emergency housing for those in need and offers chef internships through the Refugee Food Festival. Rooms have limewashed walls and feature local touches, like coffee from the nearby Brûlerie de Jourdain. The result is somewhere that transcends time and place but somehow feels familiar to anyone who’s done a spot of travelling.

Grands Boulevards

Grands Boulevards Experimental

Best for: A playfully reimagined neoclassical townhouse
Address: 17 Boulevard Poissonière, Paris 75002
Price: Rooms from 197 EUR

Right in the thick of the Grands Boulevards’ frenzy of sports bars, fast food joints and theatres, this Experimental Group hotel is a surprisingly tranquil, stylish base with good transport links. The ground floor restaurant is bright and airy beneath a sweep of glass, while the mass of potted plants creates an oasis of calm. Designed by the team’s longtime collaborator Dorothée Meilichzon, rooms mix modern furnishings with Marie Antoinette-inspired splendour (a nod to the building’s neoclassical history). Baldaquin beds are draped with fabric, and topped by soft coral pink and cornflower blue velvet headboards. Rooftop bar, The Shed, is a hidden oasis in central Paris, with expertly shaken cocktails and live DJs during summer.

Victor Hugo

Saint James Paris

Best for: Living out château life dreams
Address: 5 Place du Chancelier Adenauer, Paris 75116
Price: Rooms from 680 EUR

This small but grand 19th-century castle has had several lives: a hot air balloon landing field take-off ground, the home of former French President Adolphe Thiers, a hall of residence for students, and a private members’ club. Following a full facelift by designer Laura Gonzalez, it is now a five-star château-hotel (the only one of its kind in Paris). It is located in Victor Hugo, a chic residential area renowned for its luxury boutiques and cafes. White stucco walls and a grand central staircase set the tone for a sumptuous stay, which blends historic grandeur with bold design.

Rooms and suites feature king-sized beds and Pierre Frey wallpaper, which takes cues from the property’s manicured grounds. There is also a Guerlain spa and swimming pool, swathed in white marble. The Michelin-starred restaurant serves seasonal French produce by a tree-planted garden, complete with a pretty pergola bar. It’s a fairytale spot that merits at least a drink or two in the library-turned candlelit bar, with books stacked all the way up to the ceiling.

Brach

Best for: A bold mix of modernism, Bauhaus and global craft
Address: 1-7 Rue Jean Richepin, Paris 75016
Price: Rooms from 477 EUR

Designed by Philippe Starck, Brach feels more like an affluent friend’s home than a hotel, set inside a glass-fronted former postal sorting facility. Bauhaus prints, African fabrics, marble vases and Masai beaded tables mingle with soft caramel leather banquettes, creating a richly textured and striking space. Wood-clad rooms have floor-to-ceiling views of the Paris skyline, while framed artwork, carved masks and books are arranged on shelves like a personal collection. The rooftop bar and restaurant is planted with wildflowers and herbs, and in summer deck chairs are arranged around a Nordic bath, offering uninterrupted views of the Eiffel Tower.

Sentier

Hotel Bachaumont

Best for: Art Deco flair in fashionable Sentier
Address: 18 Rue Bachaumont, Paris 75002
Price: Rooms from 198 EUR

Hotel Bachaumont is the sibling to Hotel National des Arts et Métiers and another project by aforementioned Parisian interior doyenne Dorothée Meilichzon. It is a great all-rounder with a central location, meaning you can explore most of the city on foot. The scenic neighbourhood of Sentier is nearby and packed with lively bars and excellent dining options. The hotel exudes Parisian charm in spades, mixing herringbone wooden floors with art deco details. Rooms have fluted fabric headboards and marble wall-mounted desks, and some have private balconies and terraces. At the restaurant French cuisine is whipped up with seasonal produce, which can be enjoyed on the street-level terrace with a side of people watching. There’s also the gorgeous pocket-sized bar Le Comptoir which seats eight people for private dinners.

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