Hotel Costes

An opulent den of desire

Talk of the town: You can judge the hotel's cool factor by the people who have posed seductively for its magazine: Kate Moss, Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson, to name but a few.
Word to the wise: The restaurant is more style than substance.

The website of uber-cool Costes says it all. As a shaky hand-held camera follows a naked woman, you feel like you’re entering an art-house flick rather than making a hotel reservation.
It may have opened back in 1996, but Costes still pulls in glamorous types with its faux-Napoleonic splendour. Designer Jacques Garcia went all out to evoke a lavish Parisian bordello with sumptuous drapery, muted lighting and a rouge colour scheme.

Rooms vary from small and ornate to spacious Moorish-inspired suites and the bill may make you blanche but it's more than just a bed for the night, you’re paying for the privilege of being there.