Hôtel Verneuil

Antique and intellectual abode

Noteworthy for: Hotels are rarely so pretty in this price range.
Talk of the town: This is where writer James Baldwin lived back in 1949, though it is a far cry from the cold, damp bolthole he described.

Steeped in nostalgia for a France before the word boutique was even bandied about, this charming old-world hotel manages to evoke bygone times while remaining crisp and elegant.
Located in a small 17th century townhouse, this St Germain hotel is a wonderful jumble of antique furnishings mixed with eye-popping prints and bright colours. There are stacks of books in the library and a drinks cabinet that begs for you to pour an aperitif and make like the Left Bank intellectuals that once populated this very building.

Each of the 26 rooms has been individually decorated by owner Sylvie de Lattre - a refreshing departure from the chic monotony of many design hotels - although almost all have tawny marble bathtubs and original wooden beams on the ceiling. The walls form a rich tapestry of beautiful images from twirling Toile de Jouy fabrics to pressed flowers behind glass. A night at the Verneuil can feel like staying in the very glamorous abode of your chic Parisian grandparents.