Hôtel du Petit Moulin

A fantastical journey through old and new

Word to the wise: It is understandably hard to book one of the 17 rooms, so plan well ahead.
Talk of the town: The fact ‘little pets’ are allowed testifies to the fashion types - and their handbag-sized dogs - this hotel attracts.

Hotel du Petit Moulin began its life as a humble boulangerie, albeit one of the oldest in Paris. That is, until Christian Lacroix got his hands on it and turned it into a treasure chest of beautiful things.
This is a boutique hotel in fancy dress, the willing plaything of a designer who throws dusted gold wallpaper, stripes and polka dots together and then a little velvet for good measure. But it's not only fancy frills. Each room has crisp white linen, wi-fi and flat screen TVs somehow incorporated into the fantastical journey Lacroix has created.

The two adjoining 17th century houses - boulangerie sign still intact - are located on a cobbled street in the Marais. The hotel was furbished to encapsulate all the different faces of Marais life and history through the individual design of each room, but better still is getting out to discover that its decadent pleasures are right on your doorstep.