Boutique Stay in Paris: Hotel Bourg Tibourg

Tucked into a quiet side street in the ever popular neighborhood of the Marais lies the Hotel Bourg Tibourg. Upon entering, you are transported to another time. The hotel’s interior decor is a beautifully balanced combination of design schemes throughout the eras—from Neo-Gothic and Orientalist to Baroque and beyond, every detail has been carefully crafted to create an enchanting atmosphere. Once you’ve had a moment to take in your surroundings, you’ll be shown to your room by a member of the most gracious and friendly staff. You’ll never enter or exit the hotel without being acknowledged and kindly greeted.

The guest rooms themselves, like many in the heart of Paris, are tiny. Walls decorated with a mix of patterns, bold curtains, colorful carpeting, and fringed lighting make each room a remarkable retreat. The windows open to a Juliet balcony that makes the room feel the slightest bit more spacious. To your surprise, you’ll find that the bathtub is enormous in comparison to the room’s other features.

Breakfast is served in the delightfully cavernous basement level. Enjoy freshly baked croissants and breads, yogurt, omelets, juice and coffee under chandeliers and tapestries. The gentleman serving breakfast remembered our order as well as our room number by the second morning of our stay.

In the center of the building, diamond glass doors open to an intimate garden courtyard where, plants around you and sky above, you can sip a glass of wine or read a book, and be yet again transported.

Boutique Stay in Paris: Grand Pigalle Hotel

Just down the hill from Montmartre, in a historic building in the trendy neighborhood of South Pigalle, sits Grand Pigalle Hotel. Step into the geometrically tiled lobby and up to the glowing brass desk to be warmly greeted, and to receive your tassel-adorned room key.

For fairly compact accommodations, the impact of the rooms’ design is big. You’re whisked back to the age of art deco with dark jewel tone accents, plush headboards, and boldly patterned wallpaper. A handwritten welcome card personalizes the experience from the start. Through sheer curtains, doors open to a wrought iron balcony overlooking the bustling cross streets below. The bathroom’s emerald tiling is as inviting as the luxurious robes that hang inside.

The restaurant housed within the hotel, Frenchie Pigalle, is an experience within itself. Opt for a seat at the bar in the back and you’ll feel as if you’ve been invited into the kitchen as you observe the team expertly assembling plates. Here, the wall between guest and chef is easily penetrated—the cooks are delighted by gastronomic curiosity and eager to chat. The menu is small, inventive yet sophisticated, and changes often. One item I think they always have—and that you should order—is the gougères.

I am always impressed by the distinctively thoughtful design and superior hospitality of Experimental Group hotels and Grand Pigalle is no exception.