Paris: Where to Stay

A new hotel in one of the best Paris neighborhoods, Saint-Martin, is an ancient building redesigned by Christophe Delcourt and Stéphane Lanchon into an anti-posh hotel. The famous Swedish minimalism, light wood, sunlit rooms and breathtaking view on the canal – sounds like a dream. The hotel has just 12 rooms with super comfy beds, TV set, a/c and free Wi-Fi and is eco-friendly. Breakfasts are made of organic products and almost no paper is used, thus, every room has an iPad. If you are hungry, you can send for a yummi bento from Usagi. And prices are Paris-average – €190 per night.

This elegant indie-hotel has just opened in the southern part of Marais not far from Saint-Paul metro station. Each floor has different wallpapers and its 29 rooms are tiny but comfy and lovely decorated in clear graphic style. They have free Wi-Fi and offer iPads. A double room is minimum €126, which is a cheap option for Paris.

Though Marais is often packed with tourists, some of its treasures are known by locals only. One of them is Le Studio 22, the so-called 'one-room hotel'. Marie Thevenin rents three small apartments not far from her home close to a calm Rue de Bretagne. Marie is an interior designer and a passionate art lover so Studio 22 residents will see a well decorated space with all they could need – books, magazines, DVDs and Wi-Fi. The owner will also leave her advice on exhibitions and galleries to visit. If you plan a long stay, she can arrange a private art tour that you will definitely love. As for the prices, guests will pay €190 per night and €300 per weekend.

This new cozy hotel in the 10th arrondissement is close to the vibrant Rue Poissonnière and a dozen of great bars, galleries and boutiques. Its name speaks for itself – it's very heaven-like though doesn't look like it at first sight. All its 38 rooms have been uniquely decorated by the trendiest Paris designer Dorothée Meilichzon. Each has its own charm – antique furniture, retro wallpapers, rich colors. You can always ask a staff member for some good wine from the next door Vivant Cave store and appetizers. And the major bonus are 90-euro-a-night rooms. The best price-quality ratio in Paris. So hurry to book!

This Tokyo-style hotel is not far from the notorious Place Pigalle with its sex shops. This is a creation of Costes and Clique Brothers, the founders of the legendary Baron club, Costes Hotel, Cafe Beaubourg and other trendy Paris venues. Here they play upon love and eroticism, which attracts hundreds of couples on a romantic weekend in Paris. The design was done by such stars as Marc Newson, M&M Stak, Pierre Le-Tan, M. André and Sophie Calle. Bath tubes in the bedroom, huge strategically placed mirrors, vintage erotic magazines and lovely flea market knickknacks – a new totally non-vulgar way to reinvent the past of this hotel where prostitutes used to bring their clients. Its crème de la crème is a room with 200 disco balls under the ceiling, however, it costs more than standard € 155 per night. If love is not the sphere of interest, visit the place for their brunch in a patio restaurant – some locals come here for the sake of it alone.

A concept creation of the famous Philippe Starck located in a vibrant hipster cluster – the 20th arrondissement, not far from Père Lachaise. Most of its 172 rooms have free Wi-Fi, iMacs, graffiti-covered mirrors, Batman and Chewbacca masks. And all this for €79 a night. Even if you are not staying here, blend with trendy youngsters for breakfast or lunch in the hotel's pizza place or on the rooftop opened veranda where they serve great French dinners. At night the crowd moves to the bar for the world's best cocktails.

A small cozy apartment at the heart of the legendary Quartier Latin belongs to a French artist and has his pictures on the walls – a great option if you are in Paris for a week and don’t want to stay in the hotel. You'll have a totally different view of the city returning to your own apartment after walking and shopping as if you are a local (even if it's just for a week). You can have a bubble bath, cook something French, chill out in bed with a book and instagram some stunning Notre Dame views "out of your window". Wi-Fi, a/c, hi-fi and TV, hi-tech kitchen, lots of tour guides and a list of restaurants recommended by the apartment's owners – it is a paradise indeed. The minimum stay is one week, which costs €850 like an average hotel.

Location is just perfect – Place de la République, Canal Saint-Martin with its beautiful cafés, the bar area of Oberkampf and unavoidable Le Marais. If you stay here, you won't need any transport at all. Several years ago this shabby place was renovated and redesigned by a famous guy and now is really charming – neutral colors, straight lines and soft light – the ultimate comfort for those seeking it. Rooms on the 5th and 6th floors have nice balconies with lovely views and one room boasts a bath tube right in the middle. The hotel also has a rear thing for a Paris venue – a gym and sauna. Prices start from €100 per night.

This contemporary hotel boasts a great location – a two-minute walk from Place de la Bastille and Place des Vosges. Which means Marais, Quartier Latin and Canal Saint-Martin are nearby – just perfect. Rooms are nice and well-lit and remind of medieval fairy tales. As for modernity – they offer Wi-Fi, plazma TVs and iPod stations. A double room costs a minimum of €159 during the low season.

This family hotel recently opened in the northern part of Saint Martin is called the Golden Tap and the name refers to its history. In the 1930s it used to be a tap-making factory and now is a friendly hotel with a vibrant bistro on the ground floor. Three floors, sixteen rooms, no elevator and charming English style décor – vintage furniture and floral wallpaper. Lovely extras are free Wi-Fi, a dock station for Apple gadgets and a coffee machine in every room. Prices start from €140.

Opened in 2013, Hôtel du Temps is right in the center, in front of the cute Montholon square and a two-minute walk from the trendy Rue Poissonnière where you can have a great dinner in Richer or Big Fernand. Time Hotel (its name in English) is all about modernity: low-fi mixed with art nouveau, actors having breakfast with their laptops and sipping freshly squeezed juice and at night they move to a bar enjoying live music with a cocktail. In 1969, the placed would definitely have been frequented by Serge Gainsbourg ad Jane Birkin. The hotel has only 23 rooms, so better book in advance. A standard single starts from €120 and a double would be about €160-180.