Famous Hotels in Paris and some Luxury Apartments to match

HOTEL ROYAL MONCEAU-RAFFLES PARIS

Awarded palace distinction (better than a 5-star hotel) and positioned just around the corner from the Champs–Élysées and Arc de Triomphe, the Royal Monceau Raffles has got the works – spanking suites, beautiful public spaces, a delicious cocktail bar, beautiful courtyard garden, and an Alice in Wonderland themed spa and gym with the largest hotel swimming pool in Paris. Revamped by Philippe Starck, the Royal Monceau also has a gallery and its own art concierge, as well as a concept store and cinema.

With art deco leanings and overtones of the forties and fifties, it offers a modern take on Parisian chic and creates an environment you just want to sink into.

PLUM ALTERNATIVE: SEINE SIDE

If you like the classic comfort and contemporary style of the Royal Monceau-Raffles, we think you'll like Plum's Seine Side apartment. On the banks of the river and quite literally a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower, this four-bedroom apartment is large, light and impeccably decorated.

Like the Monceau, it makes the most of its communal spaces, mixing clean lines, period features, and natural materials with marshmallow comfort and a compliment of tasteful art and photography. The master bathroom has an impressive bathtub and separate rainfall shower. This is an altogether relaxing apartment.

HOTEL PLAZA ATHÉNÉE

Also following an art deco theme, several of the Plaza Athène's suites make a feature of their direct views and proximity to the Eiffel Tower. Another hotel to have been awarded palace distinction, it is a favourite with the fashionistas. The décor is opulent, regal and warm.

The suites feature particularly spacious living rooms and some even have telescopes, should you want to get even closer to the Eiffel Tower and perhaps see if you know anyone on the upper platform. Spacious marble bathrooms adorn the suites and there are lots of chandeliers in the sitting rooms and bedrooms.

It is also home to the restaurant of chef Alain Ducasse, who has 3 Michelin stars.

PLUM'S ANSWER: RUE DE VARENNE III

Although a little more turn of the century than art deco, Plum's Rue de Varenne III apartment echoes the Plaza Athene's tendencies towards regal décor and warm luxury. Like the Plaza Athène, it is a neighbour to the Eiffel Tower.

With ceilings of palatial height adorned with golden cornicing, the living room also features chandeliers, and cushions in expensive materials with crest motifs. The apartment is historical elegance. Another feature it has in common with its hotel coupling is its beautiful marble bathrooms and even its own steam room.

HOTEL NATIONAL DES ARTS ET METIERS!

The second hotel from fashion Magnate Samy Marciano, the 4-star Hotel National des Arts et Metiers, in the Haut-Marais, takes its name from the nearby Musée des Arts et Métiers. Wrapped around an internal courtyard, its rooms bely an impressive use of space and all feature terrazzo-clad bathrooms and in-room bars.

It's not just contemporary, it's the epitome of cool. Beautiful and surprising materials and subtle artistic touches against a backdrop of calming neutrals with accents of blue, turquoise or natural greenery, its design is distinctly modern but does not sacrifice an iota of comfort. It also has a great Italian restaurant and a bar that serves delicious cocktails.

PLUM'S ANSWER: THE FOXHOUND

With 2 bedrooms, but capacity to sleep 6 people, the Foxhound is a steal. It has the odd nod to Paris' historical temperament, against a contemporary background offset by a palette of stylish greys with the odd turquoise or green accent (just like Hotel National des Arts et Metiers).

It is also conveniently positioned in the exclusive Haut-Marais district, which means it's trendy and you're not far from that evening cocktail in the bar at Hotel National des Arts et Metiers.

HOTEL PROVIDENCE PARIS

If you're looking for something truly different, that's bursting at the seams with personality, well, you've found it. The Providence Paris badges itself as ‘new luxury for a new generation'.

Tucked away in a 19th-century townhouse not far from the Canal Saint-Martin, it's a hidden treasure aching to be discovered. It really is a treasure, with its impressively eclectic array of patterned, velvet and embossed wallpapers, luxurious fabrics, and vintage fixtures and fittings that are admirable in their own right.

Each room is wildly different, but all feature a bespoke cocktail bar and an iMac TV. If you can't be bothered to make your own, you can have one in front of the fire in the lounge. Cosy.

PLUM'S ANSWER: VICTORIAN VÉRANDA

Not far away, in the Marais, is the three bedroomed Victorian Veranda with its beautiful restored stained-glass veranda with beautiful chairs that make it a perfect spot for lazing in the afternoon and there's a working fireplace to get cosy in front of on a chilly winter evening.

The Victorian Veranda's interiors are as eclectic as those of the Providence. With unique pieces, an eclectic choice of wall designs, wooden floors, and lots of entertainment options, it encapsulates a meeting of vintage chic and Parisian style. You may never want to leave.

MAISON SOUQUET

The Maison Souquet in Montmartre is extraordinary and romantic in the most traditional sense of the word. Designed by the legendary interior decorator, Jacques Garcia, its fantastical interiors feature a reception and hallways dripping in red velvet, giving way to unique apartments offering a luxurious and sensual décor that is at once enchanting and indulgent.

One half expects to find a corporeal Venus di Milo languishing on one of the sofas. In fact, each room is in turn an homage to a particular historical Parisian woman, which is echoed in the hotel's lovingly curated collection of art. This hotel is not for the faint-hearted.

PLUM'S ANSWER: LA NOUVELLE ATHÈNES

Neither is La Nouvelle Athènes an apartment for the faint-hearted, with its regal albino peacock overseeing proceedings at the head of the living room. While not quite as wildly sensuous as the Maison Souquet, this apartment embodies French romance.

Frescoes of blue skies and clouds adorn the ceilings of the particularly grand living and dining rooms, and there's the head of a Gazelle on the wall to keep the peacock company – a delicate neoclassical finesse with a fantastical edge. It's definitely got character. There are period features throughout the apartment and classical paintings of fascinating-looking women on the walls.