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Hotel Spotlights

Choose Your Own Arrondissement

by Joy Pecknold

There is no real wrong way to do Paris, especially if your name is Emily Cooper. But with so much to see in the City of Light, it’s advantageous to pick an arrondissement, and a luxury hotel therein, with just the sort of je ne sais quoi you’re after and adjacent sights you’re keen to see. That way, you’ll spend more time leisurely wandering with lots of little breaks for Religieuse and glasses of rosé and less time planning treks across town. To help you choose, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite neighborhoods in Paris with chic accommodations to complement.

1st Arrondissement

Paris’ 1st and 2nd arrondissements are its oldest and most central. Perched along the Seine and encapsulating the Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries and Palais Royal, it’s the ideal spot for first timers looking to maximize major sightseeing. Here, Hôtel Madame Rêve occupies a part of the former Louvre Post Office, albeit luxuriously revamped. The stylish independent hotel is the perfect juxtaposition to all the timeless storied sites, with the crowning jewel being its lush rooftop.

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2nd Arrondissement

North of the 1st, the 2nd arrondissement keeps you close to all the aforementioned major sites but your quieter neighbors are cool little boutiques and restaurants. All the high-end jewelry purveyors of Place Vendôme are a proverbial hop, skip and jump away. Nestled perfectly between the two and adorned in apropos gilded accents, Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme is the opulent exclamation point to a central Paris stay.

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3rd Arrondissement

Known as Le Marais because it was built over marshlands, the 3rd and 4th arrondissements are two of the city’s most charming older quartiers. The former holds a concentration of museums and galleries, including Musée Picasso, along with cool cafes, bistros and boutiques. Adding to its cool factor is Sinner Paris. Dripping in ‘70s-inspired velvets and stained glass, the Tristan Auer-designed hotel is alluringly one of a kind.

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4th Arrondissement

The Seine-fronting southern portion of Le Marais includes the colorful Centre Pompidou, Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral on Île de la Cité and Place des Vosges. Within that royal park made public is Cour des Vosges. With views over the tree-lined square, the 12-apartment hotel is a deliciously sumptuous mix of 17th-century grandeur and 1970s glitz.

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5th Arrondissement

Over on the Left Bank and also known as the Latin Quarter, the 5th Arrondissement is home to the famed Shakespeare & Company bookshop and the Panthéon where greats Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie, among others, now rest. Dating back to 1910, Hotel Lutetia has housed and entertained its share of once-living legends, including James Joyce—he wrote Ulysees here—and Matisse. The historic property is as fresh as ever following a four-year renovation completed in 2018.

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7th Arrondissement

The tallest and most famous structure in all of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, rises from the 7th, as does the renowned Musée d’Orsay and Musée Rodin. Just a 15-minute-walk away from The Iron Lady is Le Narcisse Blanc Hotel & Spa. Inspired by Belle Époque-era ballet dancer, actress and artist Cléo de Mérode, the boutique hotel features romantic rooms, green-filled patios and a Spa by Clarins for the highest level of pampering.

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8th Arrondissement

From the busiest traffic circle Place de la Concorde to the iconic Arc de Triomphe and all the luxury stores along Champs-Elysées between them, the 8th arrondissement brims with icons and top-notch people-watching. A chic neighborhood deserves a chic hotel and mon Dieu, Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet’s Paris delivers with apartment-style rooms by designer Jacques Garcia and, of course, its 133-year-old brasserie with the can’t-miss red awnings, Fouquet’s.

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9th Arrondissement

From the elegant Palais Garnier to the Moulin Rouge cabaret in South Pigalle, the 9th serves up a spectrum of experiences. Shop luxury brands under the glass dome of Galeries Lafayette or every kind of specialty shop in the open air along Rue des Martyrs. Stay just down the street from the wedding cake-shaped Paris Opera at Sofitel Le Scribe. The nearly 160-year-old building housed the first Louis Vuitton boutique back in 1871 and now all the Haussmannian-style suite’s bathrooms come stocked with Hermès products. A drink at the bar where Ernest Hemingway and Marlene Dietrich also sipped is a must.

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16th Arrondissement

Play out a Parisian holiday as though you’re a well-off resident in the swanky 16th arrondissement. A quieter neighborhood yet still central enough and loaded with landmarks, including the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton, urban oasis Bois de Boulogne and modern art mecca Palais de Tokyo. Within its borders but only two blocks from the Arc de Triomphe, Hotel Keppler is all oh la la with lavishly vibrant Pierre-Yves Rochon-designed rooms and an enviable view of the Eiffel Tower to boot.

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For more Paris inspo, check out our Paris Destination Guide and our editor’s Return to Paris travel diary.