Buddha-Bar Hotel Paris

Housed in a beautiful limestone building that dates to 1734, Buddha-Bar Hotel Paris mixes neo-Asian design with the elegance of 18th-century France. Red silk lanterns hang on the ceiling of the hotel's entrance, and the lobby's beautiful dark-stone floor features an engraved gold dragon, with mosaic floors leading to the guest rooms. Lighting is dim throughout the hotel -- it's a sexy and romantic destination, to be sure -- and red and black are the predominant colors. The restaurant -- Le Vraymonde -- features an assortment of red and white jar lamps on the ceiling, two circular mirrors on adjacent red wells, and a handful of tables and chairs and lounge seats on one wall. Seating extends outdoor under a series of large umbrellas --the courtyard is heated and open year-round. The lounge -- Le Qu4tre Bar -- is brighter than other parts of the hotel, with light-gray lounge seats and sofas with dark-pink pillows, shiny silver wallpaper, and lotus-shaped lamps. There are no formal meeting rooms at the hotel, although Le Quatre and Lotus Lounge have private areas for informal meetings. An elegant open staircase leads to all floors of the hotel -- as an added measure of security, the elevator only works with a room key. The hotel draws mainly couples -- when we visited, most were between 30 and 45 years old -- and solo business travelers. Children are allowed, and the hotel will provide extra beds or cots and arrange for babysitting, but families are not a major part of the clientele.

The Buddha-Bar Hotel Paris is located in the posh 8th Arrondissement on a quiet street off the Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honore -- home to Chanel, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Cartier. The hotel is within a five-minute walk of the Madeleine Metro station and the Eglise de la Madeleine, and an eight-minute walk to the Place de la Concorde. The U.S. Embassy is a nine-minute walk away, and the Champs Elysee is a 12-minute walk. The Eiffel Tower, on the opposite bank of the Seine, is about about a 30-minute metro ride from the hotel. The Louvre and Musee d’Orsay are each about a 20-minute walk or 15-minute metro ride. Charles de Gaulle Airport is a 35-minute drive or cab ride from the hotel, or little over an hour via metro and train. Orly Airport is a 40-minute drive from the hotel, and can also be accessed by train in about an hour. 

The neo-Asian design is consistent in most of the Buddha-Bar Hotel's 56 rooms, which feature soft ceiling lamps with multiple cloth-covered bulbs, and dark-wood Japanese screen headboards. All details show thought, from the dark-wood desks and side tables to the heavy red curtains and lotus-shaped floor lamps. The look is sleek and sharp, with hardwood floors and patterned area rugs, though rooms can be a bit dark. 

Rooms are spacious, and even the most basic level, the Superior Queen Room, starts at 28 square meters of space (301 square feet). All rooms include HD flat-screen TVs with multimedia service, cable and satellite TV; free Wi-Fi; minibars stocked with Champagne; Nespresso machines; laptop safes; and pillow menus. Turndown service is available and all rooms are given twice-daily housekeeping. Wardrobes and walls have bright-red accents, and bathrooms are dimly lit with dark countertops. Most rooms have separate bathtub and rainfall showers. 

The Historic Grande Suites, which are enormous, have huge cloth lamps hanging on either side of the king beds from the stunning vaulted ceilings of hand-carved stone. The living areas of these units have expansive seating areas consisting of bright-red couches, shiny ebony dining tables, and multiple crystal chandeliers hanging throughout. Bathrooms in these units are twice the size of many European hotel rooms, with massive soaking tubs and large walk-in rainfall showers. Some rooms open to narrow Juliet balconies overlooking the street. 

The Buddha-Bar hotel has an innovative restaurant, Le Vraymonde, whose menu reflects the French-Asian theme in a delightful array of salads, meats, and desserts (the restaurant serves lunch and dinner). An impressive breakfast buffet is offered with options for all manner of diets and dietary restrictions, though it isn't included with most room rates and is expensive. The hotel's bar, Le Qu4tre, has a long list of creative cocktails and is a destination for hotel guests and locals alike. There is a DJ on weekend nights. Room service is also available and the hotel offers a tea ceremony in the afternoons with free pastries. The hotel also has a courtyard that's a fine place for a cocktail or coffee, and outdoor dining is also available. 

The fitness center is small but classy, with wooden floors and a line-up of digital machines facing the mirrored walls and space for free weights and bench presses. There are a couple of private massage rooms next door, and the fitness studio offers fresh apples, water and towels. The spa area includes a hammam, but no sauna, and free spa services are available -- check with the hotel. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and car services can be arranged through the hotel's concierge.