Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg

A short block from Place de la Concorde, Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg is a pristine limestone structure converted from two private 19th-century mansions. The buildings were home to French Marie Claire magazine for decades, and a bold high-fashion theme runs through the hotel, paying homage to its history and famously high-fashion neighborhood. (Cartier is on the corner, Lanvin is around the street, and Chanel, Hermes, and Givenchy are a minute's walk from the front door.) Armed police on both corners guard the quiet side street, as the American Embassy and other consulates are nearby.

Manicured bushes, suited doormen, red rope barriers, and black luxury cars wait outside the hotel's heavy oak entrance, where rotating doors lead to a somber receiving room with marble floors, blue-slate walls, and a floral centerpiece that nearly hits the chandelier. Bellhops discreetly roll away Rimowa suitcases and Louis Vuitton shopping bags on silver carts. The anteroom leads to Sofitel's lobby proper, a light-filled space under a vast skylit and punched up by a dramatic, ever-changing flower display on solid-gold and mirrored pedestals.

The rotating showcase often features elegant haute-couture gowns and jewelry among the blooms. The decor, reworked by Didier Gomez in 2015, is appropriately suggestive of both Old World Paris and the district's couture heritage. Louis XV armchairs and oil paintings suit the gild-accented moldings, embedded columns, and mosaic floors, but low-profile couches and chairs make the overall look skew more modern and approachable rather than stuffy. Large-scale black-and-white fashion photography by Horst P. Horst and Irving Penn decorate the common areas and hallways and Erwin Blumenfeld's famous abstract "Doe Eye" Vogue cover from 1950 appears in the suites. Artwork by Anish Kapoor decorates the modular meeting lounges.

The hotel is a natural fit for the fashion crowd, though between Fashion Weeks, it's a shoo-in for business travelers, diplomats, and well-heeled couples. Though the hotel doesn't exactly exude a kid-friendly vibe, it is in fact welcoming of families, and offers babysitting services.

Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg is located on Rue Boissy d'Anglas, a quiet side street that leads to Place de la Concorde and Jardin des Champs-Elysees. The hotel is near the street's intersection with Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, one of the most elite haute couture streets in the world. Other walkable attractions include La Madeleine (five minutes), the Orangerie Museum and the Jardin Tuileries (nine minutes), the Grand Palais (11 minutes), and the Louvre (19 minutes along the Jardin Tuileries). Other sites are easy to reach via the metro; the hotel is a three-minute walk from the Concorde metro station (lines 1, 8, and 12). The car ride between the hotel and Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports takes about 40 to 50 minutes.

Designed by Didier Gomez, Sofitel's rooms have upscale amenities and plush decor rooted in tradition, though suites and the apartment take a modern and high-fashion deviation. Crown moldings, mirrored columns, crystal sconces, textured wall coverings, and leather Belgrave-style headboards are constants in the rooms, which have a serene color scheme of plum, beige, and pale teal. Period-style arm chairs pair with modern white lacquered chrome-based writing desks.

Beds are custom-made Sofitel MyBeds; all have thick mattresses, featherbed, duvets, and pillow menus. Sheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers are either percale or sateen. All rooms have Bose music systems, LED TVs, private climate control, and work desks with USB ports and outlets. Espresso machines come with free Malongo coffee and Dammann Freres tea, and minibars are stocked with chocolate, cashews, and liquors. Bottles of Evian are provided for free. Some rooms have small balconies, and the top-floor, 1,075-square-foot Apartment Couture has views across Paris, including Sacre-Couer.

Bathrooms have Bose speakers, Egyptian cotton bathrobes and towels, slippers, and a full range of Hermes toiletries: shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion. Rooms have deep shower/tub combos (not rainfall); suites have separate showers and soaking tubs. The Opera Suite has a separate hammam shower and the Apartment has its own sauna. All bathrooms have separate water closets.

Wi-Fi is free in the rooms.

Sofitel Paris' upscale French restaurant, Blossom, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The elaborate breakfast buffet offers eggs, meats, cakes, pear tarts, and Beillevaire cheeses, among other items. Guests can also have breakfast in their room, opting for either French (bread basket with butter, honey, and jams) or American (adds eggs with ham, cheese, bacon, or pork sausage, and pan-fried potatoes or baked beans). For lunch and dinner, the restaurant serves Chef Alexandre Auger's high-end menu of French classics, like ox cheek slow-cooked in red wine and sauteed sole with basmati rice. The wine list features bio-dynamic and vegan picks, and outdoor seating in the landscaped terrace is available. Blossom is closed on Sundays. There is also a 24-hour room service menu with selections like duck liver, Angus steak frites, and Croque monsieurs, as well as beer, wine, and Champagne.

Bar du Faubourg is open every day of the week, from early morning until after midnight. The chic Didier Gomez-designed space serves fresh juices, coffee, classic and custom cocktails, and a selection of digestifs, Champagnes, and red, white, and sweet wines. Afternoon tea and a light snack menu are available.

The hotel doesn't have the full-blown spa experience that you might expect from a property of this caliber. Instead, its wellness facilities are built into the fitness center: there are men's and women's changing areas with steam rooms and experience showers, as well as treatment rooms for massages.

Two meeting lounges enjoy natural light and full catering capabilities. There is also a library off of the lobby that can be booked for private events. Clefs d'Or concierges can arrange restaurant reservations, babysitting services, dry cleaning or laundry, et cetera. The hotel is pet-friendly, for a fee. Wi-Fi is free throughout Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg.