Tight jeans and large sunglasses are what you mostly see entering and exiting The Hotel du Petit Moulin, a 17-room creation from fashion designer Christian Lacroix on Trendy Street, aka rue Poitou, in the middle of Edgy Area, aka the Right Bank's Marais area.
The translation - small windmill - is misleading, because it's actually housed right inside an old boulangerie, or bakery. They've kept the colourful old boulangerie sign outside, which can be confusing if you're not paying attention.
Thankfully, there's no confusing the place for a boulangerie inside - instead of bread it smells strongly of a heady perfume, Chanel no 5 perhaps. Something expensive, anyway.
There's not shortage of fashion designers getting in on the hotel game, but Christian LaCroix seems to be doing it the best. Wallpaper has awarded his personally designed, Hotel du Petit Moulin in Paris as "Best New Hotel of the Year".
Just as flamboyant as his designer stilettos, the hotel pushes flair from top to bottom. In his exotic world he somehow pulls off the look of a bedazzler gun gone mad with class. As Wallpaper explains, the hotel fulfills one of Lacroix's lifelong goals:
Christian Lacroix's commission to design the Hotel du Petit Moulin was his childhood dream come true. Tucked away in the Marais district, the façade of this former boulangerie has remained untouched. Inside, however, the reception's original timbered ceilings are now complemented by shimmering fabrics and illustrations by Lacroix; a 17th-century wooden staircase leads to the bar, with bright 1960s armchairs; and in the lift, a rococo scene sets the tone for the 17 individually-designed rooms.
If you never get the chance to attend a Parisian fashion show, staying in this hotel should suffice. Walking into the perfectly lit and highly dramatic rooms should put a little catwalk into anyone's entrance.
Blogger Jet Set Laura finds a note attached to her room's umbrella, far from complementary.
Trendy Paris Murano Resort isn't letting anything out of the room for free. Notes attached to umbrellas make it clear that they are a tool for rainy weather while you are a guest, and
Should you wish to take it as a `Souvenir' of your stay at our Resort, please contact the Housekeeper who will inform you about the price.
We agree that if a hotel is posing as chic and trendy, attaching notes to prevent loss is a bit gauche. It also sort of reminds us of a college roommate who used to leave yellow stickie notes around the apartment saying, "Wash the Dishes!" "Clean up your beer cans!"
But to be fair, you are staying in Paris... isn't a certain degree of snobbery or rudeness necessary for an authentic stay?
Designer's moonlighting as hoteliers is all the rage these days, so it should come as no surprise that Hôtel du Petit Moulin was desinged by French fashionista Christian Lacroix.
Lacroix was tasked with recreating a 17 room hotel in the hip Marais section, and he managed to transform his thick notebooks of fashion sketches into unique room designs.
Lacroix didn't forget many hotel must-haves along the way--air conditioning, personal safes, hair-dryers, a WIFI Internet connection, LCD flat screens, and a mini-bar are all part of the experience.
Not bad for 17th century property that use to serve as a boulangerie. However, don't go there expecting everything to be brand new, water tanks with pull chains are in some bathrooms.
Murano Urban Resort dubs itself Paris's "first urban resort." Spa, pool, trendy bar & restaurant, flat screen tvs, sleek design--yup, looks like Murano systematically checks off all the design hotel requirements.
We love finding a legitimate design hotel in Paris. Mood lighting, funky furniture in the Marais district all seems very enticing.
However, what really struck us was the hotels keyless room entry system. No, we aren't talking about Iris recognition again, instead, Murano registers your finger prints upon arrival, and from that point forward your hand and your room key are one and the same.
Cool. Oh, and if you are worried about the French using your fingerprints in some devious way, just think, cutting off your finger tips is a lot easier than burning out your eyes
