L'Hôtel

Our first night in Paris we had drinks at the famed L'Hôtel located on the rue des Beaux-Arts in the 6th arrondissement. It was at this Paris establishment, while lying on his deathbed, Oscar Wilde exclaimed: 'My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us must go.' When he realized it would be him, he concluded: 'I suppose I shall have to die above my means.' The rates are still quite superior but the atmosphere of L'Hôtel is enchanting.

The 20 guestrooms, each with its own unique character and designed by the fashionable interior designer Jacques Garcia, are centered around an impressive atrium that rises up through all six floors.

The hotel's bar is overflowing with plush velvet chairs, original Cocteau drawings and handwritten letters from Oscar Wilde. We sat in a dark, quite corner that was both intimate and discrete. But perhaps the most surprising feature of the hotel is the steam room and swimming pool in the cellar—an unheard of luxury in the 6th where space is at a premium. In keeping with the general air of privacy, only two people are allowed at one time and staff will surround the pool with candles on request. Very romantic!