Travel

Three Parisian hotels on the Right Bank that get it right

Mandarin Oriental Paris

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Fashionistas will adore the 1st arrondissement location, on rue Saint-Honoré in the shadow of luxe boutiques like Dior, Boucheron,and the Chloé flagship. Foodies will savor the sublime two-Michelin-star Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx, right on the lobby level. And architecture aficionados will swoon over the modern glass-walled design, slyly tucked behind an Art Deco façade.

Its 38 suites and 99 rooms are outfitted in the brand’s typically understated style — sharp-lined furnishings, neutral tones, noble materials, subtle pops of magenta and orange — but the main thing you’ll notice is their generous size: even the smallest measures 410 square feet. Suites are downright huge (700 square feet up to the whopping 3,767-square-foot Suite Royale Mandarin) and many have outdoor space with iconic views of the city.

A must: Enjoying a breath of early evening Parisian air — cocktail in hand — amid an effortlessly chic crowd in the lushly planted inner courtyard. It’s good way to brace yourself for the sticker shock upon the morrow’s checkout. (From $1,611; mandarinoriental.com/paris)

Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe

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Sofitel’s 124-key flagship recently underwent as dramatic a renovation as its ornate Haussmannian building did in the mid 1800s — transforming creaky, antique-heavy guestrooms and dark, stodgy common areas into a refreshingly airy contemporary spaces.

In the rooms, that means a color scheme of soft grays, taupe and chrome; high-tech amenities (some useful: iPod docks; some silly: luminotherapy); and some seriously comfortable beds. All of which almost make up for the rooms’ petite size. Many average a scant 250 square feet, so it’s worth upgrading to one of the 31 suites.

Though its 8th arrondissement surrounds aren’t particularly vibrant — a blessing for a restful night’s sleep — you’re a five-minute walk to the Arc de Triomphe and all the shopping along the Champs-Élysées. A must: Hit up the phenomenal concierge staff for directions and suggestions. They’re super-helpful, sans the ’tude. (From $500; sofitel.com)

Saint James Paris

You know there’s something different about this hotel the moment its black iron gates swing open, revealing an expanse of green lawn, a circular stone driveway and a spouting fountain surrounded by flowerbeds.

Pulling up to the stately neo-classical manse, you wonder if your taxi has mistakenly dropped you at a countryside chateau instead of a Paris hotel. But a hotel it is — and a fabulous one at that — with a magnificently eccentric interior imagined by the self-taught designer Bambi Sloan. The lobby – with its intricately patterned marble floors, sweeping staircase, deep-red-velvet upholstered chairs and enormous chandelier – merely hints at the flamboyance you’ll find in its 48 rooms.

Each is unique both in layout and décor: Magritte-inspired touches (hats and canes on the wall); cheetah-print wallpaper; or a jumble of toile, stripes and polka-dots that somehow manage to come together beautifully. If it sounds like too much, not to worry, many are decorated with far more restraint. The smallest room is 269 square feet; suites go up to 645 square feet.

The Relais & Chateaux property (the only one in the city, set in the 16th arrondissement) is also home to the private Saint James Club, which means only hotel guests and nattily dressed members are allowed to enjoy the wood-paneled library/bar, dreamy back garden and the sublime single-Michelin-star restaurant until 7 p.m., when this magical place opens up to the rest of the world. (From $607; saint-james-paris.com)