HOTEL BACHAUMONT
Once the hippest hangout during the roaring twenties, the Hotel Bachaumont was closed down in the 1970s but reopened three years ago after a major overhaul and has become a haven for trend lovers once more. The hotel is pure #Interiorsinspo – from brass lamp fittings to pretty parquet floors and marble accents. As with new boutique hotels in Paris, the Bachaumont’s 49 rooms are on the cosy side, so book a street-side one with a balcony for extra space for your morning café au lait, then use it as a base from which to explore the trendy 2nd arrondissement. The area’s loved by locals for being quieter than the regular tourist haunts and is still only a short walk from must-sees like Notre Dame and Le Marais.
You don’t have to look far for cool shops, either – the Bachaumont sits between a swish perfumery, Nose, and hair salon du jour, Christophe Robin. It’s also around the corner from one of the only bricks-andmortar outlets of one of Red’s favourite labels, Sézane, the buzzy new Hoxton hotel and chic eaterie Frenchie on Rue du Nil, one of Paris’s coolest foodie spots. After a day of shopping and cafe hopping, retire to a table in the Bachaumont’s restaurant for delicious brasserie-style fare or to one of the velvet seats in the hotel’s tiny bar, Night Flight, which is run by the Experimental Group (known for its eclectic drinks menus) and has been voted one of the best new cocktail bars in Paris. Try the Vertigo (gin, celery, lime, vermouth and grapefruit bitters) – it’s the perfect accompaniment to people-watching (the Bachaumont’s packed with hipsters during Paris Fashion Week). Book a table, settle in and let your Instagram run wild. KIM PARKER
TRIP NOTES 18 Rue Bachaumont, Paris. Classic rooms from around £132 per night, room only. Visit hotelbachaumont.com