Hotel Jules, Paris
One of my favorite discoveries on my trip to Paris earlier this year was the Hotel Jules, a chic and relatively affordable 100-room hotel on Rue La Fayette in the 9th arrondissement—walkable to Montmartre, to the Opera Garnier, to the Champs-Elysées, and to Paris' famous department stores. According to Grace Leo, chairman and C.E.O. of G.L.A Hotels (which operates and manages the Jules): "I wished to create a place that was cool, funky, chic and at the same time did not get an 'attitude,' which is the trap so many fashionable hotels can fall into (especially in this city). The added plus was that this area is becoming a real desirable area for Parisians to live in again after several years of being dormant." The place was renovated by French interior designer Tristan Auer, and the style is a deliberate mix of 70's funkiness and 50's and 60's kitsch. I found the hotel exceedingly comfortable, stylish, and down-to-earth, with surprisingly creative design solutions peppered throughout. Click through the slideshow for details!