The architect/designer behind this excellently located small design hotel is Bruno Borrione, long-time collaborator of Philippe Starck. He has done up the lobby/salon in wood veneer, matching tables and homely but contemporary print cushions; a minimal-modern fireplace provides warmth in winter. Both salon and bedrooms have feature walls in arboreal Cole & Sons wallpaper; refined details include smart white leather headboards, designer bins, deluxe silken coat-hangers and chrome and glass tables. The breakfast pastries are freshly made in one of the best bakeries in Paris, and you are around the corner from Le Bon Marché, a department store with terrific fashion credentials (see Shop), and a wonderful food hall on the ground floor.

In league with Charles de Gaulle airport, Le Placide offers a VIP check-in service, so if you’re flying home, you can spend the final minutes of your trip doing some last-minute shopping, instead of queueing at Departures.