the last soul butterfly hotel architecture

Yes, with its 349 rooms, acres of pools, 11 restaurants, and kids’ and teens’ clubs, the Conrad is the type of resort whose (large bronze) gates a traveler would be content to pass through only twice: right before check-in and right after checkout. The most distinctive part of Hilton’s luxury debut on Mexico’s Riviera Maya is its chameleon-like approach to hospitality. Tucked away below ground, the brightly lit spa designed like a modern living room is helmed by another member of the LVMH équipe and star of both Parisian couture and beauty: Christian Dior.

The best spot from which to enjoy the hotel’s idyllic position is from a sunlit winter garden suite this private perch offers views from Notre-Dame Cathedral to the Eiffel Tower, as well as a glimpse into day-to-day life in the French capital, the famous bouquinistes (or booksellers), and romantic promenades. Almost every one of the 72 elegant, beige and gold-hued rooms, 46 of which are suites, overlook the Seine. It’s the place to be seen before you escape to the subterranean spa or your room with a view. From a sophisticated suburban crowd to the Bobo’s of the right bank, every type of Parisian rubs shoulders with jet-setting guests in the convivial seventh-floor Art Deco brasserie meets cocktail bar, Le Tout-Paris. Skip the sleepy districts that house so many of Paris’s plush hotels, and book a private perch with a bird’s eye view of the river and La Samaritaine as your fashion-forward neighbor. Enjoy a sexy, dimly lit dinner at La Plume, a Franco-Japanese offering that’s definitely the property’s pride and joy. The 82 rooms give off Bond-meets-Balmain vibes, with onyx desks and tables, tan leather chairs, and sumptuous linens-and, if you choose wisely, views of the Eiffel Tower. Guests here range from tattooed fashion designers to white-haired entrepreneurs in pink Saint Laurent sneakers. The pedestrian thoroughfare rue Montorgueil is also nearby for all your artisanal desires, be it a box of chocolates from À la Mère de Famille or a specialty pastry from Fou de Patisserie. Essentially, you can’t sneeze without bumping into 1,000 years of Paris history and culture.

This is as central Paris as you can get: Walk south a mere four blocks to the Seine and the newly reopened La Samaritaine department store east to the spectacular Bourse de la Commerce Pinault Collection and Les Halles west to Palais Royale and the Louvre. Located on a discreet corner near Les Halles in what was once Paris’s only 24-hour post office, Madame Rêve Hotel is where well-heeled guests spend the night in stylish rooms with monument views, or at the hotel’s 10,000-square-foot rooftop and restaurant, primed for peak summer socializing.

The last soul butterfly hotel architecture