VIBE

When designer Jacques Garcia was tapped to revamp this trendy-beyond-belief property, his guiding idea was allegedly “all things to excess,” and it certainly shows. The mindblowingly opulent space takes the gilded extravagance of Baroque (think weighty chandeliers and intricate furnishings) and pairs it with the sexy velvet cool of a boudoir. It comes as no surprise that the hottest scene in Paris (if not the world) has flocked here for lounging, posing, and listening to the smooth tunes of celeb DJ Stéphane Pompougnac.

WHAT WE WOULD WEAR

The chicest little getup in our suitcases; this is the best place in town to flaunt trendy designer duds; aim for smart casual with a dash of hip globetrotter flair.

GO HERE WITH

Your hippest friends; a date; lovers of lounge music

CROWD

Painfully hip and beautiful crowd of international jetsetters. (This is a popular celeb hangout.)

WHY WE LIKE IT

When we want to run with the cool kids in Paris, this is where we come. The outdoor terrace, with its eye-catching sculptures and retractable roof, is a lovely spot for low-key summer cocktails, while the interior lounge is where we go for all-out-glam action late into the night.

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

It’s noticeably understaffed and the few beautiful people servers drifting around tend to be too busy preening to care.

GOOD TO KNOW

DJ Pompougnac’s Hotel Costes CDs are available for sale at the hotel and at major music shops around the globe. Avoid the food in the attached restaurant–it’s nothing to write home about. The bar just is off of the main lobby of the hotel. Wi-Fi is available.

CLOSEST COMPS

Pershing Hall Bar & Lounge (Paris); ABH (Los Angeles); Sketch (London); Beach Blanket Babylon (London)

Read more about Hotel Costes in The Diary

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to Paris