"On the Monopoly board of Paris , there could be no address smarter than the Place des Vosges in the Marais. It’s the city’s oldest and prettiest square: Louis XIII and Anne of Austria celebrated their engagement here in 1612; it was the site of trysts and duels during the 17th and 18th centuries; and in 1832 the great writer Victor Hugo moved into number six, overlooking the pleached lime trees and fountain-punctuated lawns. Across at number 19, the heavy unmarked door doesn’t give any clue that it conceals one of Paris’s most intriguing new arrivals. Cour des Vosges takes the now familiar home-as-hotel set-up and elevates it gloriously but discreetly. It marks a clear departure for Evok Hôtels, whose other haunts (Sinner, Brach ) are more showy and dramatic. The ultra-private, Roman-style bath on the lower level is open day and night, while four-poster beds with panels that close to shut out daylight and mini-bars loaded with pastries make this a rare Parisian bolthole that encourages lazing about." - Sandra Ramani, Lindsey Tramuta
