Review of Le Sofitel Faubourg Paris, by Nadia Latif

Preened and polished, Rue Boissy d'Anglais lies in the commercial heart of Paris - a place of luxury hotels, designer brands, well swept pavements and a flurry of fur coats. Lined with grandiose buildings dating back to the 18th-century, the Champs Elysees and Place de la Concorde are just steps away. The Sofitel Faubourg sits right in the midst of the Prada and Dior boutiques on this famous street, a few doors down from the institutional Hotel de Crillon.

The lobby is everything that you'd expect - plenty of cream marble, gleaming mahogany, antiquated vases overflowing with lilies and smartly attired staff. It feels comfortable, with an old-school edge - there'll be no nasty surprises here. A buzzy restaurant leads off to one side, filled with French chatter and contemporary Parisian cuisine. It's a favourite lunchtime spot with the fashionista set, owing in part to the glossy handbags and shoes on display in the entrance.

For the more studious of mind, the hotel has a smart library that leads off the main lobby - but in keeping with the area, it is filled with multilingual tomes of Parisian haute couture. There's also a 24-hour fitness centre and a sleek spa, complete with hammam. Hours of fun (well, an inordinate amount anyway) is to be had in the showers, which has such settings as 'Atlantic Breeze'.

The 147 rooms and 30 suites have a character more akin to a much smaller, boutique property. The beds are delicious; all feature the MyBed system, so a good night's sleep is pretty much guaranteed. Flock wallpaper and a good smattering of original art keeps things fresh, and the marble bathrooms all have deep soaking tubs (except single rooms). The Hermes toiletries are a welcome bonus.