Hotel du Petit Moulin, Paris, France

Hotel du Petit Moulin is housed in what was the oldest bakery in Paris - until Christian Lacroix got his designer paws on it, transforming the building into one of the hippest boutique hotels in the city. It lies in the 6th arrondissement, a wealth of kooky little shops, chic cafes and fabulous cocktail bars. For the young urbanite, Le Marais is still the place to be.

The reception desk is the old shop counter, surrounded by listed glass paintings of bucolic beauty that date back to the 1900's. The riotous collage of a lobby area around it, though, is signature Lacroix. It sets the stage for the rest of Petit Moulin - an haute-design haven that doesn't forget its quaint patisserie parentage.

Much of the renovation work was hampered somewhat by the building's listed status. Case in point: t