ICE, ICE BABY: Taking its cool factor seriously, Paris’ newest design hotel features a vodka-only ice bar, a glass check-in “cube” that’s a riff on the Louvre’s I.M. Pei pyramid and fingerprint technology in lieu of old-fashioned room keys. Kube Rooms and Bars, tucked behind the Gare du Nord, is the little sister hotel of the Murano Urban Resort in the Marais. It is designed to attract a young clientele with its loungy atmosphere, tapas-style menu, ubiquitous plasma screens and fake-fur decor accents. Rooms start at 250 euros, or $293 at current exchange, for a single and go up to 750 euros, or $879, for the largest suite.
Still, for all its sleek surfaces and high concept, there is the issue of its dodgy location. This is not a wanderer’s favorite place to get lost, which is why the hotel has arranged a pick-up and drop-off service in partnership with Lexus.
Kube Rooms and Bars,
1-5 Impasse Ruelle, 75018;
33-1-42-05-20-00
— Tina Isaac
ALL ABOARD: Want to sail the Seine in style? The newest boat to join the fleet of ParisYachts, which organizes private outings on the river, is taking the luxurious route with teak decks, mahogany, copper accents and a sleek, modern look. Naval architect Olivier Flahault finished it off with a bevy of high-tech gadgets such as giant plasma screens and special lighting installations. It has been christened Mirage and can accommodate as many as 200 guests for a dinner catered by two-star chef Jean-Pierre Vigato.
— Chantal Goupil