Place d'Armes Hôtel & Suites

Consisting of three combined 19th-century office towers, the hotel features boutique-style rooms that mix historic details from the buildings’ past (soaring columns, exposed bricks, arched windows) with sleek, contemporary interiors. The rooftop bar, Aix la Terrasse, is one of the city’s hottest nightspots. But Le Place d’Armes is more about substance than style. The in-room amenities are plentiful, including gas fireplaces, LCD-screen televisions, Aeron-style desk chairs, and bathrooms that have rain showers and oversize Jacuzzi baths. Add to that a spot-on team manning the concierge and front desks, and you have a remarkably well rounded hotel.

Insider Tip: Save some time for a trip to the Rainspa, which has the city’s only hammam.

Room to Book: Though they have an unmistakable air of masculinity (gunmetal-gray carpeting and black wood furniture), the Deluxe Suites are worth the $150 upgrade for the extra sitting area and enormous bathrooms. We like those in the old Scottish Life building, which are a bit more intimate than those in the Banque du Peuple and Alexander Cross buildings next door. Beware of rooms ending in -17 on the eighth floor of the Scottish Life building; they sit next to the Aix la Terrasse entrance, which can be loud on weekend nights.