Le Meurice

Philippe Starck’s redo of this Paris institution, including its Michelin three-starred restaurant, features some surreal touches, from table legs shod in fancy footwear to a frosted mirror (it’s literally refrigerator-cooled). But there’s still plenty of tradition, such as the green and white marble floors in the lobby that were restored by Italian craftsmen. For such chic digs, the Meurice is surprisingly family-friendly, loaning children custom-made boats to sail on the pond in the nearby Tuileries.