It's a fine line between sexy and sleazy. Which hotels get it right?
I once stayed in a Brighton hotel suite with an 8ft circular bed and an identically proportioned mirror above it. That was tasteless enough, but the owners' promise – "Wait till you see the 'Nooky' room we're building, it's got manacles attached to the bed" – suggested sleaze was literally just around the corner.
In truth, the best hotels for a romantic weekend aren't the ones with sex toys in the mini-bar. Nor are they luxury getaways, where the expense puts so much pressure on you to have a good time, you end up arguing over that candlelit dinner. A good location, in a great city, at a reasonable price is the key.
The first that fits the bill is Paris 's Hotel Jules (49-51 rue La Fayette, +33 1 42 85 05 44). With rooms from €150 per night, it's cheap by Parisian standards, without stinting on chic. Owner Grace Leo has created a funky, retro interior with stylish touches such as travel-trunk cabinets complete with belt buckles, oversize lacquered lamps and lipstick-kissed mirrors. Its location, between the strip-shows of Pigalle and brasseries of Montmartre, perfectly straddles the line between sleazy and sexy.
Canterbury Leather Sofa (Chair)