If Austin Powers visited Paris, the Murano Urban Resort, on the sketchier fringes of the hip Marais district, is where he’d stay. But while this hotel’s retro decor is sunny and playful, the Parisian crowd takes it very seriously indeed. It’s quite an art to remain poker-faced while being eyeballed by the red plastic alligators that guard the door.
So it was with a defiantly English lack of reserve that we said a loud "yeah baby!" to the decadent pool suite. If there’s a part of the hotel that deserves the awkward title "urban resort" it is this sequence of rooms. This is where you can forget your surroundings.
We revelled in the ludicrous, louche opulence of the duplex Tiziano suite, above. Clothes were tossed on to the black slate flooring that covers the entire suite, as we stepped into the 6×2m heated pool on the balcony. Add two bathrooms (one with a freestanding bath) and an "adult guest kit" by YESforLOV, and you have the makings of the cleanest dirty weekend around.
The bedroom
Interior decor includes a psychedelic shag-pile rug, white furniture painted with huge orange flowers and a Pop Art picture of Audrey Hepburn. You can play with "interactive lighting" and turn your room into a nightclub. The pool glows with up-lighting; there’s black toilet paper, iPod docks in the bathroom, and toiletries from Anne Simonin.
The food and drink
The bar offers 150 varieties of vodka, served in test tubes. Food in the restaurant harks back to the Eighties, with nouvelle portions and preposterous towers of teetering ingredients. Flavours were good, save for an over-sweet butternut squash soup topped with caramel popcorn. Extensive – and expensive – wine list.
The extras
Watch this space for the hotel’s long-awaited spa, two pools and hammam, due to open underneath the hotel. The Murano’s live gigs and stellar DJ sets have given rise to the ‘Murano Unplugged’ CD. Sunday jazz brunches have been added.
The access
All areas of the hotel, besides the two pool suites, are wheelchair accessible. Pets and children welcome.
The bill
Pool suites from €2,500 (£2,336) per night. Standard doubles from €447 (£417).
The address
Murano Urban Resort, 13 Boulevard du Temple, 75003 Paris, France (00 33 1 42 71 20 00, www.muranoresort.com ).
By Sarah Barrell