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THE FIVE HOTEL

3 rue Flatters, Paris 33 (1) 43 31 74 21 http://www.thefivehotel.com

ROOMS AND RATES

Range from $225 to $475 a night. Three- and six-night package deals are available.

***Chacun à son goût - when spoken sans sarcasm, this French adage can forgive a person's taste in just about anything. Take hotels: Some visitors to Paris, that global capital of avant-garde fashion and design, would probably prefer the fibre-optic twinkle lights and leopard-print upholstery of the Five Hotel to the burnt-orange paint and crown mouldings of the more traditional three-star properties that litter the city's landscape.

The year-old Five, the product of a multi-million-dollar overhaul of an 80-year-old hotel, offers a strikingly modern accommodation experience that sits in stark contrast to the timelessness of Paris itself. Chacun à son goût indeed.

LOCATION The Five is named after its setting: a quiet, U-shaped side street near the southern boundary of the Fifth Arrondissement. Though technically in the Latin Quarter, the immediate environs mark the beginning of the end of atmospheric Paris. Don't expect many chi-chi boutiques or mime encounters here. The nearby patisseries and brasseries generally lack English menus - actually a good sign - and also tend to eschew central Paris's stratospheric prices.

That being said, the Five is far from isolated: It's a pleasant 15-minute uphill walk to the Panthéon, 10 more to the Seine and an even shorter stroll to the dining and nightlife of the pedestrian rue Mouffetard.

AMBIENCE The hotel's tiny front desk is truly up-front: The polyglot receptionist is stationed right at the front door of the six-storey building, making the place feel less like a boutique hotel and more like a funky bistro. Adding to the coffee-shop feel is the single, inconspicuous door that leads to the staircase and elevator, and a small adjacent lounge - with fireplace - that seems to draw laptop-tapping guests at all hours.

CLIENTELE Thirtysomething couples and hipster singles are appropriately drawn to the hotel's haute design philosophy. There seemed to be more French, Spanish and German being spoken than North American English, perhaps because experienced European travellers favour something new and different over the familiar.

DESIGN Apparently, the Five also takes its name from the five senses, a theme that accounts for much of the decor. So let's play along: Touch could be represented by the liberal use of velvet in furnishings and enamel in wall art; sight by illuminated glass tables and eclectic fabrics; smell by the five "custom fragrances" guests can order for their rooms; sound (or lack thereof) by extra soundproofing in the walls and windows; and taste, obviously, by the breakfast buffet (see below).

While many boutique hotels favour minimalism, the Five is dripping with design flourishes. Mismatched black and white chairs litter the lobby, the central staircase sports a dizzying multi-coloured carpet, and guest rooms are encrusted with tiny fibre-optic lights that can be programmed to twinkle in a number of different patterns.

ROOMS Of the hotel's 24 rooms, the smallest and least expensive are truly tiny - the plush, queen-size beds barely fit inside, and the bathrooms feel more like closets (albeit with clever full-size showers and lovely toiletries by L'Occitane). But limited square footage never gets in the way of style: Every room has something to excite the design buff, from shimmering canopy beds to funky floral blinds.

The hotel's three-room suite, on the other hand, could serve as either an expansive crash pad (for up to four guests) or as a place to get the party started. It even includes an Astroturf-covered outdoor patio with an illuminated hot tub straight out of Boogie Nights. (If you're not into playing Dirk Diggler, it's a pretty good place to soak your limbs after a day or night on the town.)

Modern amenities, such as wireless Internet access and flat-screen plasma TVs, complement the stylishness of it all.

SERVICE At times, the staff was surprisingly helpful: procuring a house laptop for guest use; upping the hot-tub temperature in anticipation of guests' return to their room. At others, there was a letdown: The self-serve breakfast buffet was not as self-explanatory as staff would have guests believe.

FOOD AND DRINK A $20 continental breakfast buffet is served in a subterranean dining area, and unlike most Gallic morning offerings it caters to the hungry. An unlimited quantity of cafetière coffee and espresso was available, as well as pastries, breads and plenty of yogurt and fruit.

BOTTOM LINE If you seek the full Paris experience - including a stay in a stereotypical Gallic auberge - it would be best to skip the Five. But for a unique, over-the-top hotel experience - and a hot-tub soak after shopping and sightseeing - the Five is just the ticket.

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Hotel vitals

TOP DRAWS

Unique, exciting decor, and a convenient location just outside Paris's touristy - and pricey - centre.

NEEDS WORK

The breakfast buffet was tasty, but the DIY service approach was confusing.