Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris

The hotel, which opened in September, is near the Père-Lachaise Cemetery, about four miles from the center of Paris. Luckily, the No. 76 bus stops in front of the hotel on its way to the Louvre. (The trip takes about 20 minutes and costs 1.60 euros. Taxis charge about 15 euros for the same journey.) For the more adventurous, there is a Vélib' (municipal bicycle) location around the corner from the hotel, on the Rue des Pyrénées.

Mama Shelter is more than a hotel restaurant, this is a kind of a place where one can share a moment of hospitality and tranquility, so endearing that one could spend a whole day there. Super chef Alain Senderens is in charge of the restaurant and of the room service. One can warm up the great chef’s cuisine in a microwave with which each bedroom’s kitchenette is equipped. For a simple lunch at the bar a Nordic platter of home-smoked pollock and salmon comes with toasts and wasabi cream. In the short menu, try the sautéed lamb with a glass of Bordeaux’s Haut-Medoc Chateau La Marque. A different cheese is offered everyday, such as a very mellow Saint Nectaire with raw sliced champignons. This unusual hotel and its restaurant with a totally original, modern and glamorous decoration is the best realization of Philippe Stark to date. A la carte €25-€35.