a Beautiful New Hotel in the Most Beautiful District of Paris

This is Martin Budinski's playful maximalism at its botanical best: a celebration of flowers that creep up walls, carpets and hallways, keeping cocktails flowing and mood-enhancing.

Situated on one of Paris' most film-set-worthy streets, Rue Cadet, this gorgeous, lavishly decorated, sun-drenched hotel is a colorful oasis amid the city's Haussmannian gray. Ultimately, it's a bit of whimsical, flamboyant, high-end fun in a city that often takes itself far too seriously.

Where?

Of all the picturesque, car-free streets of Faubourg-Montmartre, Rue Cadet is the best - with its flags, market stalls (which come alive during the week and on Sunday mornings) and glorious absence of noisy Parisian traffic. It's the best place to catch the district's headliners - the Sacré Coeur, the Moulin Rouge, the mint-shuttered Musée de la Vie Romantique and sunny orangerie-café - the village-like streets here feel more lived-in than those in the Golden Triangle, with Parisians walking their dogs and everything swaying to the rhythm of the market-boulangerie-brasserie. It's also a short taxi ride from Gare de Nord, for those hurtling in on the Eurostar.

Style

There's little understated about this hotel, which struts along the Rue Cadet in bright, bold hues of sunflower yellow and sage green. The terrace, on either side of the lobby door, bustles with trendy locals and hotel guests. Inside, Swedish designer Martin Brudinski has flexed his more-is-more muscles to a glossy, horticultural effect. The eye is led past a pocket-sized bar, a lounge and a sleek, tunnel-like lobby to the Golden Poppy - a modern orangery that brings in the 'secret garden' that inspired the hotel's interiors, and enhances the mood with botanical prints and palettes. Booths are dressed in lush green fabrics, panelling and cross-beamed ceilings painted a bold canary yellow, and traditional cast-iron chairs in forget-me-not blue. A fake tree surrounded by yellow flowers adds a slightly kitsch focal point.

There's literally no inch of La Fantaisie that hasn't been given the bold botanical treatment. The hallway walls are hung with tropical leaves, then edged in sage green, ceramic lamps paint a tropical picture, the marble takes on a jade, horticultural hue, and elevators whiz up and down to the sound of birdsong. It's the gilded shelves, antique mirrors, wall lights, and scalloped bar stools that make it feel grown-up, rather than gimmicky.

Eat Drink

Dominique Crenn's culinary wizardry has been well rewarded in San Francisco with three Michelin stars (the first for a female chef). This, combined with her quirky, imaginative bravado, makes her a natural fit for the casually upscale spirit of La Fantaisie. Fish takes centre stage in her comfortably compact Golden Poppy menu, a menu that draws on California's patchwork of cuisines. Highlights include chic fish and chips doused in hazelnut chilli miso, perfectly sticky rice noodles with wakame seaweed butter and smoked trout roe, and tender sea bass ceviche with a sprinkle of leche de tigre - all sprinkled with edible flowers and presented like little botanical works of art.

The form here, in summer at least, is to head upstairs (after the hazelnut panna cotta) where Bar Sur La Toit's Mexicana cocktails and sparkling views of the Parisian skyline await. Crenn's precise, playful touch is easy to spot with a quick glance at the cocktail menu - Charred Pasilla Margarita, The Mule & The Tiger, Golden Tikki. The floral wallpaper, copper trim and pineapple bar lamps all evoke a private members' club - the fun, open kind that lures punters out into the night.

An Instagram-worthy spread of flan, daily-changing breads, pistachio cookies, exemplary croissants, and slices of smoked fish tempt those who've taken the bird-chirping elevator down for breakfast. Save room for the menu, where Crenn's California dreaming theme serves up inventive riffs on playful classics, with a sprinkle of caviar here and there.

Facilities

The basement car park of the old building has been converted into a spa, much to the delight of the overwrought cosmopolitans who need a break from their iPhones in a thermal bath. In keeping with the carefree, hedonistic spirit of la Fantaisie, there is an underground lair where saunas, steam rooms, thermal baths and a delightful range of treatments work their magic in the fast lane

Families

I saw, as we gathered in the lobby during an early morning fire alarm (someone was smoking in their room, classic - the hotel handled it brilliantly), several teenagers and older children with their robe-clad, bewildered parents. And while the hotel can provide cribs, hot milk and small treats for the little ones (mine gleefully snatched up her toy hummingbird), La Fantaisie feels grown-up, if not a little members-only in places.

Extracurricular activities

Wandering aimlessly through the streets of Montmartre is a highly recommended extracurricular activity, allowing you to observe Parisians in their natural habitat and the patchwork of characters and cultures that inhabit this celebrated neighborhood. While the edges of the Sacré Coeur groan with swarms of iPhone-wielding tourists, it's worth braving the challenge for the heart-stopping views (proposals are two-a-penny here).

For more insider tips, head to Le Très Particulier for a cocktail in the pretty ivy-covered gardens, Musée de la Vie Romantique (less 'insider' as it featured in Emily in Paris) or Les Piqueurs, a wine shop with a Prohibition-style bar at the back.

Which room?

Martin Brudinski clearly had fun decorating the rooms: from head to toe in tiki accents (jute wallpaper, woven mirrors), chintzy wallpaper made cool with more kitsch, floral motifs and colours reminiscent of an exotic garden, full of tropical fruits and vibrant flowers.

In my room, the skirting boards and woodwork were painted sage green, and the dominant sunflower yellow features on a snaking rug, a linen lambrequin and the fringes of thick, thankfully sun-blocking curtains. It's all a bit Wes Anderson chic, without the jagged, faded classicism, but a fresh jolt of newness and eternal spring.

The horticultural heaviness continues in the mosaic bathroom, where vegan Holiderme products line a jade-colored sink and a copper, modernist twist on a heritage shower is perfectly coordinated. The little details are there, the landscaped garden-scene mural lining the cabinets, the crazy tongue cleaners in the minibar, the CBD gummies to lull you to sleep (though few will likely need them with the ridiculously large, comfortable beds, covered in crisp, cool linen and topped with a silk eye mask).

If the purpose of the room goes beyond wearing 40 blinders or collapsing after a full day of climbing Paris, it's worth opting for a balcony (especially for the fumeurs and people-watchers). Of the 63 rooms, none have a bath. For a bath, your best bet is one of the 10 lavishly appointed suites, or (if budget is no object) the penthouse with its own terrace (in bloom) and rooftop views, dramatized by the spotlights of the Eiffel Tower.

Best for...

A fun, flamboyant and unashamedly flowery weekend spot from which to explore Paris' coolest neighbourhood. From its elegant rooftop terrace to its silky spa toes, the hotel still feels anchored in the neighbourhood, more boutique than behemoth.

Details Prices at La Fantaisie start at €550 (currently around £484) per night. www.lafantaisie.com