3 Best Hotels in Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine

Surrounded by canals in the heart of the quaint La Petite France quarter, this centuries-old former ice factory—replete with noble pediment and mansard roofs—is now a boldly modern luxury hotel, where Philippe Starck–inspired sculptural furnishings contrast sharply with the views of half-timber buildings and the roaring river from nearly every window. The preferred choice of Catherine Deneuve, Jacques Chirac, and Sting (to name a few) welcomes you with a spacious marble vestibule, vivid graffiti art, and Le Pont Tournant: an eye-popping modernistic restaurant done up in white, pinks, and reds (enjoy its summer tables over the torrent).

Across from the cathedral on a picturesque pedestrian street, this modest little hotel with updated rooms has a welcoming air and a quirky sense of style. Stuffed animal heads and Louis XV–style furniture wow guests in the public areas while the guest rooms' bright fabrics, gilt mirrors, and thronelike armchairs instill a royal flair. The all-tile showers are impeccable, but only the superieur rooms come with tubs.

With its 19th-century neoclassical façade, this hotel fuses historical architecture with contemporary design. The building housed the city's police station until 2009 and now has smart, spacious guest rooms decked out in mainly neutral beige tones with splashes of ochre and orange, all with gleaming bathrooms. The rooms overlooking the interior courtyard have more verdant views than those on the side and front. The airy, open-space lobby is a tea room, restaurant, and cocktail bar where the chic Strasbourg crowd likes to hang out.