Absolutely Fabulous! Croissants, culture and Christian Lacroix are served up at show-stopping boutique hotel in the heart of Paris's fashionable Marais district

As you stroll through the winding streets of Paris's trendy Haut Marais district you could be tricked into thinking you'd just passed one of the French capital's many boulangeries.

But peer through the windows and you'll soon spot that instead of croissants and baguettes it's style on the menu at Hotel du Petit Moulin - which is staking a strong claim as one of Paris's most fashionable boutique hotels.

Situated inside a former bakery, the hotel's couture credentials have been boosted thanks to the skills of fashion icon Christian Lacroix (he of Absolutely Fabulous fame) who has designed each of the 17 rooms, all of them unique.

Hidden gem: Strolling down the Rue de Poitou, you might mistake the four-star Hotel du Petit Moulin for one of Paris's many bakeries

A taste of Paris: Instead of croissants and baguettes, it's style on the menu at the boutique hotel in the fashionable Haute Marais district

And while the ovens that once provided customers including Victor Hugo with his daily baguettes may have been replaced with a guest-only bar and bistro area, the Petit Moulin's culinary history is celebrated thanks to the hotel joining forces with top cooking school La Cuisine Paris to offer guests the chance to try their hand at mastering delicacies such as baguettes and, as in my case, croissants.

With one of my dearest friends from university in tow on the promise of a much-needed 'girls' weekend', I arrived in Paris on an unseasonably warm Saturday morning.

The weather was in our favour so we took the opportunity to stroll down to the hotel from Les Halles, taking in the ever eye-catching Centre Georges Pompidou - which is just 10 minutes walk from the hotel - on the way.

Absolutely Fabulous! Each of the hotel's 17 rooms, including the Deluxe room Istayed in (above), were designed by fashion guru Christian Lacroix

Horsing around: My room had something of an equestrian theme, with horse-print wallpaper. There was also a picture of famed Spanish matador - and one-time Ava Gardner paramour - Luis Miguel Dominguín decoupaged onto one wall

Wandering into the 3rd arrondissement, the four-star hotel is a blink-and-you'll miss it hidden gem, housed in a historic 17th century building which still carries it's original 'Boulangerie' shop front.

But once inside, guests are immediately transported into something of an Aladdin's cave, with the pistachio macaron-coloured reception leading to a 60s-inspired bar area with decorative walls and comfy retro seating - Lacroix's eclectic style already evident.

The bedrooms themselves are also something of a tour of the designer's imagination, some offering up a Lacroix take on baroque and rococo design complete with touches of zebra print and Jules Verne-esque constellations, while others have been decorated in a more modern style - complete with eye-catching artwork and the bright colours the designer is known for.

According to the designer himself, the aim was to create something of a real-life dolls house, 'or those cross sections of buildings you might see in 20th-century encyclopedias, with very different atmospheres from one floor to the next.'

Destination: Wandering into the 3rd arrondissement, the hotel is a blink-and-you'll miss it hidden gem, housed in a historic 17th century building which still carries it's original 'Boulangerie' shop front

A stylish welcome: On arrival, guests are welcomed into the hotel's pistachio macaron-coloured reception, filled with orchids

Trademark: The reception area leads into a 60s-inspired bar area with decorative walls and comfy retro seating - Lacroix's eclectic style already evident

Our deluxe room was a mixture of the glamourous and the rustic, with exposed beams and a stone-tiled floor coupled with golden striped and equestrian-themed wall paper, with a picture of famed Spanish matador - and one-time Ava Gardner paramour - Luis Miguel Dominguín decoupaged onto one wall. It was perfect for my travel companion, who is a keen equestrian and was missing her horse back at home.

And the ensuite bathroom, a sophisticated slate tiled affair, offered up luxurious treats such as Hermes toiletries and the fluffiest of bathrobes.

After a brief exploration, we set off for La Cuisine - which is around a 15 minute walk away - aided by the map drawn for us by the friendly staff at the hotel's front desk.

Friendly surroundings: There is an honesty bar for guests (above), which is also used as a breakfast area every morning

Eclectic: The hotel's couture credentials have been boosted thanks to the skills of fashion icon Christian Lacroix, and his influence is apparent on this collage-style decoration in the hotel's bar

Arriving at the cookery school, which is on the banks of the River Seine, we were quickly ushered downstairs and handed an apron to put on before being introduced to our mentor for the afternoon, La Cuisine's head chef, Eric Montéléon.

Eric has worked as a chef in Michelin starred restaurants but now faced an altogether tougher challenge - teaching me how to transform basic ingredients of flour, yeast, sugar water and butter into one of France's most famous treats.

I have to say, I've eaten one or two croissants in my time, but I've never really thought about how they might be made, and imagined the flaky layers of pastry magically sprung up during the baking process.

How wrong I was. Creating these breakfast favourites takes hard work, and a huge amount of butter.

When the proving and resting process is factored in, they also take more than 24 hours to make but Eric was on hand with some Blue Peter-style dough that he'd made earlier, meaning we were able to learn the basics - and crucially sample them - in three hours, rather than three days and even got to try our hand at Great British Bake Off staple creme patissiere.

A delicious pairing: The hotel has joined forces with top cooking school La Cuisine Paris (pictured) to offer guests the chance to try their hand at mastering delicacies such as baguettes and, as in my case, croissants

Masterchef: I have a go at making cinnamon buns using the leftover croissant dough, under chef Eric's watchful eye

The Great Parisian Bake Off: As well as croissants and pain au chocolat, we also created pinwheel-style pastries (pictured)

Nearly there: It was an agonising wait as our creations baked in the oven, filling the room with the amazing boulangerie scent

Tutor: Eric has worked as a chef in Michelin starred restaurants but faced an altogether tougher challenge when it came to teaching me how to transform basic ingredients of flour, yeast, sugar water and butter into one of France's most famous treats

Show stoppers: It was finally time to enjoy the fruits of our labour, and wow, did we enjoy them, along with Eric's anecdotes about attempts to sweet-talk bakers into handing over their early croissant batches to revellers on their way home from a night out, just as the boulangerie ovens were firing up for the day

Although lengthy, making the croissants themselves is actually quite simple once you get the hang of each of the steps in the method, and the fact that to make eight croissants requires half of a pack of butter - which is rolled in between every layer of pastry.  

But anyone on a diet can justify tucking into the finished product with the bicep workout you endure while making them, with plenty of kneading and rolling out before the pastries are ready to pop into the oven. 

Under Eric's watchful eye, our dough kneading was collectively excellent, although I have to admit out rolling out and shaping had more mixed results. 

But each of us was eventually able to fashion baking trays full of Viennoiserie - not just croissants but also pain au chocolat, pain au raisin, sugar-topped pinwheels and jam-filled pastry crowns, as well as cinnamon buns to use up the off-cuts of pastry.

A short walk away: The Place des Vosges - a perfect spot for people watching - is not far from the hotel. Dating back to 1605, it is the oldest planned square in Paris and is surrounded by boutiques, cafes and art galleries

Seeing the sights: It takes a short amount of time to walk to down to the Seine, making the famous Notre Dame de Paris within easy reach

Plain sailing: There are Batobus stops at the Hotel de Ville and Notre Dame, with vessels travelling up and down the Seine, taking in stunning views of the Eiffel Tower

After a blast in the oven, it was finally time to enjoy the fruits of our labour, and wow, did we enjoy them, along with Eric's anecdotes about attempts to sweet-talk bakers into handing over their early croissant batches to revellers on their way home from a night out, just as the boulangerie ovens were firing up for the day. 

Hands down the best croissants I have ever tried, although I suspect this may have had more to do with Eric's pre-prepared dough rather than my own attempts. Beautifully flaky, and fresh from the oven. I'm not ashamed to admit that we tucked into a fair few before leaving La Cuisine with paper bags full of more pastries to nibble on the way back to the hotel. 

Ah, the hotel. There are two Metro stations nearby, while it takes a short amount of time to walk to down to the Seine, making the famous Notre Dame de Paris within easy reach. From either bank you can also catch the Batobus which travels up and down the famous river, with stops close to the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysees.

The Picasso and Carnavalet museums are also within walking distance of the hotel, as is the the Place des Vosges - a perfect spot for people watching, and those wanting to emulate the stylish Parisians will be spoiled for choice in the boutiques of the Marais, which offer up famous designer brands as well as lesser-known and independent labels.

Design: The bedrooms themselves are also something of a tour of the designer's imagination, some offering up a Lacroix take on baroque and rococo design complete with touches of zebra print 

Fusion: The decor in this Deluxe Room combines opulent baroque touches with more modern furnishings, and stylish tiled bathroom

Inspiration: According to the designer, the aim was to create something of a real-life dolls house, 'or those cross sections of buildings you might see in 20th-century encyclopedias, with very different atmospheres from one floor to the next.' Pictured is the Attic Suite

And of course, when it comes to finding somewhere to enjoy a night out, the Marais offers up plenty of food and drink options with a host of stylish bars, bistros and restaurants all just a stone's throw from the Petit Moulin. Patsy and Eddie would have a field day, once they'd finished lusting over Lacroix's work at the hotel.

The combination of an early flight from Heathrow, the cooking class and a walk from La Cuisine along the Seine to see the Eiffel Tower's glittering light show had left us exhausted so after a bottle of wine and some plates of steak frites at a nearby hostelry we were only too happy to sink into the Petit Moulin's extremely comfortable bed and dream of pain au chocolat.

For those who can still squeeze in a few more croissants come the morning, breakfast is served in the hotel's bar, or can be brought up to the room, while guests are also invited to use the spa facilities at nearby sister hotel Pavillon de la Reine, which also offers bike hire - all the better for burning off some of those calories before the next trip to the boulangerie.