Herbert Ypma is a control freak. Yes, he's also endearing and disarmingly charming. But he's unquestionably a control freak. Meet him for lunch and he orders for you. His hand runs through hair that's slightly tousled because he meant it to be. He even admits to sending a gilded but peeling Buddha statue to have its "skin problem" taken care of.
His obsession with detail acquits itself well in Hip Hotels France (Thames & Hudson; 256 pages), his latest hotel guide-cum-design compendium. Like the first two, Hip Hotels City and Hip Hotels Escape, France is full of...
