There are SO many hotels in Paris that it’s really tough to narrow your choices down. I’ve developed a quiz to help at least figure out what neighborhood is the best fit for your personality & expectations for your next trip to Paris (go to www.bestparisneighborhoods.com to take it!), and narrowed it down to 5 general areas. In each neighborhood I’ve chosen a favorite hotel, and I’m going to give you a few details about each one of those here. (Plus I’ve added a “runner-up” for each area, because I just couldn’t keep it to one!) I’ve listed the areas someone in order of most-favorite to least, but it’s Paris – you can hardly go wrong!
Saint-Germain-des-Pres & Latin Quarter: Hotel Bel-Ami
This neighborhood is basically the 6th Arrondissement (with pieces of others), on the Left Bank from the Musee D’Orsay over to the area just south of Notre Dame, down to the Luxembourg Gardens. Right smack dab in the middle is the Hotel Bel-Ami, tucked away in a quiet street, just around the corner from the fabulous old Saint-Germain church. The famous cafes where existentialist writers hung out back in the day (Cafe Flore and Les Deux Magots) are a stones throw away, and restaurants galore are steps away on Rue Jacob. The hotel itself is fun, quirky, and fresh, with its modern decor all inside of an 18th Century building. The rooms range from compact to roomy, and each category has it’s own personality. There are a few interconnecting options, and even a few rooms with a pull-out sofa for families, and some rooms even offer a view out over the church & its square. It offers all of the amenities you could want – from a cute restaurant for breakfast and brunch, to a bar with delicious cocktails, even to a little spa and work-out room in the basement. It’s a 4-star property, but the prices do tend to run fairly high because of the amazing location. Here are a few photos I grabbed when I visited the hotel (and met with their lovely sales manager) back in 2015 – just click to advance to the next photo. Obviously – these aren’t great, but they’ll give you some idea!
Runner up: Hotel Montalembert. I love this hotel too, but the location is just a bit further away from the action, though it’s closer to the Musee D’Orsay. PLUS – some of the rooms DO have amazing views out over the rooftops of Paris, even with peeks at the Eiffel Tower! It’s a bit more grown-up and masculine feeling than the Bel-Ami, but they do have fun family amenities. Wonderful option!
Le Marais: Pavillion de la Reine
The Marais now comprises a pretty large area, and in my case I’m referring to the area inside the triangle made up of Place de la Bastille, Place de la Republique, and Chatelet/Hotel De Ville. Other than those corners, it is a mostly residential area, though there are wonderful pedestrian streets filled with shops, cafes, and restaurants sprinkled liberally through the area. It is the oldest part of Paris, the trendiest, and home to the delicious Jewish district. Several great new museums have opened, and there’s always the incredibly lovely Place des Vosges to visit. The hotel Pavillon de la Reine gets this mention partly thanks to its amazing location directly off this beautiful place – a privileged address in Paris to be sure. It is kept private from the sometimes crowded square, and in fact offers it’s own perfectly beautiful front patio for happy hour or relaxing in the sun. Once you enter the ancient building, you get such a warm and welcome feeling – it really does feel like an old, very posh, mansion inside. They even kept aspects of the original building visible where possible – think old wooden beams and beautiful carved stone fireplaces. It isn’t stuffy or traditional though – quite fresh and modern in fact. When I visited back in 2015, they were almost completely full, so I only got a quick tour of the hotel, but knowing that it’s part of the “Small Luxury Hotels of the World” family, you know that you can have high expectations and be more than satisfied here. Might be my favorite hotel in all of Paris!
Runner Up: Eh?
I honestly don’t have a real runner up in this part of town. Partly because I haven’t visited that many hotels here, though the hotel Les Jardins du Marais gets good notice (but I think it a little too far out of the main part of town), as does the Hotel de Bretonnerie… but again, there are thousands of cute hotels in Paris. However, in the Marais in particular, there are so many super cool rental apartment options, that if you were leaning towards an apartment stay, that would likely be the top neighborhood I would recommend.
The 7th Arrondissement – Eiffel Tower area: Hotel Duquense Eiffel
Another super large area on the left bank this time, between the Eiffel Tower to Les Invalides and up to the Seine. Other than the area directly around the Eiffel Tower’s base, it is also very quiet and residential. Rue Cler is one of my favorite little pedestrian streets in the city, and there are tons of little boutique hotels around that area. The Hotel Duquesne Eiffel is a little farther from Rue Cler, down near Les Invalides (where Napoleon’s tomb is located), but it still has tons of restaurants and cafes nearby. I also chose it as my favorite because it offers some really lovely views of the Eiffel Tower at a really good price. It is small, fairly basic, clean, and comfortable. It is only a 3-star property, so you won’t find a spa or a restaurant – only a little breakfast room, but it’s just such a good example of a typical Parisian hotel – plus those views! Here are a few pics for you!
Runner up: Hotel Muguet
I actually stayed here when I hosted a group in Paris in September of 2017 and I really liked it! It’s super cute, but really, really small. I would actually say that it’s a little nicer in style/decor than the Duquesne, but it doesn’t have quite the same views (some partial views though), and is definitely a bit more petite. Definitely a great value option though – tucked on a small, quiet street between Rue Cler and Les Invalides.
Central Paris – The Opera & Louvre: Grand Hotel du Palais Royale
This neighborhood is the dead center of Paris, and therefore it’s also the busiest and most chock-full of tourists. That said- the Louvre, Tuileries gardens, Place Vendome, and Opera Garnier (to name a few) are some of the highlights of Paris, and walking distance to almost everything else, so it makes a great home base – especially for first time visitors. There are therefore TONS of hotels in this area, for every budget. The Grand Hotel du Palais Royale is not for everyone, but I absolutely fell in love with it. Tucked away in a quiet courtyard off of one of my favorite “secrets” of town, the gardens of the Palais Royale, it greets you with a calm elegance. It seems like the kind of place ballerinas would enjoy, which is a strange thing, but it just has that feeling. Lots of pale colors, quiet relaxation througout – even over it’s own secret courtyard. Another member of the “Small Luxury Hotels of the World” family, this place wins lots of awards, but doesn’t seem to be a super popular option. Needless to say – my photos do not do this place justice!
Runner up: Hotel Mayfair
I was quite happily surprised by this little boutique option just off the madness of Rue de Rivoli and the Tuileries. It is much more traditionally styled than the majority of my list, but the rooms are massive, and the style seems charming rather than dated. It’s another small option, ranted as a 4-star, but more like a nicer 3-star, though it does have a nice breakfast room, a lovely salon-style lounge, and one of those teensy, ancient elevators that are so fun. (It has a bigger modern one too, an extra plus that many hotels from this era do not offer!) **Note- obviously I chose this one instead of some of the big, famous, fancy options in Vendome &/or by the Opera – like the Ritz and the Grand Hotel (an InterContinental as of now). For one, I haven’t seen the Ritz since it re-opened, and secondly – I just don’t like the Opera area as much – there’s just so much vehicle traffic through there, and the crowds around Galleries Lafayette can be even worse than those on Rue de Rivoli. As with other neighborhoods- there are SO many options! Here’s the Mayfair though:
Champs-Elysees/L’Etoile – Hotel de Sers
This neighborhood is maybe the most famous in all of Paris, with certainly some of the most famous names. It is unquestionably ritzy, from fashion couture houses to palace hotels, plus that giant famous Avenue that is really now home to car dealerships, flagship stores, and movie theaters. I do love the Arc de Triomphe and the view down the Champs-Elysees, but I don’t actually love the neighborhood as much. A lot of it is very quiet – but not in the residential way somehow. There are a fair number of offices located among the hotels & apartment buildings (it is the right bank after all!), and there’s less little, charming, markets or corner cafes it seems to me. I did certainly love the Hotel de Sers, which is what they affectionately call a “baby palace”. You see- there are about 8 designated “palace” hotels in Paris – many in this neighborhood – and to be a “palace” you have to meet certain standards from the French Tourism office. This one doesn’t meet those exactly, but it is like a little, boutique, mini-version (and is found literally around the corner from the Four Seasons George V). Primarily because it once was a mansion for the Marquis de Sers, and it does maintain a number of characteristics of that original mansion – on the surface. Once you get past the public areas, this hotel is 100% modern and funky. Rumor has it that Justin Beiber has stayed there in the past, and when you see the room style you may understand why. The people who work there are also SO completely lovely that even though this may not be my #1 place to stay, I just had to feature it. Plus- the covered courtyard part of the restaurant is amazing!
Runner Up: Hotel Vernet
I know, I know – I could have picked any of the amazing Palace or other 5-star properties in this neighborhood (and I do think that the Shangri-La has the best views I’ve ever seen), but there was just something that so charmed me about this little boutique option, just a few blocks off the Etoile (what they call the massive roundabout that encircles the Arc de Triomphe), and one block off the Champs. From the amazing Eiffel-designed glass dome over their restaurant, to the slick, chic, and funky modern decor – this place just seduced me. Even with all the cool modernity, the rooms maintain a good sense of warmth thanks to all the wood elements they use. Plus, the bathrooms are super cool! Take a look:
Et, voila! There you have 10-ish hotel recommendations from me that should be a good start for your next trip to Paris. I haven’t seen all of the hotels in Paris (I think that would be impossible), but I’ve seen a lot, and these would likely be where I’d start. Most budgets should be accomodated, though Paris IS quite expensive, so if all of these end up being too expensive, you may need to look in the Montparnasse or Montmartre areas (but NOT in Pigalle). If you have any questions or want more information, don’t hesitate to reach out! Boy Voyage. 🙂