Abbaye Saint-Germain
10 rue Cassette, 75006. Phone: 4544 3811. Fax: 4548 0786. Price: FFr.1000 ($196) without breakfast. All major cards. 42 rooms. (D5).
An 18th C. residence with elegant service and a private garden near Saint-Sulpice, between Jardin du Luxembourg and Boulevard Saint-Germain, just south of Rue de Mézieres, on the left side of Rue Cassette. The comfortable hotel is entered through a garden and an arcade.
Behind the glass entrance there is a large lobby with thick sofas in several seating areas in diferent color, separated by colomns, doubling as a breakfast room. Service is unusually good. The best rooms are on the ground floor.
Room no. 35 is spacious, wallpapered in yellow, with large and thick curtains, quality furniture of wood and bast, marble and glass, large chairs. The fully tiled bathroom has all the amenities, including a hair dryer.
Agora
7 rue de la Cossonnerie, 75001. Phone: 4233 4602. Fax: 4233 8099. Price: FFr.595 ($117) without breakfast. All major cards. 29 rooms. (E4).
A small and inexpensive hotel with the main attraction of being in a pedestrian district between the Pompidou museum and the Halles shopping mall, near the garish Rue St-Denis though. Its reception is on the first floor of a narrow house.
The small reception is snug and the staff are exemplary. The elevator of less than 2 cubic meters is probably one of the smallest in existence.
Room no. 52 in light blue color is quiet and clean, very small and sparsely equipped with tired furniture, such as a collapsible table and a stool. It lacked a wastebasket and just managed to fit in a TV set. The fully tiled bathroom is better, furnished with a smallish towel.
Angleterre
44 rue Jacob, 75006. Phone: 4260 3472. Fax: 4260 1693. Price: FFr.1100 ($216) without breakfast. All major cards. 27 rooms. (D4).
A lovely hotel in a former British embassy in the area between the Seine and Boulevard Saint-Germain, on the northern side of Rue Jacob, between Rue des Saints-Pères and Rue Bonaparte, entered through a gate and a courtyard.
The lobby includes a piano bar, a sitting area, a breakfast area and a garden with a fountain. The good service fits the excellent surroundings.
The extra large room no. 26 is exquisite, almost an apartment, entered through a foyer into a large bedroom area with massive and carved furniture of dark wood, including a beautiful wardrobe. A dining area is upstairs with a safe, prominent beams and two large windows offering a view to Rue Jacob. The marble bathroom in two parts has all amenities, including a jacuzzi bath.
Atala
10 Rue Chateaubriand, 75008. Phone: 4562 0162. Fax: 4225 6638. Price: FFr.900 ($176) without breakfast. All major cards. 48 rooms. (B3).
Conveniently situated between two buildings of the Chamber of Commerce, 400 meters from the Étoile and Arc de Triomphe.
The hotel has a rare plus in this city, a charming garden at the back. The fragrance of the flora helps to make it a coveted oasis alongside the throngs of Champs-Élysées.
Period furnishings in blue and moss green are in room no. 54, also chandeliers, not only in the ceiling but also over the beds. It is commodious and has a special anteroom. The TV set is conveniently fastened to the wall. The bathroom is well tiled and in perfect condition. The only minus is the bad sound isolation. The best plus is the enormous window to the garden.
Bradford
10 Rue Saint-Philippe-du-Roule, 75008. Phone: 4563 2020. Fax: 4563 2007. Price: FFr.800 ($157) with breakfast. All major cards. 48 rooms. (C3).
A good value in the district of fashion shops around Faubourg Saint-Honoré, only 100 meters from that street and 300 meters from Champs-Élysées.
This is a solid and an old-fashioned family hotel from the turn of the century. In spite of that it does not look tired. The staff is elderly and uncommonly friendly. The glass lift might be the oldest in Paris and some did not dare to use it. It served us well.
Room no. 56 is ample and has a balcony with a view to Tour Eiffel. The furniture is old-fashioned but not tired at all. Flowery decorations are on the wallpaper and window curtains. The bathroom is tiled in an old-fashioned white color.
Bristol
112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008. Phone: 4266 9145. Fax: 4266 6868. Price: FFr.3000 ($588) without breakfast. All major cards. 205 rooms. (C3).
The aristocratic hotel in Paris, at the main fashion street in town, Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The presidential palace, Élysée, is only 150 meters to the east at the same street. Therefore foreign diplomats stay at the Bristol, except the American ones who stay at the Crillon, alongside their embassy and fronting Place de la Concorde. Bristol is considered slightly more dignified.
The lobby is particularly splendid. Marble and Persian rugs flow into every corner, all the way to the well tended garden. Here is the famous Bristol bar, albeit not crowded with diplomats. Bristol has a swimming pool, all furnished in wood, on the top floor. There was some disorganization in the lobby due to overbooking. Really not as perfect as it should be.
Room no. 424/425 is splendid, expansive and furnished in style. A decorous writing table is at the big window overlooking the garden. In the middle there is a magnificent chandelier.
De Nice
42 bis rue de Rivoli, 75004. Phone: 4278 5529. Fax: 4278 3607. Price: FFr.390 ($76) without breakfast. All major cards. 23 rooms. (F4).
A practical hotel on a main street near Hôtel de Ville. (Shortlisted for evaluation and inclusion)
Deux Iles
59 rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, 75004. Phone: 4326 1335. Fax: 4329 6025. Price: FFr.830 ($163) without breakfast. All major cards. 25 rooms. (F5).
Very small and beautiful, with a soul, in a 17th C. building on the main and mainly pedestrian street of the lovely Saint-Louis island, an oasis in the geographical center of the city.
The lobby is comfortable and tasteful, with a sofa and newspapers.
Room no. 23 is small and pretty, with large beams in the high ceiling, antique and matching furniture, a window to the peaceful garden. The fully tiled bathroom is excellent.
Du Jeu de Paume
5 rue Saint-Louis en l’Ile, 75004. Phone: 4326 1418. Fax: 4046 0276. Price: FFr.810 ($159) without breakfast. All major cards. 32 rooms. (F5).
A sanctuary in the very center of Paris, in a beautiful 17th C. city mansion on the mainly pedestrian street that runs the lenght of the lovely Saint-Louis island, a personal and an elegant hotel, entered through a gateway from the street.
The unusual lobby has prominent structural elements of stones and beams and stretches up to the roof, showing off the 17th C. construction. A glass elevator brings you up to the room and gives a view to the public areas of the hotel. The stone and woodwork has pale colors. Breakfast is served in a glassed-in garden. A sauna and some business amenities suit small meetings.
The bright and quiet room no. 202 is rather spacious and very comfortable, with dark beams contrasting with pale walls. A small windows offers scant view. The bathroom is in two parts, well equipped, including a hair dryer.
Du Louvre
Place André-Malroux, 75001. Phone: 4458 3838. Fax: 4458 3801. Price: FFr.1800 ($353) with breakfast. All major cards. 300 rooms. (E4).
A business hotel suitable for businessmen and intellectuals, with the Louvre on one side and Comédie Francaise and Palais Royal on the other. The biggest antique market, Louvre des Antiquaires, is on the third side. The shopping streets Rivoli and Saint-Honoré are alongside the hotel. The position could not be better.
This is a big hotel, covering a whole block. In spite of that it is not especially impersonal. The man with the keys even recognized us and did not have to ask for the room number. But there was some noise from tourist groups in the lobby.
Room no. 441 is ample and well furnished in modern style. It is quiet which is almost a miracle in this location. All the appointments are in perfect condition, such as the bathroom facilities.
Duc de Saint-Simon
14 Rue Saint-Simon, 75007. Phone: 4548 3566. Fax: 4548 6825. Price: FFr.1200 ($235) without breakfast. No cards. 29 rooms. (D4).
A tasteful and peaceful hotel in an old mansion only 100 meters from the main boulevard of the left bank, Boulevard Saint-Germain. It has for a long time been one of our favorites.
The relaxing oasis of a hotel is entered through a courtyard, behind which there is a quiet lobby and a sitting room furnished with antiques. Many rooms have access to or views to miniature gardens.
The furniture in room no. 24 is antique, an easy chair, a chest of drawers and a writing table used as a breakfast table. It has pleasant wallpaper and nice pictures of horses. The bathroom is beautifully tiled and well equipped. All colors fit. The room is one of those which have access to a semi-private garden on the roof of the first floor.
Ducs d’Anjou
1 Rue Sainte-Opportune, 75001. Phone: 4236 9224. Fax: 4236 1663. Price: FFr.565 ($111) with breakfast. All major cards. 38 rooms. (E4).
Conveniently situated in an old building on a small square in a knot of pedestrian alleys in the 1st district, a stone’s throw from busy Rue de Rivoli, only 200 meters away from Forum des Halles, 400 meters from Beaubourg and 600 meters from the Louvre.
The personnel was unusually friendly. The receptionist recognized guests from the beginning and handed out keys without asking for room numbers.
Room no. 43 is small and nice, with two big windows, opening to the lively pedestrian square, making it almost possible to learn French in bed. When the window was closed, all was quiet. The equipment is convenient and tasteful, such as the flowery wallpaper and the French wardrobe, albeit too small. The bathroom is ample, well tiled and with an efficient shower.
Esméralda
4 rue Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, 75005. Phone: 4354 1920. Fax: 4051 0068. Price: FFr.510 ($100) without breakfast. All major cards. 18 rooms. (E5).
A small hotel near the Seine and Notre Dame. (Shortlisted for evaluation and inclusion)
Hotel de Saint-Germain
50 rue du Four, 75006. Phone: 4548 9164. Fax: 4548 4622. Price: FFr.695 ($136) with breakfast. All major cards. 30 rooms. (D5).
A small hotel a few steps from the bustle of Saint-Germain. (Shortlisted for evaluation and inclusion)
Hotel Panthéon
19 place du Panthéon, 75005. Phone: 4354 3295. Fax: 4326 6465. Price: FFr.750 ($147) without breakfast. All major cards. 34 rooms. (E6).
Charming hotel on the Panthéon square. (Shortlisted for evaluation and inclusion)
Le Notre-Dame
1 Quai Saint-Michel, 75005. Phone: 4354 2043. Fax: 4626 6175. Price: FFr.790 ($155) without breakfast. All major cards. 26 rooms. (E5).
A few steps from Place Saint-Michel, on the corner of Quai Saint-Michel and Rue Saint-Jacques, combining a perfect central location with a view over the Seine, Ile de la Cité and Notre-Dame, illuminated in the evening and the night. The comfortable hotel is entered from the street through a glass door and stairs that lead to the first floor foyer.
There is a bar, a sitting area with newspapers, a good view and a blazing fireplace in the lobby of pre-war design.
Room no. 54 is spacious and bright, with matching furniture of good quality. Its main attraction is the evening view to
he lively pedestrian life on the quai and to the illuminated Notre-Dame cathedral. Double glazing gives good sound insulation from the outside, but you can hear the next room TV set. The well equipped bathroom is ordinary in style, with a marble washbasin though.
Lenox Saint-Germain
9 rue de l’Université. Phone: 4296 1095. Fax: 4261 5283. Price: FFr.780 ($153) without breakfast. All major cards. 32 rooms. (D4).
An attractive hotel in the western Latin quarter, at the eastern end of Rue de l’Université, just west of Rue des Saints Pères, on the southern side of the street.
The lobby has a marble floor and Persian carpets, a marble fireplace, three sitting areas and a breakfast bar.
The attic room no. 54 is on two levels. The foyer, with a spacious and fully tiled bathroom, leads into a living room with a high ceiling and antique furniture, including a writing desk and an oversized and gilded mirror. It leads out to a balcony with a table and chairs overlooking the street. Or up narrow stairs up to a bedroom with white beams, a sitting area and a TV set.
Lutèce
65 Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, 75004. Phone: 4326 2352. Fax: 4329 6025. Price: FFr.820 ($161) without breakfast. No cards. 23 rooms. (F5).
Just behind Notre-Dame, on the small Ile de Saint-Louis island, which is like a jolly in the tow of the bigger Ile de la Cité. The hotel is on the street running through the length of the island, a convenient starting point for walks to both the Left and the Right banks of the river Seine.
It is so restrained that you have to search for its name on the outside. This modesty is in accordance with conservation rules demanding that the exterior of Ile de Saint-Louis houses remain unchanged, making the whole island a Louis XIII museum. Entering the lobby we see a big fireplace, comfortable seating, modern paintings and a vast flower arrangement, all in style.
Room no. 41 is on the smallish side. It looks out to the locals’ morning food shopping in the famous Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Isle, a narrow 17th Century street with an endless row of specialty food shops. As befits a house of 250 years the rooms sports ancient beams, old furniture and a happy atmosphere for tired travelers. The bathroom is modern, tastefully tiled.
Noailles
9 rue de la Michodière, 75002. Phone: 4742 9290. Fax: 4924 9271. Price: FFr.850 ($167) without breakfast. All major cards. 58 rooms. (D3).
A modern and elegant hotel of metal, glass and wood near the Garnier Opera, on the west side of the street, between Rue du Quatre Septembre and Rue St-Augustin.
A refined reception with a comfortable sitting area and a small library is staffed by pleasant staff. A glass elevator leads up to the guest rooms.
Room no. 301 is spacious and tasteful with modern furniture and colors in black, white, gray and greenish brown. Even the painting on the wall is unusually aesthetic. The fully tiled bathroom is modern and exquisite and has all the amenities, including a hair-dryer.
Pavilion de la Reine
28 place des Vosges, 75003. Phone: 4277 9640. Fax: 4277 6306. Price: FFr.1700 ($333) without breakfast. All major cards. 35 rooms. (G4).
Dignified and elegant, suitably located in a 17th C. building at the northern side of the oldest and probably the most beautiful squares in Paris. The powerful front has large windows and iron railings. The dashing entrance leads from the square through an arcade, an iron gate and a peaceful garden to a magnificient glass door.
The baroque and solemn lobby has leather chairs, antique furniture and a blazing fireplace. Service is exemplary.
The excellent room no. 42 is covered in beautiful, thick and red wallcloth and bedcover, equipped with solid, antique furniture and has a window overlooking the garden. The bathroom in marble is in two separate parts, with all the amenities, including bathrobes.
Place du Louvre
21 rue des Prêtres-Saint-Germain, 75001. Phone: 4233 7868. Fax: 4233 0995. Price: FFr.800 ($157) without breakfast. All major cards. 20 rooms. (E4).
Charming hotel with antiques in a 16th C. building a few steps from the Louvre and the Seine. (Shortlisted for evaluation and inclusion)
Plaza Athénée
25 Avenue Montaigne, 75008. Phone: 4723 7833. Fax: 4720 2070. Price: FFr.3000 ($588) without breakfast. All major cards. 218 rooms. (B3).
The finest hotel in Paris and one of the best hotels in the world, on the fashion houses’ street Avenue Montaigne on the Right bank. Its attributes are the art noveau entrance, the Rollses and Mercedes’ in rows outside, the chauffeurs’ chatting round on the pavement and the sleek Doberman guarding the entrance. This is the correct address for the famous of the world.
The most famous aspect of Plaza-Athénée is the service, being the best in town. It is quick and efficient, without being servile. You get your bleu steak to your room five minutes after your order. A part of the magic comes from the staff being partners in profit. This is a relaxed hotel in spite of its size.
Room no. 102-103 fitted the price. It has a Persian carpet, an unused fireplace and period furniture, chandeliers even over the beds. The grand bathroom is delicately tiled and had bathrobes. The windows are directly over the entrance, with a view to the Rollses and Mercedes’, the chauffeurs and the paparazzi with their cameras.
Relais Christine
3 Rue Christine, 75006. Phone: 4326 7180. Fax: 4326 8938. Price: FFr.1600 ($314) with breakfast. All major cards. 51 rooms. (E5).
In a 16th Century convent on the Left bank, 250 meters from Boulevard Saint-Germain and 250 meters from Place Dauphine on Ile de la Cité. This is the heart of the old 6th district of cultural life in Paris, with famous restaurants abounding. The sign of the hotel is not obvious on the outside as is to be expected. The entrance to the lobby is through the garden.
The lobby is gorgeous as are the staircases showing the structure of the house. That structure is also evident in the arches in the cellar chapel where it is a must to have breakfast, albeit we never recommend French hotel breakfasts. Behind the lobby there is an amusing sitting room furnished with heavy chairs, massive paneling and respectful portraits.
Room no. 40 boasts of big beams in the ceiling, ancient furniture, such as a writing table, a floor lamp and a bedside table. The bedspread is heavy and all the walls are soft. The room is spacious and silent. It has all the modern amenities, in addition to an attractively tiled bathroom.
Récamier
3 bis place Saint-Sulpice, 75006. Phone: 4326 0489. Price: FFr.560 ($110) without breakfast. All major cards. 29 rooms. (D5).
A quiet left bank hotel. (Shortlisted for evaluation and inclusion)
Saint-Louis
75 rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, 75004. Phone: 4634 0480. Fax: 4634 0213. Price: FFr.770 ($151) without breakfast. All major cards. 21 rooms. (F5).
A small hotel, perfectley located on the Saint-Louis island in the Seine. (Shortlisted for evaluation and inclusion)
Select
1 place de la Sorbonne, 75005. Phone: 4634 1480. Fax: 4634 5179. Price: FFr.1300 ($255) without breakfast. All major cards. 67 rooms. (E5).
An art decco hotel with large rooms directly in front of the Sorbonne. (Shortlisted for evaluation and inclusion)
Tuileries
10 rue St-Hyacinte, 75001. Phone: 4261 0417. Fax: 4927 9156. Price: FFr.1000 ($196) without breakfast. All major cards. 18 rooms. (D3).
A renovated hotel in a 17th C. mansion a few steps from the Tuileries. (Shortlisted for evaluation and inclusion)
Varenne
44 Rue du Bourgogne, 75007. Phone: 4551 4555. Fax: 4551 8663. Price: FFr.600 ($118) without breakfast. All major cards. 24 rooms. (C4).
Quietly situated in the ministries part of the 7th district, 150 meters from the Rodin museum and 300 meters from Invalides and Esplanade. The entrance is through a courtyard.
The courtyard also serves as an outdoors breakfast room in suitable weather. The rooms on the street side have double glazing and those on the courtyard side are naturally quiet.
Room no. 25 is rather small, but furnished with tasteful, modern equipage and delicate wallpaper. The relatively bigger bathroom at the outside wall has excellent appointments. The windows look out to the breakfast courtyard.
Vieux Marais
8 Rue du Plâtre, 75004. Phone: 4278 4722. Fax: 4278 3432. Price: FFr.550 ($108) without breakfast. All major cards. 30 rooms. (F4).
An oasis in the old, aristocratic quarter of Marais, which until recently was dilapidated but has come into fashion again. The hotel is only 250 meters from the Pompidou museum in Palais Beaubourg.
In the tasteful lobby pleasant staff care about customers.
Room no. 25 is long and narrow, very flowery papered, not only in the room itself but also above the tiles in the bathroom.
1996
© Jónas Kristjánsson
