Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [159]
Fodor’s Choice | Hôtel Odéon Saint-Germain.
$$$$ | The exposed stone walls and original wooden beams give this 16th-century building typical Left Bank character, and designer Jacques Garcia’s generous use of striped taffeta curtains, velvet upholstery, and plush carpeting imbues the family-run hotel with the distinct luxury of St-Germain-des-Prés. Several small rooms decorated with comfy armchairs and Asian antiques make up the lobby, where guests can help themselves to a continental buffet breakfast in the morning and an honesty bar throughout the day. Rooms are decorated in eggplant and caramel, with flat-screen TVs and designer toiletries. The ones overlooking the street have more space and double windows for soundproofing. Pros: warm welcome; free Internet; luxuriously appointed, historic building in an upscale shopping district. Cons: small rooms aren’t convenient for those with extra-large suitcases. | 13 rue St-Sulpice | 01–43–25–70–11 | www.paris-hotel-odeon.com | 22 rooms, 5 junior suites | In-room: safe, Wi-Fi. In hotel: a/c, room service, bar, laundry service, Internet terminal, some pets allowed | DC, MC, V | Station: Odeon
Fodor’s Choice | Hôtel Relais St-Sulpice.
$$$ | A savvy clientele frequents this fashionable little hotel sandwiched between St-Sulpice and the Jardin du Luxembourg. Eclectic art objects and furnishings, some with an Asian theme, oddly pull off a unified look. A zebra-print stuffed armchair sits beside an Art Deco desk, and an African mud cloth hangs above a neo-Roman pillar. The rooms themselves, set around an ivy-clad courtyard, are understated, with Provençal fabrics, carved wooden furnishings, and sisal carpeting. Downstairs there’s a sauna and a glass-roofed breakfast salon. Room 11 has a terrific view of St-Sulpice. Pros: chic location; close to two métro stations; bright breakfast room and courtyard; good value. Cons: smallish rooms in the lower category; noise from the street on weekend evenings. | 3 rueGarancière | 75006 | 01–46–33–99–00 | www.relais-saint-sulpice.com | 26 rooms | In-room: a/c, safe, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: laundry service | AE, DC, MC, V | Station: St-Germain-des-Prés, St-Sulpice
L’Hôtel.
$$$$ | Why do rock stars love this eccentric and opulent boutique hotel? Though sophisticated in every way, there’s something just a bit naughty in the air. Is it its history as an 18th-century pavillion d’amour (inn for trysts)? Is it that Oscar Wilde permanently checked out in Room 16, back in 1900? Or is it Jacques Garcia’s makeover—rooms done in yards of thick, rich fabrics in colors like deep red and emerald green? We say all of the above, plus the intimate bar and restaurant allows guests to mingle with the Parisian beau monde.A grotto holds a countercurrent pool and a steam room. Pros: luxurious decor; elegant bar and restaurant; walking distance to the Orsay and the Louvre. Cons: some rooms are very small for the price; closest métro station is a few blocks’ walk. | 13 rue des Beaux-Arts, St-Germain-des-Prés | 75006 | 01–44–41–99–00 | www.l-hotel.com | 16 rooms, 4 suites | In-room: a/c, safe, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: restaurant, room service, bar, pool, laundry service, some pets allowed | AE, DC, MC, V | Station: St-Germain-des-Prés.
Relais Christine.
$$$$ | This exquisite property was once a 13th-century abbey, but don’t expect monkish quarters. You enter from the impressive stone courtyard into a lobby and fireside honor bar done up in rich fabrics, stone, wood paneling, and antiques.