Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [255]
9 rue de l’Université, 7e; s & d €130-220, ste €270-290; Rue du Bac;
This hotel has 34 simple, comfortable rooms and a late-opening 1930s-style bar called the Lenox Club that attracts a chic clientele. The Art Deco décor (burlwood panelling and glass tabletops) is a treat, and the fine leather armchairs in the lobby are more than comfortable.
HÔTEL LINDBERGH Map Hotel €€
01 45 48 35 53; www.hotellindbergh.com; 5 rue Chomel, 7e; s & d €98-160, tr €156-180, q €166-190; Sèvres Babylone;
We still haven’t figured out why this hotel de charme is totally kitted out in Charles Lindbergh photos and memorabilia or named after him, but somehow it all works. The 26 guestrooms are done up in shades of chocolate and red, with silk fabric on the walls and rush matting on the floors. We like the room-number plates on the doors with little Paris landmarks, the ample-sized bathrooms and the very friendly staff.
GRAND HÔTEL LÉVÈQUE Map Hotel €€
01 47 05 49 15; www.hotel-leveque.com; 29 rue Cler, 7e; s €60, d €90-115, tr €130; École Militaire;
This partially renovated 50-room hotel is recommended less for its charms than its bon rapport qualité prix (good value for money) and an excellent location overlooking rue Cler and its market. Choose any room ending in 1, 2 or 3, all of which have two windows overlooking the market. For those travellers seeking silence, your best bet is one of the rooms facing the courtyard but they’re darker and smaller (eg room 10). Singles here are miniscule.
HÔTEL DU CHAMP-DE-MARS Map Hotel €€
01 45 51 52 30; www.hotelduchampdemars.com; 7 rue de Champ de Mars, 7e; s/d/tw/tr €84/90/94/112; École Militaire;
This charming 25-room hotel is on everyone’s wish list so book a good month or two in advance if you want to wake up in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. The attractive shop-front entrance leads into a colourful lobby done up in yellow and charcoal. Rooms on the lower floors can be downright cupboardlike, though; go up higher (in floors and price) and you might earn a glimpse of Mademoiselle Eiffel herself.
Return to beginning of chapter
EIFFEL TOWER AREA & 16E ARRONDISSEMENT
Not surprisingly, these two very chic neighbourhoods are somewhat short on budget and midrange accommodation options.
HÔTEL SEZZ Click here Boutique Hotel €€€
01 56 75 26 26; www.hotelsezz.com; 6 av Frémiet, 16e; s €280-335, d & tw €330-460, ste €440-660; Passy;
Punning on the number of the posh arrondissement – 16 (seize in French) – in which it finds itself, this boutique bonanza is heavy on design (think Christophe Pillet), technology and l’esprit zen (zen spirit). The 27 rooms, more than half of which are suites, are spacious and done up in reds and blacks, and lots of glass. There’s a hammam, Jacuzzi and massage room, and the bar specialises in champagne. Each guest has their own personal assistant during their stay.
Return to beginning of chapter
ÉTOILE & CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES
Like the 1er, the 8e is for the most part home to deluxe hotels, though there are a few top-end favourites in the vicinity of place Charles de Gaulle.
HÔTEL DE CRILLON Map Hotel €€
01 44 71 15 00; www.crillon.com; 10 place de la Concorde, 8e; s €750, d €750-930, ste from €1200; Concorde;
This colonnaded 200-year-old ‘jewel in the heart of Paris’, whose sparkling public areas (including Jean-François Piège’s Les Ambassadeurs restaurant, with two Michelin stars) are sumptuously decorated with chandeliers, original sculptures, gilt mouldings, tapestries and inlaid furniture, is the epitome of French luxury. The 147 rooms are spacious with king-sized beds and have floor-to-ceiling marble bathrooms with separate shower and bath. And Le Crillon is not just a pretty face; in 1778 the treaty in which France recognised the independence of the new USA was signed here by Louis XVI and Benjamin Franklin.
HÔTEL LE A Map Boutique Hotel €€
01 42 56 99 99; www.paris-hotel-a.com; 4 rue d’Artois, 8e; r €355-431, ste €485-640; St-Philippe du Roule; Filles du Calvaire;
The 26-room ‘A’ (think ‘list’) is an über-stylish