OVERVIEW
 This meticulously renovated 17th-century townhouse could fairly claim to be one of the most charming buildings on one of the most enchanting streets in one of the world's most beautiful cities. You're just south of the river and the Musée d'Orsay, among the art-drenched cafés and historic houses of St Germain des Pres. Verlaine, Rimbaud, Camus and Sartre all lived, wrote and drank near here; today Karl Lagerfeld is your neighbour.
Inside you'll find a homely drawing room with exposed beams, panelled walls, bright rugs, endless books and a roaring fire in winter. Below is a vaulted breakfast room; up the winding stairs are 26 small but perfectly formed bedrooms. Owner Sylvie de Lattre has chosen every framed engraving, every carved bedhead, every inch of fabric wallpaper, to create a beautiful if somewhat busy aesthetic. You also get 20th-century mod cons, including air-con (in most rooms), wi-fi, and compact but functional shower-bathrooms. It's an excellent and slightly exclusive choice if (like us) you spend most of the time sightseeing, and want to come home to tranquility and good taste at an affordable price.
HIGHS- Meticulous décor - every bedroom has its own theme and colour scheme
- Sociable atmosphere - guests share stories in front of the fire in the library before going out to dinner
- Great neighbourhood - you can walk almost everywhere (Musée d'Orsay, Louvre, Invalides) and pass mouth-watering shops en route (Armani, Dior, Cartier, Vuitton)
LOWS- Bedrooms and bathrooms are very small
- Public spaces (lobby, library and breakfast room) are also pretty cosy - but very friendly
- The circular staircase may be difficult for some, and the tiny lift only starts halfway up to the first floor
ROOMS
 Each of the 26 rooms has been individually decorated with unusual antiques, gorgeous fabrics, and understated paintings or etchings. Queensize beds have crisp linens, white piqué bedcovers, overhead canopies and half a dozen plump pillows; tall windows have linen nets and patterned curtains which match or offset the vivid wallpapers. But there's not much space between the two. One room has a unique Japanese-influenced diptych painted in glass; another has a portrait of a young woman who looks very much like the blousy young Belinda in Pope's 'The Rape of the Lock'. Unusually for such an old building, there's in-room cable TV, mini-bar and safe; also air-conditioning in 15 of the rooms, and electric fans in the rest. Modern, marbled bathrooms come with a tub and shower (apart from one room which has a shower only), and vary in size from compact (one at a time please) to large (same size as the bedroom). It is non smoking throughout.
FOOD
 Breakfast (€13 extra) is served between 7am and 10.30am in a stone-vaulted dining room, the old cellar or in your room. You get a proper continental buffet: cheese, fresh juice and fruit salad, yoghurts and cereals, croissants, pain au chocolat and pain aux raisins. Bacon and eggs are available for an extra €3.50, coffee and tea are brought to you at your table. You can eat out at one of the myriad breakfast establishments in Paris; all other meals are taken outside. A local favourite is 35 Rue Jacob, a tiny, family-run bistro where the food is good and not too expensive; a main course will set you back €15-€20, three courses €30-€35. If you want to try some of the best Vietnamese in town head to Tan Dinh, but expect to pay about €60 per person. For something very special, try L’Atelier Robuchon (Joel Robuchon is a bit of a gastronomic star in Paris) for modern tapas, but expensive at €90 per person. Lots more local bistros offer good French food at reasonable prices.
ACTIVITIES
You’re on the Left Bank, so don’t miss Saint Germain, stamping ground of artists and intellectuals of the last century (and this). You can follow the Boulevard St Germain into the heart of Bohemian Paris and find the Les Deux Magots where Sartre and co. used to sit and talk (you can eat here too). If you want to see the latest candidates you can cut south a street or two and check out the cafés around the Sorbonne. It’s not all austere intellectualism though; try the jazz cafés for some simple hedonism. This being Paris, you can’t move for the culture; the Musee d’Orsay is around the corner, as is the Musee Maillol, which is very well-respected for its temporary exhibitions. The Seine is close, less than 300 metres, so pick your bridge and follow your nose: Pont Neuf for Notre Dame, Pont des Arts for the Louvre, Pont Royal for the Tuileries; all are a blisteringly beautiful 15-minute stroll.
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FEATURES
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Phone |
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TV |
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Radio |
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Internet in Room |
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Heating |
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Air Conditioning |
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Safe Box |
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Cots Available |
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Extra Beds Available |
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Breakfast |
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Internet Connection |
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Fax Available |
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Laundry Service |
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Airport Transfer |
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ACTIVITIES
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Historical Sites |
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Music |
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Nightlife |
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Shopping/Markets |
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Theatre/Film |
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Getting there
