Hotel Therese

A smart friendly hotel right in the middle of town, a 5-minute walk from the Louvre

Stick a pin in the centre of a map of Paris and it won’t land far from Hotel Thérèse. Add crisp elegance, ever-helpful staff and small but delightfully decorated rooms, and you have what is technically called ‘a find.’ You’re in the 1st arrondissement, with the exceptional Jardins de Palais Royal and the Louvre both a 5-minute walk away. Molière lived around the corner, Stendhal bang opposite and the road is named after Marie Thérèse (it was originally called rue du Hazard, where gamblers gathered).

These days all is neat sophistication. Step into a beautiful open-plan reception/salon that gives the impression of a small ‘big’ hotel. There are books and morning papers in one sitting room, and an enormous bespoke sofa in the other. Given that bedrooms are small, you can wind down the original 18th-century staircase (or take the lift) to plan your day in the salon, or recover from it with an apéritif.

Highs

• The combination of location, price and décor
• The salon in reception is softly glamorous
• Staff who know how to look after guests

Lows

• Rooms are small
• If you’re late for breakfast you may miss the croissants
• A little noise filters in from the street; go for rooms at the back