So many friends and others interested in traveling to Paris have been calling us to rent our place or to find other rentals and hotels for their summer holiday. Even though the economy is still in the doldrum and they say travel is definitely down, there are still many who are taking advantage of the recession and finding great values in Paris and beyond.
Here are my favorite hotels in the neighborhood in order of preference:
This is probably my favorite. Three blocks away from our apartment. Contemporary Classic. The ultimate boutique hotel on the Left Bank. A former 19th Century private home with just 11 rooms, Hotel Le Placide has the feel of an exclusive private club. In a superb location in the 6th arrondisement just steps from the chic Bon Marche Department Store. Completely recreated and redesigned by Bruno Borrione, of the Philippe Starck design firm, the hotel offers 21st Century style, comfort and luxury. 6 rue Saint Placide, 75006
Hotel Senat This is also lovely, a block away from NE gate of Jardin du Luxumberg. I’ve walked by many times, never stayed there but looks lovely. Contemporary Classic. 10 rue de Vaugirard, 75006.
Hotel Verneuil Near the Quartier Antiquaire. Superb. Traditional elegance. Many interior designers stay here. The search stops here if you want a hotel that’s blushingly romantic, bathed in history, and stylish in a way that weds the past (miles of printed fabrics from France’s old-guard textile houses) to the present (iron cube tables with a deliberately rusted finish). Some of the 26 guest rooms are a bit tight, but with a heart-of-Rive-Gauche location—the Flore and Deux Magots are your local cafés— complaining seems like bad manners. Discreetly housed in a handsome 17th-century building with hand-hewn beams…” noted Travel & Leisure 8, rue de Verneuil, Paris, 75007
Hotel Le St. Gregoire We have stayed here. Charming, so so food, but absolutely quiet, as it used to be a mansion adjacent to the Abbe St. Gregoire. 43 Rue de l’Abbé-Grégoire, 76006.
Hotel Le Sainte Veuve. A little bit off the center of St. Germain in a quiet residential street, but walking distance to everything. French English in feel. 9 rue Sainte-Beuve, 75006
Hotel Le Relais Saint Germain. More traditional French, recently renovated, with one of the best restaurants for breakfast and lunch and dinner. On the border of 6th and 5th arrondisement. Provincial charm. 9, carrefour de l’Odéon 75006
Hotel Des Academies. Another great find. Chez Charlotte housed in the hotel is the newest tea room with the local buzz. More in the university area but wonderful as well. 15, rue de la Grand Chaumiére, 75006
Hotel Montalembert. We’ve stayed here as have many friends. Definitely a name brand, but lives up to the promise. Grand, upscale, and you can’t beat the location and the restaurants within a stone throw of the hotel. Contemporary Classic. 3 rue de Montalembert, 75007
