PAST PARIS HOTELS OF THE MONTH
Paris Hotel of the Month for July 2003
Useful information:
1 rue de la Harpe
75005 PARIS
Tel: (33)1 46 34 09 70
Fax: (33)1 40 46 85 70
Metro stations close-by:
Saint-Michel or Cluny
The Albe Hotel is very nicely located in the famed Latin Quarter, where all students gather during the schoolyear. Cross the St Michel bridge, and there lies the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral (dwelling place of a certain Hunchback).
The hotel itself is decorated in contemporary style, not unlike the Bourdelle Museum. Its rooms are air-conditioned and soundproofed, a must in this lively area. Mr Boulay, the owner, is an even-tempered, mild-mannered man. Ask him, and he will be happy to share a couple of extra-good tips on Parisian life with you. Rates are in range for the location, and the hotel offers a nice Summer Special.
One more thing: the nearby Express Subway (RER) leads you directly to the airports. Not a bad point, it will save you about $80 in taxi fares. To dine out, skip the local greek restaurants, walk 10 minutes down the waterfront in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, and try « Les Bookinistes » -- you are in for a treat.
Website:
http://www.albe-paris-hotel.com
Book directly with them.
Paris Hotel of the Month for July 2003
Useful information:
44 rue de Bourgogne
75007 Paris
Tel: 33 1 45 51 45 55
Fax: 33 1 45 51 86 63
The Varenne Hotel is exactly like Jean-Marc Pommier, its owner: elegant, welcoming, well-mannered. The hotel is sparkling clean, its rooms are decorated with antique furniture, and the bath facilities are first-class.
Tables are set up in the inner patio for a summer breakfast. The staff is courteous and friendly, they regularly tend to the needs of the Members of the Parliament. Ask the owner where to go, and what to visit: he'll be of good advice.
The hotel itself is located near the Parliament. Cross the River Seine and you are on the Concorde Plazza, at the bottom of the world-famous Champs Elysees avenue. Rates are quite reasonable for the area, we found the value for money very good.
Internet site:
http://paris-hotel-varenne.com/
Book directly with them.
Paris Hotel of the Month for December 2003
Useful information:
33 rue Raymond Losserand
75014 PARIS
Tel: (33)1 45 38 52 59
Fax: (33)1 45 38 50 39
E-mail:
Metro stations close by:
Gaîté or Pernety (line 13), Montparnasse (lines 4, 6, 13)
The Bretagne Montparnasse isn't one of the fancy, high-priced 3-stars. But if you are like us, and like to travel affordably and
comfortably, a Best Western hotel is oftentimes a good, solid choice.
The Bretagne Montparnasse Hotel is picked as a "Hotel of the Month" because it possesses these qualities the editors of Paris Eiffel Tower News like to commend, and recommend.
The hotel is located in the Montparnasse district, an area which is a bit off-centered but still at walking distance (15-30 minutes, depending on your pace) from St Germain-des-Prés. There is plenty to be seen in the Montparnasse district: lots of shops, bars, movie theaters, quaint little streets and parks, large avenues. In other words, it is a diverse environment, and a pleasant place to stroll around. For a business person, there is an extra benefit to the hotel location: it is much closer to the Porte de Versaille tradeshows than the hotels downtown.
Well, back to the hotel.
Owner Jean-Luc Houdré is often to be seen at the reception desk. He is definitely one of the likeable features of this modern establishment. He runs his hotel like a tight ship, and has his staff tender to his guests' needs diligently. As you will read in the interview he granted us, he's not afraid of listening to you, and advising you on what to do or where to go next. A precious ally in the Big Paris.
The rooms are of an average size. The website says 120 to 200 square feet, we didn't measure. Overall, the medium ones will accommodate a large suitcase without forcing you to jump over it to reach your bed. The linen is of good quality, the carpet clean and well-maintained. The rooms we visited are air-conditioned, and quiet. The tones are soft and well-coordinated, the lighting is more than adequate, and the bedding is firm enough. We found the bathrooms to be very clean, and be equipped with all the amenities required for this hotel category.
The hotel has a good-sized dining room which, just as many hotels in Paris, has been set up in a former cellar with a vaulted ceiling. If your height is that of Shaq or Michael, you won't stand tall. The breakfast is of the Continental type, with plenty of fresh food to eat.
Up in the reception area, the clerk handles your check-in/check-out diligently. The staff is helpful, ready to lend you a hand. As noted earlier, the boss runs the place right and it shows.
Overall, the hotel delivers as expected of such a hotel, and a lot more in the form of personal service and friendliness. At a bargain EUR 80 for a standard room, we found it very affordable, and definitely worth a "good value for money" mention.
So here it is: the Bretagne Montparnasse Hotel, one of our two "Hotels of the Month" for December 2003!
Read our interview with the boss
Website:
Book directly with them.
Paris Hotel of the Month for December 2003
Useful information:
10 rue du Champ de Mars
75007 Paris
Tel: (33)1 40 62 67 00
Fax: (33)1 40 62 67 13
E-mail: resa@cadranhotel.com
- Single and double standard rooms: €90
- Superior (king and twin beds) rooms: €110
Metro stations close by:
Ecole Militaire (line 8)
Hotel du Cadran is not a typical Parisian hotel. Rather, it belongs to this special category of places you could call guesthouses, where you deal with the owner on a first-name basis, and to which you tend to come back every trip to Paris.
There is a French expression the meaning of which is pretty close to "he not only can talk the talk, but he also walks the walk". In French, this is "Elle n'a pas seulement l'air, elle a la chanson," which could translate literally in this way: "She not only has the tune, she's got the song."
That's what comes to mind when you consider Helene Chaine, the owner of Hotel du Cadran. She walks the walk. Meaning, when she says she's here to serve you, that's what she does indeed.
It shows as soon as you enter the hotel. There are a couple of details immediately noticeable: a large fireplace, and deep armchairs. They give the room the right note of coziness, a place where you want to spend some time resting, reading, discussing, sipping coffee and tea, and nibbling on muffins.
That's Helene's creation, right here. She makes you feel comfy and relaxed as you step in her mansion.
The reception staff is competent, and handles your check-in quickly and efficiently. If you flew in from the US of A, you want to lie down and rest. The last thing you need is a lengthy check-in. Your eyes scout the place quickly. Is it nice here? Yes. Good. Please show me my room asap. Ah, room, bed, bathtub, hot bath, lovely!
Now you are in a sunnier mood, looking at the scenery. The bathroom is clean (squeaky-clean in fact), towels are thick enough (marked to the hotel's name), French beauty products are offered by the hotel (how thoughtful). Ok, the bathroom is convincing enough. To the room!
Depending on which type of room you booked, space will be more or less cramped. In this respect, Hotel du Cadran is very 'parisian': rooms are not big. Not that they are really small, but definitely not as big as you got used to back home. So you'll have to organize a bit to put away the million clothes you brought along with your old self.
Once this is done, the room actually looks pretty nice. Bedding is firm enough, linen is of good quality, tones are pleasing to the eye, and yes, the room is quiet. Windows are double-glazed, which ensures good comfort as far as noise is concerned. Your individual A/C control allows you to select the temp you like.
Now that you are comfortably settled, it's time to go downstairs, and take a look around. Our advice: head to the reception desk, and ask them at what time you should come back to enjoy cakes and tea. You don't want to miss tea time.
If Helene is around, she'll make a point to give you all the information you need on the neighborhood. It seems she knows every shop owner around, and since Rue Cler is right up the corner, she'll have you start your first day in Paris by a walk through the street market. Quite a nice experience.
The reception staff is helpful too. The lady there knows where to go, and how to get there. The 7th district abounds in interesting museums (Invalides, Rodin) and hallmarks (Eiffel Tower, Champ de mars, Matignon office of the Prime Minister), and she'll direct you to them. Should you need a place to eat, a concert to go to, she'll find that too. A hairdresser? She'll have that. A manucure? She'll have that. A make-up artist, a baby-sitter? She'll have that too. God, what don't they have?
Go out to your destination, and come back at the hotel for tea time. In wintertime, they light up a fire in the fireplace, they play the Pianola, and Helene serves you hot tea and cupcakes. She stays around to discuss with you of your day, and helps you plan your tomorrow.
Now, December 2003 is a special date for Helene. That's the 10th anniversary of her hotel. To special occasion, special rates: for a limited time, their single and double standard rooms go for €90 a night, and their Superior (king and twin beds) go for €110. At this price, in this area and at this level of service, we find this a steal.
For all these reasons, we bestowed Hotel du Cadran our "December 2003 Hotel of Month" award!
Read our interview with the boss
Website:
www.paris-hotel-cadran.com
Book directly with them.