When it comes to Parisian hotels, Le Bristol’s rooftop pool might come to mind first, or Alain Ducasse’s decadent fresco-covered dining room at Le Meurice. Maybe your imagination takes you to The Ritz’s Bar Hemingway (historically known as Petit Bar), once a meeting place for Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald in the 1920s when Paris was its most glamorous and rebellious. That’s the thing about Parisian hotels; they’re transportive and full of romance, allowing you to time travel in a city eternally synonymous with old world glamor. Almost magically, even in the less grand and over-the-top hotels, there can remain this swoon-worthy sense of place, be it in the mood of the hotel or the intimate venture into Parisian daily life it provides.
Finding a more affordable Parisian hotel has always been a trial (and we’ve kissed some frogs along the way to compile this princely list), but today, finding the ideal stay in a hidden classic or design-forward newcomer comes with welcome ease, thanks in part to a handful of hospitality brands, including Experimental Group, Touriste and Orso. Building within the bones of old 18th-century architecture and designing interiors in tandem with the soul of the hotels’ respective neighborhoods, these hoteliers and designers are masters in creating a sensory feeling that is particular to Parisian life, and fit for the discerning traveler on a budget.
And while such options exist throughout the city, today there’s an impressive concentration of hotels in Pigalle, once known as Paris’ red-light district, and now known as a nucleus for culture, food and nightlife. Soho House’s inaugural Paris hub just opened here, too, attracting creative crowds, who might likely be spotted at the bar in the cool and kitschy Hôtel Amour and Le Pigalle, anchoring forces in the area for some time.
Along with the arrival of design-centric hotels throughout the city, we’ve also found more traditional ones, with well-kept and charming decor—and good addresses. From the maximalist and whimsical, to the characterful and historic, here’s our guide to the 10 best Paris hotels that you can book for under €250/night.
Hôtel Providence
Hotel Providence, built in an 1854 townhouse, in the trendy Republique neighborhood, is a labor of love for restaurateur Pierre Moussie and his wife, Elodie. The couple created a deeply personal pied-à-terre full of vintage and flea-market finds, and have done it in a way that’s both opulent and discreet. The wood-fire restaurant on the mezzanine level features dark velvet seating and leather armchairs surrounding the fireplace and piano bar, and there’s a clandestine garden terrace to be enjoyed during warmer months. With the exception of the bold palm-printed wallpaper in many of the rooms, the Moussies kept the ambience dark and moody, making it the perfect place for romance. You are in Paris, after all. 90 rue René Boulanger, 75010, +33 (0)1 46 34 34 04
Caron de Beaumarchais
For an intimate and more traditionally-French feel, there is Caron de Beaumarchais in the center of the Marais, and just down the block from the once home of playwright and bon vivant Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, who penned The Marriage of Figaro and Barber of Seville, both of which inspired Mozart operas. While outside, you’re in the center of the Marais– streets brimming with Jewish bakeries and falafel shops– walking into the lobby, you’re immediately transported to 18th century Paris– floral wallpaper adorned with framed impressionist artwork from the period, a piano and harp in the salon, and a crystal chandelier up above for added old world glamor. The living quarters echo the same themes, with rooms swathed in provincial fabrics, floral wallpaper and beddings, exposed wood beams and crystal chandeliers. 12 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75004, +33 (0)1 42 72 34 12
Hôtel des Grands Boulevards
Experimental Group, known for its youthful and evocative restaurants and hotels, opened Hotel des Grands Boulevards in 2018 in a building constructed shortly after the French Revolution. This hotel, located between the Marais and the Opera, is set back from the street, accessed through a secret courtyard. Inside, there’s an atmosphere of childlike wonder: colorful canopy beds with velvet headboards inspired by Marie Antoinette, lime-washed walls, quirky curved furniture à la Louis XVI-style, and playful hallway carpet that mimics the French brickwork of the building’s exterior. Outstanding cocktail bars are a feature of all Experimental hotels and here there are two. Have a mezcal and Campari-based Fruits du Mariachi in the dimly lit lobby bar and then head upstairs for an Open Sesame, made with manzanilla sherry and peaty scotch, at the secret rooftop one, a favored after-work spot for locals. 17 boulevard Poissonnière, 75002, +33 (0)1 85 73 33 33
Hôtel Panache
In imagining Pigalle’s Hôtel Panache, acclaimed designer Dorothée Meilichzon played off the unique flatiron shape of the building itself. The bedrooms combine rattan headboards and muted hues, but the depth and ingenuity of her achievements here lie in the proportions that fill the space. Inspired by the asymmetric shapes and curved forms of art nouveau furniture and decor, Meilichzon incorporated angles into almost everything – from geometric mirrors, triangle patterns on carpets and wallpaper, mosaic walls and twisted furniture, giving the rooms a fanciful allure. Unlike many accommodations in Paris, Hôtel Panache offers larger suites for families, with two double beds and a shared common area for ample space. 1 rue Geoffroy-Marie, 75009, +33 (0)1 47 70 85 87
Hôtel des Grandes Écoles
Waking up in this reimagined 18th century family home is like waking up in a private room in the French countryside with toile, toile, toile everywhere, from the wallpaper in the rooms to the matching drapes, and 18th-century wood furniture in every corner. Set on a quiet street in the heart of the Latin Quarter, the hotel’s quiet gardens are a bucolic sanctuary, accented with iron patio furniture and candy stripe umbrellas. Ask for a room facing the home’s interior courtyard, many of which have balconies, or head down to the terrace for a cup of coffee and a croissant before heading out to see Notre-Dame or take a stroll through the Luxembourg Gardens. 75 rue Cardinal Lemoine, 75005, +33 (0)1 43 26 79 23
Hôtel Rochechouart
Hotel Rochechouart is arguably the buzziest new hotel in the Pigalle district. Just a 10-minute walk from Sacré-Coeur, this former Art Deco townhouse, which formerly housed Hotel Charleston in the 1920s, has been resurrected and transformed. By restoring its former moldings and floors and adding contemporary touches throughout the space, the design team was able to bring back to life an iconic institution from old world Paris. The panoramic rooftop terrace and the 1920s bistro-style restaurant on the ground floor have become neighborhood hotspots, and frankly, are reason enough to book here. But the real draw at Hotel Rochechouart are the stylish bedrooms – designed with perfect restraint by Danish designers Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay, with many rooms containing undisrupted views of the Sacré-Coeur. “The hotel is very Parisian without being luxurious,” says the Festen design duo. 55 boulevard de Rochechouart, 75009, +33 (0)1 42 81 91 00
Hôtel Sookie
Situated in the hip Marais, Sookie is just a three minute walk to the beloved lifestyle shop, Merci, four minutes from the prestigious Picasso museum and five minutes from the ever-popular Marais restaurant, Le Clown Bar. The unassumingly charming new hotel is host to a coffee shop on the ground level, open to guests and outsiders, with 31 rooms that are equally as inviting, all with wood furniture, airy linen curtains and upholstery. The rattan and natural fibers add an organic touch. 2 bis rue Commines, 75003, +33 (0)1 40 29 01 33
Hôtel des Académies et des Arts
A welcome contrast from the usual fashion crowd seen frolicking around St-Germain. Operating as both a hotel and artist’s studio, Hotel des Academies et des Arts has 20 spacious rooms (‘spacious’ being the operative word here, as this is hard to come by in Paris), featuring a deliberately spare and refined atmosphere with whitewashed walls, raw wood, some rooms with frescoed ceilings—for the dreamers. Community is a large part of the experience here, with the workshop cafe featuring a long communal table for guests to enjoy breakfast among strangers, pastries from Maison M’Seddi and coffee from Paris roaster Lomi. In the back living room, the workshop is equipped with painting supplies made available to inspired hotel guests and students at the centuries-old art school just across the street. In an effort to encourage letting go, the hotel has a wellness room in the basement which they run in partnership with Le Tigre Yoga Club, offering massages, treatments and yoga classes. 15 rue de la Grande Chaumière, 75006, +33 (0)1 43 26 66 44
Hôtel Les Deux Gares
Step inside the vividly magical world of British designer Luke Edward Hall in this hotel, situated between two of the city’s busiest train stations, the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l’Est. Inspired by the ethos that defined the ’60s and ’70s, the decor is a vivid mix of mismatched prints and bold colors. The lobby and (small!) guest rooms are all tastefully playful and characteristically mischievous for Hall, who has incorporated antique furniture, French wallpapers and English carpets, so as to give the illusion that you’re in the home of a flamboyant Parisian collector. 2 rue des Deux Gares, 75010, +33 (0)1 85 73 11 83
Maison Malesherbes
Optimally-located around the corner from the beautiful and oft-overlooked Parc Monceau and just steps from the Champs-Élysées, Maison Malesherbes is the perfect address for exploring the beautiful streets of Paris’ upscale neighborhoods. Inside, the lobby and sitting areas– with their crimson velvet sofas, checkered floors and floral brocade wallpaper, upholstery and carpets – will instantly transport you to the bohemian days of France’s Belle Époque. While slightly more modern and paired back, this theme carries into the bedrooms, each room with its own jewel-toned color scheme, but otherwise remaining minimal for a comfortable night sleep. 11 place Saint Augustin, 75008, +33 (0)1 42 93 27 66
