Little Palace Hotel

We'll always have Paris Rick told us, but he never got around to suggesting a good place to stay.  So many hotels with so many offers make finding an attractive and quiet (for Paris) room at a reasonable rate a challenge.  The Little Palace Hotel meets the key criteria... and offers a bit more.

Located in the east central part of Paris, the Little Palace Hotel is close to many key cultural and business destinations : the Pompidou center; the Marais with the Picasso museum, Place des Vosges; the Palais Royal; the Notre-Dame cathedral;  the concergerie, the Louvre, the Opera Garnier; le Sentier (the historic textile neighborhood of Paris) and the Stock exchange.

Housed in a grand, early 20th century building featuring marble carvings and wrought iron balconies, the Little Palace Hotel was fully restored in 2005.  There are now 53 contemporary decorated rooms with crisp white linen and fabrics in chocolate browns, plummy mauves, soft golds and beige.  All of the guest rooms are comfortable and nicely equipped to give a feeling of being home while away from home. Room amenities include air conditioning, wireless internet connection, direct-dial phone, hair dryer, mini bar and safe.

 After a breakfast in one of the many neighborhood cafes for some early morning people watching, stroll through the adjacent park or relax with the newspapers in the lobby.  The hotel's pleasant, multilingual staff is always on hand to offer assistance.

If a splurge is in order, there are 4 suites of ~430 sq ft (40 m2), and some of these rooms have a balcony or terrace offering an unobstructed view of the city lights over drinks in the open air. The largest suite on the belle étage (second floor) makes up for its lack of balcony with well designed, spacious rooms that give the feeling of a private apartment.  An entrance hall with built-in hangers leads to a comfortable lounge with seating for 4+ adults. A second hallway passes the large bath and connects to the bedroom with king size mattress.

Excursion Tip:  Closed for a decade, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs reopened in late 2006. Dedicated to France's art de vivre, it offers unmatched objects of French furniture, ceramics, porcelain, glassware, textiles, jewelry and even toys.

 

Reading Tip: Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst - On a rainy night in 1938, the train from Budapest pulls into Paris bearing Nicholas Morath, a playboy Hungarian expatriate and sometime spy. A veteran hero of the Great War and a Parisian for many years, he now finds himself forced to rely on former enemies to try to rescue fugitives displaced by Hitler's aggression.

Paris, France - Alexander III Bridge
Paris, France - Alexander III Bridge Art Print
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