Note: I am already being nagged by some of you out there about posting a trip report of our recent marathon jaunt through Portugal, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. Life being what it is, I haven't been able to do that yet, so I will be posting a few reviews first, while I work on the larger reports.
For the Paris leg of our recent trip, we returned to a hotel we enjoyed last year, Hôtel des Grandes Ecoles, 75 rue du Cardinal Lemoine. This was our most expensive hotel this trip. We booked a “classic double with garden view,” for five nights at €300 per night. This is considerably more than we paid last year for a superior double, but all but one of the Paris hotels I checked this year were higher than last year, as much as double in some cases. The only one that wasn’t had no vacancies for our dates when I went back to book. I suspect we can thank the World Rugby Cup for the price increase this year. N.B.: they’re even higher next year, during the Olympics.
Regardless of the price, this has become our favorite hotel in Paris. It’s in the 5th Arrondissement, a little east of the Pantheon. It’s on a moderately busy street, but is tucked away behind a locked door. The hotel itself is comprised of several buildings which surround a lovely garden with plenty of places to sit, relax, have breakfast or an evening drink. It’s quiet and peaceful, in spite of the busy areas nearby. The staff was invariably friendly and helpful.
Our room was small, but lovely. It was on the ground floor, near the reception desk, but at night the door to our hall was closed, blocking any noise. We had a double bed, a wardrobe, one nightstand, another small cupboard with extra shelves, a small table, and one or two chairs. The hotel celebrates local artists, and all areas, including the rooms, are full of paintings, prints, and drawings, many of them for sale. The big window in our room opened onto a back corner of the garden, so we still had our privacy, even with the window open. The en suite bathroom was small, but spotless.
I didn’t notice if our building had an elevator, but the one across the garden did; we could see it when the building's door was open. Oh, I didn’t notice but Stan did: there was no television! We didn’t see one in the public area, either.
Breakfast could be had either in the large breakfast room just off the reception area, or outside in the garden. We tried both; each has its advantages. Breakfast is served by the staff, and various “formules” are available: I chose the “Parisienne,” which included baguette, a large croissant, locally made organic yogurt, fresh fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, a madeleine, butter, and jams. Stan chose the “Salée” (salty,) with a smaller piece of baguette, ham, cheese, scrambled egg, juice, and a pastry. All breakfasts included coffee or tea. After the first day, Stan declined the egg, and they added extra ham and cheese instead.
Everything was fresh and tasty, and the service was friendly and quick.
The hotel is close to a metro stop and several bus stops. It’s an easy walk to Place Contrescarpe, roiling with crowds and eateries. And it’s only minutes from Rue St Germain, as well.
Hôtel des Grandes Ecoles is a peaceful, well-kept refuge in a convenient location. This one is a keeper for us.