Neat article on smaller, older Paris hotels with that belle époque feel.
In Paris, the most striking hotels are not always the largest. Or the
grandest. On my visits to the City of Light, I am drawn to smaller,
tucked-away edifices — most of them private mansions, many with
ivy-kissed courtyards. These intimate 19th-century lodgings offer
belle-epoque charm and top drawer amenities. For me, they evoke the
high society of turn -of-the-century Paris and the grandeur of those
times.
Way beyond my price range. $1,250 per night? Even the one for €160. Is more than I generally spend where most of the time I’m either asleep or taking a shower.
Somehow I missed that article when it was first published - thanks for posting.
We can always duck in and gawk!
I enjoyed this article quite a bit. I think that Belle Epoque style hotels tend to be a bit expensive because they are usually over the top and when done to the extreme very what I call New Orleans bordello style. There are some other hotels with that same feel as the ones mentioned in the linked article in Paris such as Maison Souquet, Hotel Odeon Saint Germain, and the Bourg Tibourg. What a lot of the places I mention and the ones in the article have in common is that they were designed by Jacques Garcia who has a very opulent style. In 2014, I went through a bit of a Jacques Garcia phase and I can attest that most of his hotels are lovely if you like that style. I am more of a clean and modern style person but I like the opulence of the Belle Epoque style every so often. Another Belle Epoque place is the Villa Royale in the 9th arrondissement, which I do not think was decorated by Mr. Garcia and which I have not yet stayed at.
Those hotels are beautiful but most of them are well above my budget, although I could probably manage €160 per night.
With its discussion of all the stars who have stayed at l'Hotel over the years, they missed the biggest one — Oscar Wilde died there!
It is a fun place to nip in for a drink if you're in the neighborhood!
Well, the article does mention Oscar Wilde, it just does not mention that he died there. I'll agree to disagree that Oscar Wilde was a bigger star than Mick Jagger.
