Make your visit to Paris even better by staying in a hotel that offers you a unique insight into the city’s past. The Good Hotel Guide has created a shortlist of ten of the best historic hotels: some are former private mansions once occupied by the nobility that have been beautifully restored; others are less extravagant but have a fascinating history nonetheless.
Click through to see the top ten best historic hotels in Paris.
You really will feel like you’ve travelled back in time the minute you step into the Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais. The public rooms are furnished just as they would have been for a noble family living in the Marais in the 18th century, with elaborate window drapes and chandeliers. Rooms have original beams and are furnished with antiques, and bathrooms feature exquisite hand-painted tiles. The hotel was inspired by the playwright Caron de Beaumarchais, who wrote “The Marriage of Figaro” (later turned into an opera by Mozart) in 1784, when he lived on a street nearby.
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The Place des Vosges, Paris’ oldest square, was commissioned by Henry IV in 1605, and one of its finest mansions is now a gorgeous boutique hotel, Pavillon de la Reine. Wrought iron gates lead into a courtyard and the creeper-clad exterior of the hotel, and many original features have been retained, such as exposed oak beams, flagstone floors and a vaulted cellar that is now the breakfast room. Rooms are decorated in 18th century style, with canopied beds, oil paintings, flocked fabric wall coverings and period furniture.
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Andre Breton, the founder of the Surrealist movement, lived at the Hotel des Grands Hommes when he first arrived in Paris from Normandy in 1815, and he wrote his manifesto here. Empire-style influences remain, with antique furniture and toile de Jouy fabrics, and a number of classical busts in the reception area pay homage to the Pantheon opposite, the resting place of many notable figures including Emile Zola, Victor Hugo and Voltaire.
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This hotel is located in St-Germain-des-Pres, an area steeped with history; Camus, Sartre, Verlaine and Rimbaud all lived here, Serge Gainsbourg lived in a house opposite the hotel until his death in 1991, and American novelist James Baldwin was a guest in 1948. Previously a 17th century townhouse, the Hotel Verneuil has typically small rooms; exposed timber ceiling beams and the original staircase point to its origins, but rooms are furnished in a more modern style, with leather headboards and crisp linens in a muted, chic palette.
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A former 17th century townhouse, the Hotel d’Aubusson has retained a grand period style and the lobby is especially magnificent; rooms are furnished in Louis XV and Regency antiques. The downstairs bar (pictured) opened in 1690 and counted Robespierre, Rousseau and Voltaire amongst its customers. In 1946 it was renamed Café Tabou and was a popular gathering for post-war intellectuals including Sartre and Camus, but it has now reverted to its original name, Café Laurent, and hosts regular jazz evenings.
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You don’t have to splash huge amounts of money to stay in one of the oldest hotels in Paris. Hotel Chopin has been open every day since 1846 and is located at the end of a covered pedestrian walkway. In the 1850s, the existence of over 150 such walkways meant you could cross most of Paris regardless of the weather, but building works by Haussmann destroyed all but 30 of them, and the passage and the façade of the hotel have been classified as French national monuments. In 1970 the hotel was renamed after the famous composer, who apparently used the passage regularly.
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Although the Hotel Duc de Saint-Simon is located just off the Boulevard St Germain, it feels quiet and secluded. The hotel was previously an 18th century townhouse, and many original period features and architectural details remain. The basement lounge, consisting of a series of vaulted rooms, dates from the 16th century. Rooms are stylish, floral fabric wall coverings match the curtains and bedspreads, and silk lampshades give off a warm glow.
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Hotel Clement is another property that has loads of character and offers great value, especially given its location. This charming small hotel (28 rooms on six floors) was built in 1895 and has been in the same family for over 100 years. Rooms in the garret may have sloping walls, but they are very romantic, with great views over St Germain market.
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This former hotel particulier (private mansion) was built in the early 19th century and meticulously restored by the owner-manager, Jean-Marc Pommier. The décor at the Hotel de Varenne is classic Louis XVI and Empire style, with fine antiques; the reception desk is an antique writing table and rooms are all individually decorate in tasteful greens, gold, reds and blues. Most of the rooms look onto a lovely courtyard, giving the hotel a delightful country feel.
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Oscar Wilde died in Room 16 of L’Hotel in 1900 (when it was the dingy boarding house Hotel d’Alsace), famously remarking, “either that wallpaper goes, or I do”. Other famous guests since then include Marlon Brando, Salvador Dali, Princess Grace of Monaco and Frank Sinatra. There’s little history in the current décor: now a design hotel, all 20 rooms over six floors are individually decorated in a theatrically flamboyant style, with patterned wallpaper, plush fabrics and original artworks. It’s still a fun place to stay in, though, and the bar is great for people watching.
