If you’re looking for a comfy, friendly hotel at a great price in central Paris, this one’s for you! It will come as no surprise to find out that those clever folk at Sawday’s found the Hotel de la Paix and include it in their Paris hotels recommendations in their latest edition of Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: French Châteaux & Hotels. If there’s one thing you can count on with this book it’s that homework has been done, every place visited, assessed and only included if it makes the grade.
I was once standing at the Gare de Lyon waiting to go off on a trip. Two young girls asked me for help. They’d just arrived from the US, they’d booked a value hotel in Paris and they didn’t know how to reach it.
“Of course” I said, I know what it’s like to be lost in a foreign country, tired from jet lag. I called the hotel for them. What they told me made no sense, the metro station they quoted wasn’t in central Paris as the girls had said. A guard at the station was standing close by and caught my eye. “Can I help” he asked. It makes me smile when people say how rude Parisians are – 20 years ago maybe, not now, I find Parisians very helpful and friendly.
We accepted his offer. The guard used his mobile to call the hotel. “Ah… oui… oui… oui”. He finished, went and got a map and showed the girls where to go for their hotel – it was an hour away on the metro. I can’t tell you how disappointed they were.
So, when I find a great hotel at a great price and a source that gives you great tips for hotels and places to stay in France, well it seems only fair that I share it with you.
Hotel de la Paix is in the Montparnassse area. Two minutes (if that) walk from the local metro station, direct line (4) from Paris Nord. Five minutes walk away is the gorgeous Jardin de Luxembourg, numerous bars and cafés and the historic, legendary La Coupole restaurant.
The hotel is a calm retreat in the centre of Paris and full of character. The staff are lovely. I had to have some photos taken in Paris by a photographer and the hotel let me use their lovely little sitting area with its quirky objets d’art. In fact they even let me re-arrange the furniture! Ask them how to get somewhere, what there is to see, where to eat, where to get a hot chocolate – they’ll help you. There are some lovely little squares and those oh so Parisian tiny parks close by and it’s a great place to wander and discover a part of Paris that’s not exactly off the beaten track but offers a taste of real life that’s really refreshing and fun.
The rooms terrific value. They’re not uber luxurious but they’re super clean and super comfy and quiet at night. The building is typically Parisian and very tall – if you’ve got mobility issues let them know when you book as some of the rooms are accessed by stairs in between lift stops.
I really liked Hotel de la Paix, it’s in a great location and you get a chance to enjoy local life not just the tourist side of Paris – it’s on my list for highly recommended great value places to stay in Paris.
Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: French Châteaux and Hotels is available from all good bookshops and Amazon and it’s brimming with lovely places to stay in France. For more information visit www.sawdays.co.uk
