Hotel Saint-Paul Le Marais

The first time I was planning a trip to Paris (in 2000), I had no idea that Bonjour Paris and its info-packed forums existed. If I had, I would have asked people there for recommendations. But then, I might not have found a little gem of a three-star hotel in the 4th, the Hotel Saint-Paul Le Marais. Our approach to a hotel was ” the cheaper, the better.” I shot off a heap of mails to different places, saying we were looking for a hotel for a week in August, what was the best price they could give us? I was hoping the Saint-Paul would come back with a good deal because the idea of staying in a former convent from the 1700s and having breakfast in a cellar appealed to me. Forget the location: I knew nothing about the Marais or how convenient the area would turn out to be, especially for a first-time visitor who spoke enough French to get into trouble. Not only did the Saint-Paul come to the party with a good discount, but the e-mail response was so friendly, I had my first inkling right there that perhaps this whole “the French are rude” gig was just a myth. And when we came up out of the métro on a warm August afternoon, a jazz trio accompanying us as we lugged our suitcases across the Rue de Rivoli and to the hotel just over a block away, it struck us what a wonderful location we lucked into. We could barely wait to dump the luggage and head out to Notre-Dame, only a ten-minute walk away. But first we had to check in and check out the room. The welcome was as warm as the e-mail, and within minutes we were being shown to our room on the first floor. The only problem turned out to be the elevator which, true to Paris tradition, could only fit a makeup bag and a small dog. The accommodation was quite a bit roomier, with twin beds, a small desk that held coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a good-sized bathroom. It featured both a bath and shower, the former coming in very handy for soaking our aching bodies after days of walking. We waited all of a second to throw open the windows and peer past the red-geranium-filled flower boxes to the street below. Ahhh, Paris! What a gorgeous view of a winding medieval street, what a wonderful way to watch life in this beautiful city, where there’s always something happening–especially considering there’s a fire station right across from the hotel. The pompiers are considerate, saving the siren for when they reach the Rue de Rivoli, and to be honest, we were more interested in the ritual of watching a fireman don the silver space helmet and wander out to stop the traffic than we were worried about the noise. The double-glazing on the windows and air-conditioning certainly kept the noise down, but if you’re a light sleeper, I recommend you request a room overlooking the courtyard. The hotel offers 28 rooms, with a range of options that will cater for just about every traveler. There’s a single room, featuring the original poutres (oak beams), plus twin rooms; doubles; a double superior–a duplex with office fittings, perfect for those in town on business; and a triple, which is really two bedrooms, a double and a single, great for a couple travelling with a child. All have air-conditioning, safes, cable TV, direct phones, and other usual amenities, and all are fitted out in the style of Louis-Philippe. If you desperately need to keep in touch, either for work or to tell the folks back home what a wonderful time you’re having, the hotel offers its guests web access in the richly decorated lounge area. You can also relax here with the free newspapers and magazines, or take a drink at the small bar. On rainy days, sitting back sipping an apéritif as you look out at the downpour will turn anyone into a poet, while sunny days in the courtyard are just as inspirational. Take a quiet break, or maybe even have breakfast here before setting out on a hard day’s touristing. (Breakfast consists of a good selection of beverages, viennoiseries, eggs, fruit, cheese, yogurt and more; it’s available for 10 €.) What will you find around the hotel? More than you could possibly hope to see in a week, I discovered. The Place des Vosges, Musée Carnavalet, Musée Picasso, Hotel Sully, Ile de le Cité, Ile Saint-Louis, and Bastille are only a few of the places in walking distance. The lovely Jesuit church of Saint-Paul is at the end of the street. For trips further afield, the Saint-Paul métro stop (Line 1) is a block away–which means that the Louvre is only four stops away. There’s an ATM right on the corner of Rue de Sévigné and Rue de Rivoli. If you need shampoo, Band-Aids or a bottle of wine, Monoprix, the combination mini-Target/supermarket is a five-minute stroll down to 71 Rue Saint-Antoine (the continuation of the Rue de Rivoli), but there are also greengrocers, boulangeries and epiceries nearby. Just ignore the horse butcher. Good food abounds in this area, especially in the streets back off the Rue de Rivoli. The Marais is Paris’s gay area, so you’re only a few steps away from cool bars and cafés. Its long history as a Jewish district also means there are some great kosher restaurants, the standout being the place that serves the best falafel in town, L’As Du Falaffel on the Rue des Rosiers. My favorite salon de thé, Mariage Frères, is a short stroll over on the Rue Bourg-Tibourg, and the magical Place Marché Sainte-Catherine, its trees laden with fairy lights, is just around the corner. When I stayed at the Saint-Paul almost 4 years ago, they’d just started the renovations that would take it from 1980s black and gray to completely charming. The lounge had been completed and the staff allowed us to peek in on the work-in-progress. Since then, due to my ravings, several friends have stayed here. They have all loved it and reported back that the renovations have been a success, and the staff is still friendly and helpful. I wandered past in August just to check it out and decided that yes, I could happily go back. As far as I know, no one famous has lived or died at the Saint-Paul. No literary figure has scribbled…