Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HOSTEL
YOUNG & HAPPY
d €60-90; ; Place Monge)
This friendly if frayed Latin Quarter favourite was Paris' first independent hostel. Rates in-
clude breakfast in the dark stone-vaulted cellar, and the self-catering kitchen gets a workout
from guests trawling rue Mouffetard's markets and food shops. Beds are in cramped rooms
with washbasins, but women are in luck with an en-suite female dorm (€28 to €38). Wi-fi in
the reception area only. Book well ahead.
HOTEL
HÔTEL DE L'ESPÉRANCE
€95-98; ; Censier Daubenton)
Although this place stakes its claim as a 'hôtel de charme', the dated floral decor won't be to
everyone's taste. No, the real reason to book a bed here is take advantage of the rates - un-
der €100 - and a prime location at the bottom of rue Mouffetard.
HOTEL
FAMILIA HÔTEL
€129-147, tr €175-186; ; Cardinal Lemoine)
Sepia murals of Parisian landmarks, flower bedecked windows and exposed rafters and
stone walls make this friendly family-run hotel (in business for three generations) one of the
most attractive 'almost budget' options on this side of the Seine. Eight rooms have little bal-
conies, from which you can catch a glimpse of Notre Dame.
HOTEL
HÔTEL DES GRANDES ÉCOLES
Lemoine, 5e; d €130-160; ; Cardinal Lemoine or Place Monge)
Spanning three two-storey buildings, this welcoming hotel just north of place de la Contres-
carpe has one of the loveliest situations in the Latin Quarter, set around its own private
garden courtyard off a medieval street. Rooms are simple but not without charm.
HOTEL
HÔTEL MINERVE
d €146-202, tr €202; ; Cardinal Lemoine)
Oriental carpets, antique books, frescoes of French monuments and wall tapestries make this
family-run hotel a lovely and reasonably priced place to stay. Room styles are a mix of tra-
