Finding a good hotel in Paris can be a nightmare. There are over 1,500 hotels in the first seven arrindissments of Paris alone.
For us, we’ve had the whole spectrum of experiences in past visits to Paris: good hotels, bad hotels, cheap hotels and very much over-priced ones too. And battling through the assault course of websites… we weren’t looking forward to hunting out the hotel in the haystack for this visit.
Thankfully Creative Holidays came to our rescue and sorted us out with the Hotel Littre – a charming little four-star in the 6th arrindissment. In our previous visits, we’ve stayed on the Right Bank (or Rive Droite), so we were excited about staying at Hotel Littre, which is on the Left Bank.
Famous for its bohemian heritage, the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) has a long list of famous artists, poets and writers who have lived here over the centuries. It also has its own treasure trove of parks, palaces and of course the restaurants.
Hotel Littre is a picture-perfect Parisian hotel. Holding true to its ’20s charm, its low-key exterior turns into an impressive marble-lined foyer and reception. Hidden round the corner is its own cute little speakeasy hotel bar, which opens from 4pm.
From the entranceway, the wide set of steps lead down into the dining area where breakfast is served each morning. The complimentary buffet breakfast was plentiful with a good range of cereals, hot and continental breakfast options. The only downside was the coffee. We’re not big fans of filter coffee, but then Sydneysiders are becoming renowned for their coffee snobbery.
Our room was excellent. All of our previous experiences with Paris hotels warned us not to expect too much space. But our bedroom was plenty big enough for the two of us to move around in – even with five weeks’ worth of luggage. The bed was enormous and extremely comfortable, and the large curtained window looked out over a secluded courtyard.
But it was the bathroom and shower that won it for us. A good size, the marble interior meant easy maintenance, so the bathroom was nice a clean. And the shower… the huge shower head and jet-like water pressure produced a massaging cleansing experience. Mrs Romance was even able to wash her hair properly. It’s a task that normally takes a host of hairdressers hours to complete.
I should also mention the hotel offers free WiFi to its guests, and for once we had a fast connection that didn’t drop out all the time, as is common with many hotels. It seems that if you’re lucky (or very persuasive/rich), you can also have a room with a balcony that looks out over the city with a view of the Eiffel Tower!
We very much enjoyed our stay at Hotel Littre. There’s plenty to do nearby, even if you take out the proximity to the Seine and Notre Dame. Luxembourg Gardens and Palais du Luxembourg is well worth a visit too.
For food and drink, there are hundreds places to go from little bars to great big classic French restaurants like La Rotonde on Boulevard du Montparnasse. Even better, try one of the hundreds of crêperies on Rue du Montparnasse.
And of course there’s the Latin Quarter, famed for the wealth of restaurants and eateries all along its narrow gothic laneways.
Whatever you want to do, Hotel Littre is a good place to base yourself.
We travelled as guests of Creative Holidays – you can find out more about their service here.
