Hôtel des Grandes Ecoles

This beautiful hotel has become my home away from home in Paris. It is ideally located in a quiet street in the heart of the Latin Quarter. It is only steps away from the lively Place de la Contrescarpe, which features a phenomenal amount of cafés and restaurants that will suit just about every taste, and which leads to the ancient Rue Mouffetard, a quiet, mostly pedestrian cobblestone street that winds its way downhill to the church of St. Médard , and is also lined with cafés and small shops, and various food purveyors. While very “touristy”, it’s still one of my favorite streets in Paris (and there are so many!) I first stayed in this hotel back in the late 1990s and, after a gap of 20 years, I went back there again last June. In the meantime, it has been acquired by a hotel consortium, having formerly been owned and operated by a very friendly mother-daughter team. Even after 20 years, and with the change in management, the experience of the hotel is, if anything, even better. One of the things that I love about it is the fact that there is no television in the room. When I am there, I feel like I am on vacation from current events, which la can be overwhelming. They do have free internet access and electric converters are usually available at the front desk. The property is very secure. There are two giant green double doors that face onto the Rue du Cardinal Lemoine, and each guest is given a small electronic device with their key that activates the unlock mechanism. When you have entered the double doors, you will go slightly uphill on a cobblestone path that leads into a beautiful little garden, with tables and chairs and benches. With a full complement of luggage, and very jetlagged, it may seem daunting at first. But patience: you’re almost home. The hotel added air conditioning just two years ago, which was very welcome during my stay when the temperatures reached 97°F (36°C). Air-conditioning is still fairly rare in Paris, in my experience. Definitely a plus if you will be traveling during the summer months. Every room in which I have stayed had floor to ceiling French doors, which open up for a nice breeze when the weather permits. The rooms are decorated in a floral motif, French provincial, I guess. The rooms are spacious and very clean and the bathrooms are modern and the mattress was very comfortable. The staff is multilingual and very helpful. I can honestly say that I have never stayed in another hotel in which I have felt more welcome. Hotel des Grandes Écoles is very close to two metro lines: line 10, which runs east to west, and the metro station is downhill from the hotel, and line 7 on Rue Monge, which runs north to south.. I have already booked my room for my stay in November. I wanted to be in Paris for my birthday, and you only live once. In short, I recommend this hotel, very highly, and suggest that you make your reservations as far in advance as possible, as this is a very poorly kept secret it seems. And I’m very glad for them that it has become so popular.

Loved this hotel so much! Staff was so friendly and accommodating. Breakfast is great and gardens outside are beautiful! Highly recommend!