As in any large city, the choice of hotels in Paris can be dizzying. With no less than 20 distinct arrondissements, or neighborhoods, each containing hotels in virtually all categories, it can be difficult to make a choice.
Would a visitor prefer a grand hotel or an intimate one? One on a busy boulevard or on a quiet side street? One with amenities on tap, or something rather less overwrought?
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For Paris visitors seeking a boutique hotel in a quiet neighborhood, the InterContinental Paris Marceau proved to be a winner on my recent visit. The hotel is just steps from the Arc de Triomphe on the tranquil Rue Marceau, in a stately edifice that was once home to Lord de Breteuil.
“Boutique Hotel” doesn’t typically come to mind when one thinks of the InterContinental brand, but at this charming little hotel, it translates well. The hotel’s small size allows the staff to be omnipresent and deeply engaged, as though guests are staying in a grand private home rather than a small hotel.
Front desk and concierge staff were eager to hear about daily plans and offer suggestions. Upon learning of my plans to visit Musée d’Orsay, the head concierge, Hélène, clucked with concern that the ticket lines might be too long and offered to print tickets purchased online. Dinner reservations were also effortless, with tables confirmed via e-mail while I was out for the day.
Guest rooms are designed with as much chic as one would expect in a city whose name is synonymous with it. While intimately sized, they’re cleverly fit into the centuries-old spaces originally designed for accommodating a single well-pampered resident.
All the InterContinental brand amenities are included in each room, with extra touches like plentiful outlets with adaptors and Nespresso with a variety of pods—welcome extras in a region where instant coffee is often the norm, even in higher end hotel rooms. Guests without European cellular phone or data plans can take the Handy (available free of charge in select room categories) with them on their daily journeys for local telephone calls and internet access for navigating the city.
Plumbing, typically quite finicky for uninitiated visitors to France, is refreshingly solid, with showers that easily melt away the longest overnight trans-ocean journeys.
Breakfasts can be taken in the intimate restaurant or in the courtyard, and are typical hotel spreads—a continental buffet for the lighter morning diners, while an American Breakfast for a small supplement adds a hot entrée from a wide selection.
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When it’s time to explore, the shopping of Champs-Elysées and Avenue George V are steps away, as are views of the Eiffel Tower from Pont de l’Alma. As this is Paris, there’s also no shortage of cafés, bistros and restaurants to choose from, but the concierge can help guide decisions on the type of cuisine and neighborhood better than any online review site (they also seem to keep opening and closing days and times in their heads).
The Takeaway
Guests seeking to be well-looked after in a gorgeous hotel that feels more like a private home, with the international caliber amenities and standards of the InterContinental brand need look no further when searching for accommodations in Paris.
The Math
In a city not known for spectacular hotel values, I’ve seen rates as low as €209 per night plus tax.
Instagrammable Moment
Chic guest room designs, lobby artwork, or the hotel’s lovely façade all lend themselves to good photographs to share.
Loyalty
IHG Rewards Club
Good To Know
Before the age of elevators, the finest rooms in a home were always on the first floor (the floor above the ground floor, known in North America as the second floor). First floor rooms in this hotel boast soaring 20-foot ceilings, some with views of Avenue Marceau, while the highest floor rooms have skyline views, but can have more eccentric shapes or layouts (the highest floors were originally designed as servant quarters).
