Style & Character
The Luxembourg parc emanates vintage charm with its panelled hardwood floors, gorgeous damask velvet curtains, burnished antique furniture and dazzling chandeliers. This 4-star boutique hotel is truly Parisian in style with décor inspired by Louis XV / Napoleon II style. There are 23 rooms each of which oozes decadent beauty.
The hotel is owned by the Paris Hotels Charms group that also owns the Au Manoir Saint Germain des Pres, La Perle, Horset Opera, Chambiges Elysees and Left Bank Sain Germain. Incidentally all of these are boutique 3 star/ 4 star establishments with Parisian décor.
Rooms
Rooms are divided into terrace rooms, junior suites, superior rooms, executive rooms and classic rooms… Apart from terrace rooms and suites, size may seem small so if having your space is a priority then book a higher valued room. The higher valued rooms are on the 5th and 4th floors and have better views too.
Common amenities include USB Sockets, multiple outlets with plug in adaptors, mini bar (stocked), flat screen TV, iron-ironing board, bureau-desk and chair. The TVs broadcast many English channels including CNN and BBC (rare occurrence in Paris).
All bathrooms have hair dryers, make up mirrors, bath tub and shower (both hand held and fixed) and toiletry kits. Most bathrooms also have large fluffy Turkish towers, towel warmer and there are bathrobes with slippers too. The junior suites (meant for 3 people) have a separate sitting area and the terrace rooms have a private patio/ terrace access
Rooms are decidedly not modern (in a nice way) and everything about them spells “vintage” right down to the heavy draped curtains that seem inspired from 17th century costumes.
The rooms have exposed wooden beams on the ceiling and huge expansive French windows. If you have a terrace room then you can arrange to have breakfast there while watching Parisian life go by. These rooms have a private patio with window boxes full of geraniums and ivy trails running underneath…these are perfect for sipping wine and imbibing the Parisian spirit.
Some of the rooms do not have deadbolts and there aren’t “do not disturb signs” and this may be uncomfortable for many. Guests need to leave the key at the reception when they go out sightseeing. Soundproofing is not that great and the lovely hardwood floors do creak at times so you might hear footsteps on your roof rather too clearly.
If you feel like opening those beautiful French windows and enjoying some Parisian breeze then choosing a room which faces the outer street might help. If a noise free stay is what you desire then choose a courtyard facing room.
Amenities & Service
The rooms are kept scrupulously neat and clean and the staff replenishes toiletries and changes sheets with diligence. The hotel is not air conditioned but is Wi Fi enabled.
The staff is simply great at accommodating requests and will arrange everything from ice buckets to museum passes to transport to extra toiletries for guests. Most of them are multi lingual and speak excellent English. The patroness Fabienne and her staff Jules, Lydia, Tania and the rest of them are wonderfully hospitable. Special mention must be made of Christian who appears to be great at customer service as well as multi-tasking.
There is a small, cozy and pretty library near the lobby where you can browse through the curated collection of books and sip on an aperitif in peace. It also has a fireplace, chess table and a look straight out of coffee table books. The presence of a small reading lamp would have helped.
There is a small fitness room in the basement which has a decent selection of cardio equipment and treadmills apart from a couple of flat screen TV’s (there are no weights). The guest lounge with its high speed internet and a small intimate bar is a good feature too….the staff here have very good knowledge about drinks.
The hotel doesn’t have private parking but there is a public parking lot outside the hotel. There are complimentary newspapers provided every day and dry cleaning service is provided at an added charge.
Food & Drinks
There is a standard European breakfast served in the breakfast room every morning from 7.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. the breakfast room is airy with largish windows providing Luxembourg garden views.
You can order room service for breakfast which is what most people do. Expect ham, pastries, and cheeses, croissants, yoghurt, juice etc. and if you order cooked to specification eggs then there is an extra 5 euro charge. Hot beverages including splendid cappuccinos are also on offer. The breakfast may seem pricey and inadequate (by American standards) and there are several breakfast places around. The hotel doesn’t have a proper restaurant but it has a chic looking small bar.
For the Parisian chic café experience Head off to La Cuisine de Philippe, Chez Diane (French casual food), Angelina (famous for its hot chocolate), La Bolee (known for its crepes)…they are all near Metro St Sulpice. Pierre Herme on rue Bonaparte has excellent macaroons and Le Bonaparte has great breakfast options while Le Pre aux Clercs (same street) has nice late night food options.
Rue Guisarde is a virtual restaurant hub with Evi Evane (Greek cuisine), Les Fernandez (French), Monteverdi (Italian food and live music), L Enfance de Lard, Chez Fernand etc. There is an excellent patisserie Sadaharu Aoki on rue Vaugard where you can pamper your sweet tooth.
The hotel staff recommends Café Madame and Cuisine de Philippe and they are just a block away and don’t disappoint.
Check Availability
Rate provided by Booking.com
Location & How To Reach
The Luxembourg Parc stands inside a reclusive and sophisticated St Germaine neighborhood that’s on the left bank of Siene. It falls in the 6th arrondisement of Paris. This is not a very touristy place and opportunities of mingling with locals is maximum. You will see lots of students from Rue des Saints Peres and Rue Saint Gullaume walking around. Celebrities and the crème de la crème of Parisians frequent the lovely terraced cafes that are found here in abundance.
Some steps away is the lovely Jardin du Luxembourg where you can enjoy quiet strolls and people/ nature watching. The national senate is hosted here apart from lovely horticulture and maintained lawns. Lots of armed guards surround the national senate so you cannot hope for a safer location for a hotel. If you are an avid walker you can enjoy walking to most Parisian attractions.
A 45 minute walk will take you to the Eiffel tower and the Notre Dame/ Chapelle will take about 25 minutes while walking to the Louvre might take 40 minutes. Find the Latin Quarter, Boulevard saint Michael and the St Germain district full of lovely shopping opportunities. The 10 arrondissements with its lovely Saint Martin Canal and the 20th arrondissement with the Pere Lachaise Cemetery are also a long stroll away.
Nearest bus stop is the Saint Sulpice bus stop which is just 5 minutes away. The Luxembourg RER station and the Odeon Metro station sandwich the hotel and both are within walking distance (even with luggage). You will find that the Odeon subway and the Saint Sulpice Subway are also nearby.
Easiest (and affordable way) to transfer to hotel from CDG airport (34km away) is to take Line B RER train that goes to the Luxembourg RER station (one end of Luxembourg gardens).
You will find the 11th century Saint Germain des pres church in this neighborhood (Incidentally the oldest church in Paris) just a short walk away. The 17th century Saint Sulpice church with its ornate façade and famous ante cents lies on the Odean quarter in the 6th arrondissement. Catch the choir performance on the weekends if you can…talented local musicians perform here.
42 rue de Vaugirard 75006 Paris
Phone: (33)1 53 10 36 50; Email: [email protected]; Hotel Website
Check Availability
Rate provided by Booking.com
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.