Hotel A La Villa Des Artistes

Situated in a six-story residential-style building, the hotel claims that famous artists like playwright Samuel Beckett and painter Amedeo Modigliani once stayed here, which is reflected in the Cubist and Surrealist prints throughout the hallways. From the red-and-black checkerboard floor and retro velvet armchair in the tiny, gray-walled lobby to the tree-lined garden terrace and cozy, stylish bar with contemporary geometric light fixtures, the hotel more closely resembles a designer boutique property. The morning buffet breakfast crowd sits both indoors and outdoors on nice days, and the hotel's clientele is mostly comprised of guests looking for mid-range values -- business travelers, tourists, and families alike.

Situated in Paris’ Montparnasse neighborhood, the hotel is surrounded by traditional apartment buildings and surrounded by shops, cafes, bistros, and restaurants. The gorgeous Jardin du Luxembourg and the iconic Montparnasse Cemetary (the final resting place of author Jean Paul Sartre) are both a five-minute walk from the hotel. The Vavin Metro station is just around the corner, a four-minute walk, and most of Paris’ main tourist attractions can be reached in less than 30 minutes (Notre-Dame in 23 minutes, the Louvre in 25 minutes, and the Eiffel Tower in 25 minutes). Charles de Gaulle Airport takes 45 minutes to reach by car or taxi while Orly Airport is a 20-minute drive from the hotel, though both may be reached by public transportation in about an hour. 

The artistic flair throughout the hotel carries over into guest rooms, which range from small Classic Rooms (12 square meters, or 129 square feet) to spacious two-floor suites (32 square meters, or 344 square feet). Good beds with shimmery bed runners have decorative panels mounted above them that vary between rooms, from abstract geometric patterns with embedded mirrors in some Classic Rooms to photographic murals in Superior Rooms. The look is modern and colors throughout are soothing beiges and golds, with striped, carpeted floors and plush, upholstered walls. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, safes, desks with a leather armchair, individual air-conditioning, electric kettles, minibars, and free Wi-Fi, though it can be spotty. Contemporary gray-tiled bathrooms are compact and generally have little counter space, though they do include toiletries. Classic Room bathrooms have narrow glass showers, but larger category rooms have bathtub/shower combos, though we did see a bit of dirty grout in the Superior Room tiles when we visited.

Mid-range properties in Paris don't usually come with a host of features, and while this small hotel isn't loaded with them either, the garden terrace is a stand-out here and guests can take the hotel's breakfast, which includes hot and cold options, outdoors or in the bright breakfast room. Breakfast is only included with some bookings and the hotel also has a small but classy lounge bar for cocktails in the evening. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, but can be spotty, and the hotel has an elevator and a 24-hour front desk as well as a small computer station with a printer for guest use. Airport transfers can be arranged as can babysitting services, but unfortunately, there is no on-site parking and pets are not allowed.