Hotel de Sers

This limestone mansion with iron and balustrade balconies dates to 1880, when it was commissioned by the Marquis de Sers as his Paris abode. The private residence was eventually converted to a standard business hotel before coming under the ownership of B Signature Hotels & Resorts in 2007. (The French family-run hotel company's portfolio includes Hotel Montalembert and Bel Ami.) The new owners elevated the original roofline to create two additional floors with views of Paris, from Sacre Couer to the Eiffel Tower.

A 70-foot-long portrait gallery at the entrance showcases Hotel de Sers' mix of classic and contemporary style: bright blue wood-grain carpeting and modern wing-back chairs contrast with a row of gilded oil paintings, including a full-length portrait of the Marquis. The lobby features an interesting mix of surfaces -- polished wood walls, velvet seating, rough concrete columns. Behind the lobby is the open-air restaurant, set in a courtyard that originally led to stables. Public areas were renovated in 2015 and 2018, and the overall look, under the direction of interior designer Thomas Vidalenc, is sleek, uncluttered, and business-friendly.

Guests are often business travelers in town to do business in the 8th arrondissement, but while the nearby sister hotel Vernet is geared almost exclusively towards professionals, Hotel de Sers is equally accommodating of tourists. Leisure guests are often couples, guests on shopping trips (we spotted a huge delivery of glossy white shopping bags on our visit), and even the occasional celebrity (Justin Bieber and members of the Black Eyed Peas have stayed here).

Hotel de Sers is located on swank Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, between an Elie Saab concept store and Paris' only Bentley dealership. As if these neighbors weren't clue enough to area's level of prestige, a Creed perfume boutique is across the street, Four Seasons Hotel George V is around the corner, and Hermes, BMW, and Cartier are all nearby. This 8th arrondissement location is famous for its venerable shopping and corporate headquarters, including the luxury-goods group LVMH. The famous Parisian caberet the Crazy Horse is five minutes away on foot. Other notable points of interest nearby include the Pont de l'Alma, the Palais de Tokyo, the Paris Museum of Modern Art (all an eight-minute walk), the Arc de Triomphe, the Bateaux-Mouches embarkation point on the Seine (both 12 minutes away on foot), and the Quai Branly Museum (15 minutes).

The Alma-Marceau metro station (line 9) takes six minutes to walk to, the George V metro station (line 1) seven, and the Charles de Gaulle - Etoile transport hub (lines 1, 2, and 6, and the RER) about 15. Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports can both be reached in under 40 minutes, depending on traffic.

Hotel de Sers' 52 rooms and suites are divided into six categories, but all share a similar, sophisticated aesthetic. Contemporary furnishings (chrome tables, modular lounge chairs, curvy pale wood chairs) mix with a cool color palette centered on grays and beige warmed up by orange and bronze, or brightened with fuchsia and rich navy. Large black-and-white photographs behind the beds depict subjects like microphones or Paris at night, illuminated by street lamps. Traditional oil portraits in heavy gold frames juxtapose the modernness of the rooms and pay tribute to the building's history. Tablets, flat-screen TVs with 60-odd channels, safes, and free Wi-Fi are standard, and espresso machines are introduced in the Deluxe level. Minibars come with Jules Destrooper waffle cookies, Gordon's gin, and Taittinger Champagne. Some rooms, even some in the entry-level Superior category, have balconies or terraces.

Spacious marble and tile bathrooms have bathtubs or rainfall showers (upgraded rooms have both) and separate toilet rooms, as well as robes, slippers, and bath products by The White Company, or, in the suites, Bulgari.

Room categories include Superior (270 square feet) and Deluxe (323). The Executive Suites are 430 square feet, Prestige Suites are 860 (including 215-square-foot private terraces), and the two Eiffel Suites range from 650 to 860 square feet. Eiffel Suites are located on the top floors, and have terraces with views of the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur. The top-floor one-bedroom Marquis Suite has two terraces. Connecting rooms are available.

The hotel's restaurant is set in a quiet courtyard with a retractable roof, a wall of vegetation, and a window peeking into the kitchen. The restaurant opens everyday for breakfast, but past guests have expressed disappointment with its limited selection of pastries, baguettes, croissants, coffee, yogurt, fruit, and juice. Lunch is served on weekdays and dinner Tuesday to Saturday nights. Brunch is served on Sundays. The restaurant's Portuguese chef, Ricardo Lucio, focuses on traditional French cuisine for lunch and dinner, with Breton seafood and grilled steak with Perigord black truffle on the menu. Room service is available 24 hours a day. 

The business-friendly S'Bar has a sedate vibe with jazz music and an earth-toned color scheme. The bar can be booked out for private events and offers a daily happy hour. A 650-square-foot meeting room, Salon le Marquis, is available cocktail receptions, conferences, or trainings for up to 80 people. The salon's anteroom adds nearly 300 square feet. The lobby-level library area can serve as an informal meeting area, and has a Mac desktop for guest use.

There is a small fitness center with just three pieces of equipment: a bike, a treadmill, and a multi-use station. There are no free weights. Despite the gym's limited equipment, it has both a sauna and a hammam that are free for guests to use.

Hotel de Sers' Cles d'Or concierge team is discreet, accommodating, and on hand to help with restaurant reservations. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.