Hôtel Excelsior Latin

The charming Hotel Excelsior Latin is situated in an 18th-century building on a small, quiet street in the heart of the Latin Quarter. The convenient location is a short walk to many sights, attractions, restaurants, and shops, which is a big draw for tourists, many of whom become repeat guests. Interiors are lovely and clean, tastefully decorated with elegant armchairs and period pieces. Though spaces are small, such as the snug lounge off the equally tight lobby, they are warm and inviting. The lounge is filled with colorful armchairs in pink, purple, and beige that create a comfortable and pleasant corner to read or watch TV. Painted portraits in gilded frames throughout the hotel hark back to another time, and stone accent walls lend the spaces a rustic charm that blends well with the Parisian elegance and balances the refinement. There is an Internet-enabled tablet station in a hallway off the front desk that leads into a cute outdoor courtyard. A charming spot filled with potted plants and trees, the courtyard has decorative tiled floors and pink garden furniture that matches the pink planters sprouting shrubs and bushes scattered about.

The Hotel Excelsior Latin is conveniently located in the fifth arrondissement, Paris’ famous and lively Latin Quarter, and within walking distance to many attractions, museums, and shops. The hotel sits across from a preschool and bank, and two doors down from a cinema on a small street off Boulevard St. Michel, a wide tree-lined street full of shops, boutiques, bookstores, cafes, and crepe stands, and fast food. The Sorbonne is right down the street, and the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens are a three-minute walk around the corner. The Pantheon, Cluny Museum, and Odeon Theater are all within a five-minute walk, and Notre Dame Cathedral is a 12-minute walk from the hotel. The nearest RER station (Luxembourg) is a five-minute walk away, and the St. Michel metro station is a six-minute walk  in the opposite direction. There is a rack of city bikes down the street as well.

A variety of rooms ranging in size are available, including small Classic Rooms, larger Comfort Rooms (with bigger beds), Family Suites, and a Luxury Suite, which has a separate living room. The spaces mix chic with quaint antique-style pieces, such as vintage writing desks and chairs with portraits emblazoned on the backrest, with more modern wooden headboards and closets. The color palette favors neutral soft tones, whites, grays, and beiges, which pair well with the exposed wooden ceiling beams in many rooms and the large Parisian scenes adorning bedside walls. All rooms have flat-screen TVs mounted on the walls, desks, free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, and en-suite bathrooms with either shower/tub combos or walk-in showers. No toiletries are provided, aside from bars of soap. Small rooms can feel cramped, especially the triples, though they make efficient use of space. Some guests complain of noise coming through the thin walls; rooms toward the back should be quieter and not affected by street noise.

The Hotel Excelsior Latin has a small, cozy lounge on the ground floor with a flat-screen TV and small bookshelf filled with various reads. The outdoor courtyard has limited seating available but is a nice spot to enjoy a coffee. There are two Internet-enabled tablets available for guests' use in a hallway off the front desk area. Like most hotels in its range, the hotel has neither a fitness center, business center, nor restaurant on-site, but Wi-Fi is free throughout and breakfast, served in the two lovely dining rooms that overlook the street on the ground floor, is available for an added charge.