Le Relais Saint-Honore

This small boutique hotel is housed in a five-story 17th-century corner building. The facade is pleasing, with a sage green coat of paint distinguishing the bottom floor and wrought-iron railings on upper-floor windows. Guests enter through a glass-and-wood door into the warm, welcoming lobby, which looks more like an elegant Parisian living room than a hotel. Plush sofas, chairs, and rich rugs atop tiled floors invite guests to lounge, and there are plenty of brochures, magazines, and newspapers. Check-in takes at a small wooden desk, and there's a second desk that has a computer for guests to use. The space is cozy and full of French charm. With its ideal location, the hotel is particularly popular with vacationers, the majority of whom are couples. 

It's charming style aside, this hotel's location is one of its most prized assets. Situated in the 1st Arrondissement, almost all of central Paris' major sights are within a quick walk. It's less than a 10-minute walk to Place Vendome, the Louvre Museum, and Palais-Royal, while the 17th-century Jardins des Tuileries are just one block away. The hotel's street and the streets in almost every direction are lined with high-end and luxury shops, as well as swank bars and restaurants. The Tuileries Metro station is a three-minute walk from the hotel for those looking to reach farther flung destinations like the Eiffel Tower (30 minutes) and Notre Dame (20 minutes). Charles de Gaulle Airport can take up to 50 minutes to reach by taxi, depending on traffic, while Orly can be reached in about half an hour. Both are accessible by public transit in around an hour.

Each of the 15 rooms at this hotel is different, but all are stylish, cozy, and charming, with high exposed-beam ceilings, antique furniture, rich fabrics and draperies, and warm, pleasing color palettes. Even the stocked minibars are stylish, with fabric covers to match other soft furnishings in the room. Bose speakers can be connected to a phone or computer, and flat-screen TVs are mounted on the wall. Rooms also have individually controlled air-conditioning. Reading lights and shelves on each side of the bed are a convenient addition as are small closets -- not always a guarantee in central Paris. A suite on the top floor adds a living area with a sofa bed, making it a viable option for families. Bathrooms are small and tiled, and some have mirrors covering one wall to visually enlarge the space. They come with shower/tub combos, hairdryers, magnifying mirrors, towel warmers, and premium toiletries. Windows open to views of the pedestrian-friendly street and neighboring buildings. 

Features are limited at the hotel, and include free Wi-Fi, but no parking or fitness facilities. A desk in the lobby has an Internet-equipped Apple computer and a printer for guests to use. The hotel offers a daily continental breakfast that can be delivered to guest rooms, but there's no breakfast room. As with all hotels in Paris, it's not included in room rates. Laundry and dry cleaning services are available and the hotel can help with tickets to events and reservations.