59 Rue Saint-Louis En L'ile, 75004 Paris

Hôtel des Deux Îles

Name: Hôtel des Deux Îles
Address: 59 Rue Saint-Louis En L'ile, Paris, 75004, FR
Rating: 4.6

Hotel 3-star in Paris

Romantic stay
Design

Presentation

The Hôtel des Deux Îles is located on rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île, on that strip of cobblestones that crosses the island from end to end. Notre-Dame is on the other side of the Seine, a few minutes' walk away. You can almost catch sight of it from some windows, if the rooftops do not get in the way.

The facade dates from the 17th century. Inside, nothing has been stripped away: the oak beams remain exposed in several rooms, as do the old walls. Contemporary decor is simply laid over it, in shades of light brown, bronze, and ochre.

Seventeen rooms in all. Thirteen to sixteen square meters depending on the layout. You get the feeling of a well-kept, almost family-run place, the trade-off, for those traveling with a lot of luggage, is limited storage space. The bathrooms, decorated with white and blue azulejos, are also rather compact; it is better to mention this when booking if you have limited mobility, as the bathtub requires a bit of agility to get into.

On the ground floor, reception remains open day and night. The staff speak several languages, book tables and shows, and store luggage while you take one last stroll before the train.

Breakfast is served in a vaulted cellar, with exposed stone and a monumental fireplace, as a buffet between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., or delivered to the room, on request, for those who prefer to linger under the covers. The croissants come from the bakery next door, the cheeses from the local creamery on the street. Breakfast is not included in the room rate: expect to pay around 19 euros per person, except on certain two-night offers where it is sometimes included. It is worth checking when booking.

Around 2 p.m., the lounge changes function. Coffee, tea, and homemade pastries are set out for self-service, and the minibar runs on honesty: you help yourself and note down what you took. Some recently renovated rooms even have a capsule machine and a kettle.

At night, the street becomes silent. No terrace bar just downstairs. No traffic slipping through the shutters, only the calm of an island that empties of passing visitors once evening falls.

Nearby, the Marais and the Latin Quarter are both about a ten-minute walk away, the Sainte-Chapelle a little less, the Louvre in twenty. On the island itself, there is no shortage of good Italian restaurants.

One final tip: stop by the lounge exactly at 2 p.m., when the coffee is still hot and the cakes have just come out. You only need to be there.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

Very quiet street at night, even on the street-facing side. We walked to Notre-Dame in ten minutes without leaving the island first.
At reception, we were given a paper map and itinerary ideas suited to the time we had. A taxi was also arranged for a quick round trip.
Breakfast taken in the vaulted cellar, eggs made to order, pastries from the neighborhood bakery. It is extra on top of the room rate, around 19 euros.
Small room, limited storage, but everything is clean and well kept. The bathtub is narrow, more practical for an independent person than for someone with reduced mobility.
Every afternoon around 2 p.m., tea and homemade pastries are set out in the lounge for self-service. Simple, but it makes a difference after a walk around the neighborhood.
A capsule machine and a kettle with teas were already in the room on arrival, along with bottled water. Handy for a quick coffee without going back downstairs.