8 Rue du Plâtre, 75004 Paris

Hôtel du Vieux Marais

Name: Hôtel du Vieux Marais
Address: 8 Rue du Plâtre, Paris, 75004, FR
Price range: 183 EUR
Rating: 3.95

Hotel 3-star in Paris

Romantic stay
Design

Presentation

The Hôtel du Vieux Marais opens onto a quiet street in the neighborhood, just a few steps from Place des Vosges. You push open an old, heavy door, and the lobby surprises with its Regency style: dark wood paneling, deep armchairs, furnishings that seem to have crossed the decades without losing an ounce of their elegance.

The building is said to have been designed by François Mansart, the 17th-century architect who gave his name to Parisian mansard roofs. From the street, nothing really gives it away, where it blends in among the neighboring façades. It is inside that the story unfolds, in the details.

Thirty rooms are spread over six floors. An elevator serves the entire building, which is not so common in a house of this age. Comfort, however, varies from one floor to the next: some rooms, smaller in size, favor simplicity, with light oak furniture and burgundy leather armchairs signed by Poltrona Frau. Others, more spacious, offer a balcony with a view over the rooftops of the Marais and, in the distance, the Centre Pompidou. The bathrooms feature patinated marble, almost all identical from one room to the next.

On the ground floor, the bar serves as a gathering point at the end of the day, before heading out for dinner at one of the neighborhood’s restaurants.

In the morning, continental breakfast is served in the room, between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., for an additional charge. Nothing spectacular at the buffet, but the neighborhood is full of bakeries and small cafés where you can have a coffee and croissant just a few meters from the entrance, terrace included when the weather allows.

At reception, the team has a reputation for being available and welcoming, led for years by a manager whom one often sees in the lobby, always happy to offer a neighborhood tip. Pets are allowed, and the address is among the most welcoming in the Marais for the gay community.

Outside, the Picasso Museum, the Carnavalet Museum, or Notre-Dame are all within a few minutes’ walk. The nearest metro station gets you to the main Paris train stations in just a few stops.

A tip: ask for a room with a balcony if you are up early. With a coffee on the sill, the view over the rooftops of the Marais is well worth shortening your night a little.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

Old building over six floors, but there is indeed an elevator serving all the rooms. Ours, on the top floor, was small but immaculate and very quiet at night.
The staff is attentive, both at reception and with housekeeping. The manager often makes the rounds in the lobby and takes the time to exchange a few words with guests.
Clean room with a small desk and good reading lamps. The street is a little busy during the day but becomes very quiet in the evening.
Breakfast is available in the room, but we preferred to go to the bakery nearby. Coffee and croissant enjoyed on a terrace less than fifty meters from the hotel.
Ideal location on a quiet street in the Marais, just steps from the shops, galleries, and cafés in the neighborhood.
The wifi signal is a bit weaker depending on the floor of the room, but nothing that really makes checking emails in the evening difficult.