17, place du Panthéon, 75005 Paris

Hôtel des Grands Hommes

Name: Hôtel des Grands Hommes
Address: 17, place du Panthéon, Paris, 75005, FR
Price range: 270 EUR
Rating: 4.5

Hotel 3-star in Paris

Presentation

The Hôtel des Grands Hommes overlooks Place du Panthéon directly, in the 5th arrondissement, a stone’s throw from the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Sorbonne. The façade, with its wrought-iron balconies and white geranium planters, stands out gently against the mass of the monument opposite.

Pushing open the door, you enter a small, welcoming lounge. Empire-style armchairs, a few art books placed on a coffee table, a softly lit bar where drinks are served one at a time rather than from a full menu, and the wine-by-the-glass selection remains limited. For a livelier evening, it’s better to head to one of the wine bars on Rue Mouffetard, five minutes away on foot.

It was in a room in this house that André Breton and Philippe Soupault wrote The Magnetic Fields, a foundational text of Surrealism. You think of that a little as you go upstairs, between the Pierre Frey floral-pattern fabrics and the medallion carpets that dress the corridors.

The rooms take up the early 19th-century Napoleonic style, with warm colors and Empire-inspired furnishings. Some overlook the Panthéon, with a balcony or small terrace for the luckiest guests; others face a quiet inner courtyard, perfect for a morning coffee without a sound from the street. The building dates from the 18th century, and you can feel it in the layout: the staircase spirals, the elevator is tiny, and one person plus a suitcase already fills it up. Only one room, on the ground floor, is truly suitable for reduced mobility. The rest of the house fully embraces its old-building character, with rather compact rooms, which is also part of its charm.

In the morning, head to the vaulted stone room in the basement. Continental breakfast or buffet, still-warm pastries, jams, local and regional products. It can also be brought up to your room at no extra charge.

Outside, the Latin Quarter unfolds its little streets, the Sorbonne is just steps away, and Notre-Dame and the Seine quays are a quarter of an hour’s walk. The Cardinal Lemoine or Cluny Sorbonne metro stations, and the RER Luxembourg for reaching Roissy without changing lines, are less than ten minutes away.

One final landmark: the ground-floor lounge is particularly pleasant in the late afternoon, when the light falls low across Place du Panthéon and most guests are still out wandering the neighborhood.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

The elevator is really small; one suitcase and one person already fill it up. Only the ground-floor room is suitable for reduced mobility, and the staff makes this clear before arrival.
The room was rather compact, but the bathroom was surprisingly large, with an old-fashioned bathtub. No noise from the courtyard; we could only hear the birds in the morning.
The staff managed to find us a medical appointment in the middle of the week without us having to deal with it. Always a smile at reception, even late at night.
Simple but decent breakfast, still-warm pastries and good coffee, served in a vaulted stone room in the basement that makes a change from standard dining rooms.
Three minutes on foot from the Luxembourg RER, direct to Roissy without changing lines. The Panthéon literally right in front of the entrance.
Practical detail: opening the window automatically cuts off the air conditioning. The minibar in the room was well stocked, handy for an evening without having to go out.