18 Rue des Dames, 75017 Paris

Hôtel Eldorado Paris

Name: Hôtel Eldorado Paris
Address: 18 Rue des Dames, Paris, 75017, FR
Rating: 4.7

Hotel-restaurant 4-star in Paris

Presentation

Eldorado Hotel Paris, on a quiet street in the Batignolles, does not look like much from the outside. The facade is discreet, almost understated, on a small one-way street that can sometimes be spotted only on a second pass.

You open the door, and the tone changes completely. The secondhand furniture echoes from one room to another, and the eras blend together without apology: a Roaring Twenties console next to a Victorian armchair, a sixties lattice-front sideboard a little farther on. It feels like a family home you would have inherited as is, where each generation left its mark without ever throwing anything away.

On the ground floor, the winter lounge opens directly onto the garden. Hydrangeas, camellias, a rosebush climbing along a wall. The silence is surprising for a hotel in central Paris, only barely disturbed by the birdsong at dawn.

As you go up the floors, the rooms reveal themselves one by one, and none looks like the next. Floral wallpaper, patterned fabrics, period wall sconces: the decor makes no attempt at subtlety. This choice, carried through to the end, will not suit everyone; those looking for a neutral, pared-back room will probably find the whole place a little busy, but for anyone who likes sleeping in a setting that tells a story, the experience remains rare in Paris. Some rooms enjoy a terrace or balcony overlooking the garden, others face the surrounding rooftops. One of the suites even hides a private sauna.

At the back of the courtyard, a second building houses what the hotel calls Le Pavillon. You enter through a service bell, as in the old days. A lounge-library there serves as a private dining room, and the rooms, all facing the garden, gain in independence, at the price of a short walk across the courtyard to reach the rest of the hotel, a detail that ultimately adds to the homey spirit rather than detracting from it.

As for dining, classic French cuisine is served from morning to evening, without fuss, between the winter garden and the courtyard depending on the season. The produce is well chosen, and the service stands out more for its discretion than for any excess of zeal.

The neighborhood, however, has to be earned a little. It is closer to Clichy and the Batignolles than to the historic center, which often means taking the metro to reach the Marais or the major museums. Montmartre, on the other hand, is within walking distance, and Pigalle, with its cocktail bars, is only a few minutes away.

When it is time to leave, one last coffee in the garden before heading back down Rue des Dames to the metro station. One tip along the way: reserve a table for dinner if you plan to enjoy the courtyard on a summer evening; it fills up quickly after 8:30 p.m.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

A receptionist named Ilan resolved a booking issue in a matter of minutes, without it becoming complicated.
The partitions between the rooms are quite thin. You can hear neighbors late at night, something to expect rather than a real problem given the atmosphere of the house.
The street is one-way and easy to miss when arriving by car. It is better to give the driver the exact address before the trip.
The à la carte breakfast is generous, enough to last a good part of the day without going back to the restaurant.
The garden fills up quickly as soon as the weather is nice. The evening meal remains simple but well prepared, with no endless waiting.
The room had a walk-in shower and everything needed, without anything superfluous.