38,40, Rue Saint Severin, 75005 Paris

Europe Saint Severin-Paris Notre Dame

Name: Europe Saint Severin-Paris Notre Dame
Address: 38,40, Rue Saint Severin, Paris, 75005, FR
Rating: 4.25

Hotel-restaurant 3-star in Paris

Romantic stay
Design

Presentation

Hotel Europe Saint-Séverin. The name appears on a discreet facade, in the middle of a pedestrian street in the Latin Quarter, a stone’s throw from Place Saint-Michel. You could almost walk past without noticing it, if the exposed stonework in the lobby did not catch your eye as soon as you stepped through the door.

Inside, the massive beams and stone walls tell the story of the building’s age. The furnishings, for their part, play a different tune, more contemporary, set on top of it without trying to erase it. The interplay between the two is a little surprising at first, then you quickly get used to it.

Fifty-nine rooms are spread across the floors, divided into eight categories, from single to deluxe suite. Some overlook the pedestrian street, others the inner courtyard, and the highest ones look out over the rooftops of Paris. The room sizes vary from one to another, a direct consequence of the building’s old structure: you should not expect the same floor space from a superior single room and a junior suite on the top floor, and it is better to know this before booking than to discover it when you open the door.

On the ground floor, reception remains open day and night. A safe, luggage storage, free Wi-Fi throughout the property: the practical details are all there, without needing to think about them.

In the morning, the buffet is set up in the breakfast room between 7:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Pastries, bread, yogurts, cheese, fruit, hot drinks, orange juice: enough to keep you going until lunch. This service is offered at an additional cost and is not included in the room rate, which at least leaves you the choice of having it or heading straight to a terrace in the neighborhood.

At the end of the day, the Rim Café opens its doors. Italian cuisine, made on site, served at lunch and dinner. When the weather allows, the terrace takes over from the dining room.

Around the hotel, everything is done on foot. Notre-Dame is a few hundred meters away, and the Saint-Michel station is even closer. The Panthéon, the Luxembourg Gardens, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés are all within easy reach, and the Louvre as well as the Musée d’Orsay can be reached by crossing the Seine.

One last detail, for those planning a late-afternoon arrival: the pedestrian street comes alive around 7:00 p.m., between the terraces filling up and residents returning from work. It is the right time to drop off your bags and head out for a short walk before dinner.

Summary of some positive reviews read on the web

Varied breakfast, a good selection of pastries and cheeses. The person in charge of service at that time takes the time to help each table.
The Saint-Michel metro station is a three-minute walk away. Notre-Dame and the Luxembourg Gardens can be reached in less than ten minutes on foot.
Room on the first floor overlooking the inner courtyard, fairly quiet despite the pedestrian street just below. Check-in at reception without any wait.
Good value for money for such a central location, right in the heart of the Latin Quarter, a stone’s throw from several museums.
The reception staff offered to call a taxi to the airport on the last day of the stay, without any hassle.
Room large enough to accommodate a family with luggage, which is not always the case in Paris hotels.