11 Rue des écoles, 75005 Paris

Familia Hotel

Name: Familia Hotel
Address: 11 Rue des écoles, Paris, 75005, FR
Price range: 169 EUR
Rating: 4.3

Hotel 2-star in Paris

Presentation

The Familia Hotel occupies a Haussmann-style building built in 1865 on Rue des Écoles, in the heart of the Latin Quarter, a stone’s throw from the Sorbonne. You push open a rather discreet door amid the shopfronts on the street, and the decor immediately changes register: an old tapestry on the entrance wall, a mahogany bookcase, subdued lighting that sets the tone from the very first steps.

Breakfast is served on the ground floor each morning, at closely spaced little tables. Croissants, coffee, a few slices of toast. Around them, sepia frescoes painted by a former Beaux-Arts student redraw Notre-Dame, the Panthéon, and the rooftops of Paris on the walls. This breakfast is an extra and is not included in the room rate: a Parisian habit to know about before arriving, for those who sometimes prefer to down their coffee standing up in the bakery across the street.

As you go up the floors, the corridors narrow. The rooms, around thirty in all, retain traditional wooden furniture, exposed beams in places, and muted tones that rest the eye after a day of walking. They remain modest in size, in keeping with the buildings in this district: they contain the essentials, a bed, a wardrobe, a small desk, without requiring people to squeeze past one another. Those looking for space to spread out their suitcases will probably prefer the twin rooms, which are a little larger. The walls, meanwhile, preserve the memory of the nineteenth century and sometimes let through a burst of voices from the neighboring corridor: a pair of earplugs in the toiletry bag would not be a bad idea for light sleepers.

Eight rooms have a balcony, on the second, fifth, and sixth floors, with a table and chairs. Some look directly toward Notre-Dame and the zinc rooftops. On the courtyard side, other rooms face a mural devoted to the Impressionists, Sisley and Van Gogh, painted directly on the opposite wall. A small elevator makes it possible to avoid the spiral staircase, provided you do not bring too much luggage: sometimes you have to make two trips.

Outside, everything is done on foot. Notre-Dame is six hundred meters away, the Maubert-Mutualité station on Line 10 is three minutes away. The Panthéon, Saint-Étienne-du-Mont church, the Seine and its booksellers can all be reached in about twenty minutes on foot, without really ever leaving the same neighborhood. Rue Mouffetard, just behind the hotel, offers a mix of market stalls, cafés, and inexpensive restaurants rather than the tourist addresses of the center.

In the evening, on the way back down, the small lounge near reception is mainly used to collect keys and get a few sightseeing tips. A drinks vending machine comes in handy for late returns, when the neighborhood cafés have already closed.

Ask for a room with a balcony on an odd-numbered floor if you want to have your coffee facing the Notre-Dame bell towers when you wake up.

Summary of a few positive reviews read online

Hotel just a stone’s throw from the Cardinal Lemoine metro, five minutes’ walk to Notre Dame. You can even hear the cathedral bells from the room some mornings. Ideal for getting around the Latin Quarter on foot.
Small room but cleverly designed, with a balcony overlooking the street. You can watch neighborhood life go by while drinking your coffee. More than enough for sleeping; after all, you don’t stay cooped up in Paris.
Very welcoming staff at reception, especially one of the managers, who gives plenty of advice about the neighborhood without rushing, map in hand. A real plus for a first stay in the area.
Simple breakfast, croissant and coffee or hot chocolate. There is a bakery just across from the hotel for those who want something else. We went there some mornings.
Bathroom of a decent size for a hotel in this area, shower works well. The room is right next to the elevator but you can hardly hear it once the door is closed at night.