3 rue Casimir Delavigne, 75006 Paris

Grand Hotel des Balcons

Name: Grand Hotel des Balcons
Address: 3 rue Casimir Delavigne, Paris, 75006, FR
Rating: 4.2

Hotel 2-star in Paris

Presentation

The Grand Hôtel des Balcons is located on a quiet street straddling Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter, a few minutes’ walk from the Odéon, the Senate and the Luxembourg Gardens. You push open a door dating from the late 19th century and immediately step into an Art Nouveau lobby that has remained intact, with carved woodwork, stained glass and antique mirrors. The contrast with the rather understated street is striking from the very first steps.

The building was constructed in the 1880s, during the Haussmann era, and every window opens onto a small wrought-iron balcony. That is where the hotel gets its name. In the 1970s, the establishment still had 63 rooms. The parents of the current manager, Jean-François André, later added a bathroom to each one, which mechanically reduced their number. Jean-François took over the business in 2002, after attending Paris hotel school and working in other establishments, and continued the renovations: accessibility designed for people with reduced mobility, and a few enlarged rooms. There are 49 left today.

The place carries an artistic history. Barbara stayed here, as did Klaus Kinski and Gilles Vigneault. The Hungarian poet Endre Ady, nicknamed the Hungarian Baudelaire, took refuge here with Adél Brüll after fleeing the political police of his native country. Other familiar faces, singers, actors and sometimes crowned heads, continue to stay here as much for the discretion of the place as for its location in Paris.

The rooms range from single to quadruple, with a category designed for people with reduced mobility. The furnishings remain simple, the style classic and uncluttered, with Wi-Fi and satellite TV included, a desk and a private bathroom. One thing to know before booking in summer: there is no air conditioning in the rooms. The top-floor rooms heat up more on very hot days, and the hotel provides a fan to make up for it. Nothing dramatic, but it is worth planning for if you are going to Paris in the middle of a heatwave.

On the ground floor, the dining room has kept its original stained glass. Breakfast is served there buffet-style every morning, generous and designed for both sweet-toothed guests and those who prefer a proper brunch before heading out for a walk. To get upstairs, there is indeed an elevator, but it remains tiny; it only just fits one person with a suitcase. Regulars usually take the stairs instead, especially at times when several guests arrive at once.

The staff knows the neighborhood by heart. Jean-François likes to share anecdotes about Paris history and direct each guest to the right address according to their wishes, whether it is a student coming to defend their thesis at the Sorbonne or a long-time regular. At night, it is the receptionist who gathers the confidences of late sleepers. Many guests return, sometimes for several generations, and much of the service relies on that loyalty built over time.

One last tip: if you arrive early in the morning and the room is not yet ready, reception is happy to keep your luggage, so you can go for a coffee near the Odéon while waiting for noon.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

Staff available day and night. The evening receptionist gave us good places to eat right nearby.
Generous morning buffet, several breads and cheeses, served in a room with real old stained glass windows.
Small room but well laid out, comfortable bedding, clean bathroom with bathtub.
Quiet street, three minutes’ walk from the Odéon metro station, and you can walk to Notre-Dame in a quarter of an hour.
The partitions let a bit of hallway noise through in the morning, without it being disturbing for sleep.
Small elevator; one suitcase and one person are enough to fill it, so people often take the stairs instead.