5 rue Poncelet, 75017 Paris

Hôtel Maât Etoile

Name: Hôtel Maât Etoile
Address: 5 rue Poncelet, Paris, 75017, FR
Rating: 3.8

Hotel 2-star in Paris

With parking

Presentation

The Hôtel Maât Etoile is located in a building in the 17th arrondissement, just above the Poncelet market, a stone’s throw from Place des Ternes. The address still bears traces of its former name, the Hôtel Wagram, and this history gives it a slightly old-fashioned feel, warmed by a recent renovation.

You push open a discreet door wedged between two market stalls and come upon a small lounge with deep armchairs, dim lighting even in the middle of the afternoon. Antique furniture meets more contemporary touches, in warm, almost coppery tones. The tone is set from the entrance: you feel more as though you are in someone’s home than in a classic hotel lobby.

Let’s be clear right away: there is no elevator, and the six floors are reached only by stairs. The staff almost apologizes for this by systematically offering to carry the luggage, which makes the climb lighter, literally. Those traveling with large suitcases or who prefer to avoid stairs would do well to request a room on the lower floors when booking.

The rooms, around twenty in total, all follow the same formula: high-end bedding made in France, wardrobe, desk area, connected TV. The warm tones and second-hand furniture give each one a slightly boudoir feel, without ever going over the top. On the upper floors, some open onto the rooftops of Paris, the kind of view that is worth it at the end of the day, when the low sun grazes the chimneys.

A word about the smallest rooms: the singles are about ten square meters, and the toilet is then located on the landing rather than in the room itself. Nothing problematic for a one-night stay or a tight budget, but those looking for space to spread out their things for several days will be better off considering the comfort doubles or the apartment with kitchenette.

On the ground floor, from morning onward, breakfast is served at a large communal table rather than at separate tables. Coffee, bread, cheese, eggs: nothing spectacular, but the family atmosphere makes a change from the usual breakfast rooms, and regulars are happy to linger there.

The neighborhood does the rest. The Arc de Triomphe is a ten-minute walk away, the Champs-Élysées a little farther, and the Ternes metro station is just a few minutes from the door. Around it, a Monoprix, greengrocers, neighborhood restaurants: enough to live without ever leaving the 17th if you don’t feel like it.

The staff knows the neighborhood by heart and makes sure you know it too, without needing to ask: a good place for dinner, the shortest route to the metro, the quiet hour to visit the Arc de Triomphe. It’s the kind of detail that makes all the difference at the end of a stay.

One last tip before you go: pass beneath the Poncelet market stalls around 10 a.m. on a weekday. The vendors are set up, the tourists haven’t woken up yet, and it’s the best time to leave with cheese or fruit for the road.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

The staff offered to carry our bags up to the sixth floor without being asked, professional and no-fuss welcome.
Hotel three minutes’ walk from Ternes metro station, Arc de Triomphe reachable in ten minutes, a Monoprix and several restaurants just down the street.
Breakfast taken at a large communal table rather than at separate tables, family atmosphere, simple but convivial.
Clean room and comfortable bed, the only downside was that the partition with the neighboring room was thin, you could hear neighbors passing by in the evening.
On the sixth floor it was a bit hot despite the thermostat in the room, the air conditioning doesn’t really keep up all the way up there.