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The 50-room Grand Hôtel des Balcons is nicely situated: Make a left out the door and you can head to the Odéon National Theater and the Luxembourg gardens. Make a right and you'll step onto the Boulevard St-Germain. Heck, go straight across the street and you'll end up at Berkeley Books, a pleasant English-language used bookstore.
The hotel itself has some nice touches. The lobby features large stained-glass windows and fresh flowers. And, not only is the rue Casimir-Delavigne quiet, it's also home to a small police station, which sits across the street from the hotel.
Most guests are family-oriented with a mix of Asian tourists during the summer and French business travelers during the rest of the year.
Rooms vary in size, although none are small. Most have some artwork livening up the cream-colored walls, as well as red and black bedding adding a bold touch. Each has a telephone, small TV, and free Wi-Fi access. Of the 50 rooms, 30 face the calm street outside—we recommend asking for one of these. And, as the name suggests, the Grand Hôtel des Balcons has a few balconies. Request ahead.
The Anglo-American style buffet, which serves up eggs, sausage, and bacon, costs extra. But for those guests sick of the petite French-style breakfast, it could be worth it.
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