Grand Hotel du Loiret

Located on the rue des Mauvais Garcons (“Street of the Bad Boys”!), the two-star Grand Hotel du Loiret is a classic Paris-on-the-cheap gem, offering some of the least expensive rooms in the Marais.

Quick read

Pros: Great Marais location. Cheap, comfortable rooms with views.

Cons: 1 a.m. curfew. Rooms are rather small. Iffy Wi-Fi.

Rooms

The Grand Hotel du Loiret’s 25 guestrooms are comfortable, modest and pleasing, with parquet floors and simple chairs and desks. They all face the street,and thus have views and get plenty of natural light. All have been recently renovated and are equipped with soundproof windows, a flat-screen TV and phone.

The rooms are on the small side but are clean and whimsically sponge-painted pastel blue, yellow and pink. And that’s just one room! (Oui, each room is painted in two to three colors. It works. It’s lovely.)

(Note that the hotel has offered free Wi-Fi for several years. As of summer 2012, there have been complaints that the hotel has disconnected the Wi-Fi. We are investigating this, and encourage you to ask when reserving if this is a concern.)

The private bathrooms sparkle and include showers and hair dryers.

Hotel

When we first visited the Loiret almost ten years ago, we were not only amazed by the affordable rates, but we were also satisfied by the comfy, if simple rooms. We figured that the low rates were due to the hotel's lack of an elevator.

However, since then, the Loiret has been renovated to include a lift, as well as a groovy lounge outfitted with lush plants, a flat-screen television, and swanky modern décor—and the rates are still inexpensive! What a deal.

Breakfast is served in a cave-like basement dining room €7.

Curfew

Night owl alert: There is a strictly enforced 1 a.m. curfew. If you plan to stay out late, this isn’t the hotel for you.

Location

The Grand Hotel du Loiret is located in the heart of the trendy, gay Marais. It’s within minutes to countless restaurants, cafés, bars (gay and straight) and shopping opportunities (including the famous BHV department store, one block away). Another of our favorite super-Cheapo hotels (with far fewer perks) is the Hotel Rivoli, located three doors down the street.

Fans of photographer Robert Doisneau’s iconic photo of a smooching couple, “Le Baiser de l'Hotel de Ville,” take note: The Grand Hôtel du Loiret is just a hop, skip and a kiss away from the Hôtel de Ville itself (a.k.a. the Paris city hall), along with other cultural hot spots.

Metro: The hotel is located a three-minute walk to the Hotel de Ville station (lines 1 and 11).