Grand Hotel Jeanne d'Arc

If we were vacationing in Paris, we’d probably hotfoot it over to the Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc. Planted on the narrow, tranquil rue de Jarente in between the Musée Carnavalet and Henri IV’s exquisite Place des Vosges (Paris’s first city square), this fiery two-star hotel is more than a little bit funky—and French Provençal, too.

Quick read

Pros: Funky-Provençal charm. Darling Marais location, just off a square. Very reasonable rates.

Cons: Rooms rather small. No eating in the rooms.

Rooms

The Hotel Jeanne d’Arc’s 35 small rooms crackle with yellow and orange walls that conjure up textiles from the south of France. Rooms are furnished with modern nightstands, headboards and desks, along with some shabby-chic details like hand-painted flowers and lightning bug drawer pulls. A telephone and flat-screen TV are standard throughout. (There is no air conditioning, but fans are provided.)

Most rooms open to the small streets surrounding the hotel, which are usually quiet. Light sleepers should note that windows will probably be open during the summer, and there may be some passing loudmouths or scooters. If this is a concern, there are a limited number of rooms on an interior air shaft that are quieter... although the view is far less charming.

A renovation a few years ago added a handicap-accessible room to the ground floor and replaced the carpets in some rooms with hypoallergenic tiling (request ahead).

The bathrooms vary from room to room, but are all spotless and many have windows that offer panoramic street and rooftop views. Bathtubs are available (again, request ahead).

Hotel

Throughout the hotel, the Jeanne d'Arc coolly meshes old fashioned paintings and maps with playful modern pieces. The first floor is made up of a lobby, a reading room and a dining room that have “gone Baroque” and are chock-full of art, chandeliers, board games, books and flea market finds.

The fanciful (and massive) mosaic mirror in the dining room is the spot to get your primp on while enjoying the hotel’s breakfast (€8). Wi-Fi is available, but works best on the ground level, and there is an Internet station in the lobby, both free.

Perhaps the only thing that put a bee in our bonnet is the hotel’s “no picnicking” in the rooms policy, as posted in every room. So if you’re into the joy of bedroom snacking, perhaps this isn’t your kind of hive!

The hotel management and staff are amiable and helpful.

Location

The Grand Hotel Jeanne d’Arc is located on the tiny rue Jarente, just off the picturesque Marché Sainte Catherine, a small square lined with restaurants. The hotel is ideally situated for travelers eager to wander the neighborhood’s streets, taking in the shops and restaurants. The regal Place des Vosges is one block east of the hotel, and the Place de la Bastille is also just five minutes away.

Metro: The hotel is two minutes from the Saint-Paul Metro Stop (line 1).