Alhambra

The chief selling points of the friendly two-star Hotel Alhambra are its location, steps from the Metro in the hip Oberkampf neighborhood, and its large, plant-filled courtyard.

Quick read

Pros: Hip location near nightlife. Huge planted courtyard.

Cons: Rooms lack distinct charm. Courtyard could be noisy for early sleepers. Small bathrooms.

Rooms

The Hotel Alhambra's 58 rooms are fine, if conventional and a bit boring in a “chain hotel” kind of way. They’re decorated with sunny yellow wallpaper, deep green carpets and rather tired comforters.

While some of the rooms at the Hotel Alhambra overlook the rue Malte, most open up to a giant courtyard garden that’s landscaped and open to guests. During warm weather, you can enjoy meals, coffee or drinks among the greenery. (After midnight guests are supposed to keep the noise down. Rooms also have double-paned windows for soundproofing, although these will probably be open during the summer.)

All rooms are nonsmoking and equipped with a large flat-screen TV, telephone and free Wi-Fi. Fourth floor rooms on the street side have small balconies (ask ahead when booking).

Bathrooms are covered in cream-colored tiles and equipped mostly with showers, although some bathtubs are available in triple rooms. Note that many bathrooms are quite small. While many hotels have small baths in Paris, you might want to inquire about a room with a larger bathroom when reserving if this is a priority for you.

Hotel

We found the hotel’s management to be friendly and very professional. From buzzing in guests at the door to restricting noise in the courtyard, they keep things under control.

Breakfast is not included in the room rate.

Location

The Hotel Alhambra struck us as a friendly base to enjoy the bars, restaurants and shopping in the trendy Oberkampf neighborhood. It’s also within an easy walk of the Marais and Bastille, and a just minutes to République.

Metro: The Hotel Alhambra is located just steps from the Oberkampf Metro stop (lines 5 and 9).