Hotel Chopin

We were captivated by the Hotel Chopin. Located inside a 19th-century shopping arcade (the darling “Passage du Jouffroy”), the two-star hotel offers comfortable rooms and reasonable rates, but it’s the setting that’s sure to make romantics swoon.

Quick read

Pros: Enchanted shopping arcade location. Low rates. Friendly management.

Cons: Rooms show a bit of wear. Some rooms pick up noise.

Hotel

When you step from the shopping arcade into the Hotel Chopin, a cute lobby welcomes you with a marble floor, piano and bust of the famous composer himself. Upstairs, hallways wind around a courtyard behind and above the arcade. The décor throughout is soft, countryside and very grandmotherly.

The Chopin is a friendly and family-run place. The woman serving breakfast (a large buffet with fresh squeezed orange juice, yogurt, cereal, croissants, baguettes, coffee, and tea—for a very reasonable €7) has been working there for 15 years. That’s always a good sign.

Free Wi-Fi is available in the small lobby area, but does not reach the rooms.

Rooms

The guest rooms are simple and clean. Ours had peach-colored wallpaper (with some scuffs and scratches), a full-sized bed, small TV and writing desk. Rooms vary in size—you can pay a touch more for more space.

Being tucked away inside a shopping arcade, many rooms have views of surrounding offices and apartments. Top-floor rooms offer views of neighboring rooftops.

All rooms are equipped with private bathrooms, which also vary in size. Ours was surprisingly large, with a bathtub and plenty of space to move around.

We should also sound a word of caution to light sleepers: We found the walls to be a bit thin, and we awoke one morning to a particularly animated conversation next door. To avoid any unintended “nocturnes,” we’d suggest bringing along some earplugs. (We picked up a pair for €2 at a nearby pharmacy and tuned out for the night.)

Location

It is the arcade setting, however, that really makes the Chopin memorable. The Passage du Jouffroy is along the Boulevard Montmartre, in the heart of the Grands Boulevards shopping scene. The passage, or “arcade,” is quite the concentration of temptations—lined as it is with adorable stores selling toys, books and jewelry, along with baked goods and sweets. And then halfway down, you stumble upon the Hotel Chopin.

Coming and going, you can’t help but feel a little special. If you return after the passage has closed for the night, you’ll be buzzed in from the street. (Late one night, we had the memorable experience of waltzing along the arcade to the hotel, completely alone.)

Metro: The Hotel Chopin is located about one block from both the Grands Boulevards and Richelieu-Drouot Metro Stations (both lines 8 and 9).