Hotel de Nice

Situated one block from the Hôtel de Ville between a café-lined pedestrian square and the busy Rue de Rivoli, the three-star Hotel de Nice provides a fun and flamboyant twist on 19th-century décor that will delight those looking for something a bit eclectic.

Quick read

Pros: Playful “Old Parisian” décor. Very convenient Marais location. Many rooms overlook a cute square.

Cons: Bathrooms are small. No longer truly "Cheapo."

Rooms

The old-fashioned décor in the hotel's 23 rooms has charmed us for years. Rooms mix rich red-and-gold wallpaper, 19th-century prints, hanging maps and heavy antique furniture. Massive drapes are pulled back with gold rope sashes and tassels. It all makes for a fun and attractive scene, knowingly a tad over the top.

Rooms are air conditioned and equipped with a flat-screen satellite TV and double-paned windows. Corner rooms are the most spacious, although west-facing rooms open up to the picturesque square below (and are definitely our favorite).

The very clean private baths, many of which are quite tight, have showers or tubs and a hair dryer.

Hotel

The eclectic decoration continues in the Hotel de Nice’s hallways, which are crammed with scenes from old Paris. You're welcome to chill out in the delightfully gaudy sitting room on the first floor, which doubles as the breakfast room.

Breakfast is served for €8 and consists of a croissant, baguette, coffee, orange juice and assortment of jams, but you can also find plenty of spots for breakfast in the neighborhood. We opted for a croissant and coffee at the café/tabac across the square (standing at the bar, naturally, to save some euros).

Wi-Fi is offered for free throughout the hotel. The hotel has a very small elevator, which is large enough for one person and some luggage (depending, that is, on the size of the person and/or luggage).

Location

The Hotel de Nice’s location is, in our humble opinion, brilliant. The hotel sits on the Rue de Rivoli, one block east of the Hotel de Ville, Paris’ famous city hall. As we mentioned, half of the hotel’s rooms look down upon a restaurant-lined square that’s picture-perfect.

For those interested in hitting up the bars and shops of the Marais, the location is ideal. Rue Vieille du Temple, the “main drag” of the gay Marais, is one block east of the hotel. Meanwhile, the Seine is a five-minute walk south, and the Pont Louis Philippe takes you onto the Ile Saint-Louis. The Louvre is a straight shot west of the hotel along the Rue de Rivoli.

A bustling outdoor market fills the square across the rue de Rivoli on Saturday mornings—it’s not to be missed if you're around.

Metro: The Hotel de Nice is a three-minute walk to the Hotel de Ville Metro station, serving lines 1 and 11.