Hotel des Boulevards

The Hotel des Boulevards is a classic cheapo, offering 18 bare basic rooms at very low rates on a hidden street near the hip 9th arrondissement. Go elsewhere for antiques and framed artwork, but consider the Boulevards if you’re primarily interested in finding an affordable clean room in a convenient spot.

Quick read

Pros: Cheapo rates. Clean, functional rooms. Complimentary breakfast.
Cons: Plain, dated room décor. No elevator.

Rooms

The Hotel des Boulevards offers six floors of rooms that are decidedly old-fashioned and simple. While some reminders of a long-lost charm persist (we spotted some decorative moldings), furniture is featureless and functional and fabrics are uninspiring. Furthermore, half the rooms look into the hotel’s small courtyard, which doesn’t welcome in much light.

However, these rooms are tidy and well kept. All are equipped with a flat-screen TV (with some foreign channels) and telephone, and Wi-Fi is free and accessible throughout the hotel. Rooms facing the street (which we preferred, as they're much brighter), have double-paned windows, even though the street is nearly car-less and quiet.

The more athletically inclined Cheapos should ask for a street-facing room on a top floor (no elevator), as some have cool city views.

All but four of the rooms have private bathrooms, which are equipped with either a shower or tub. Like the rooms, the bathroom condition is clean and functional, although unrenovated. Four simple rooms, equipped only with a sink and bidet, share two bathrooms in the hallways. (Note: When reserving, both of these room types are referred to as "Standard Double." Read the room details to see if the facilities are private.)

Hotel facilities

A continental breakfast is included in the room rate, which is quite rare for hotels in Paris.

The Hotel des Boulevards’ location, along the tiny rue de la Ville-Neuve just south of the Bonne Nouvelle Metro station, is a significant plus. It’s close to the bars and clubs in 9th and the shopping along the Grands Boulevards (hence its name). And it's a 20-minute walk down to the Louvre.

Note that although the hotel does not have a star classification, we consider it similar to a one-star hotel. Smoking is permitted in the rooms and, again, there isn’t any elevator.