Hotel Henri IV

Location is everything for the Hotel Henri IV. Located on the Place Dauphine toward the tip of the Ile de la Cité, this “island” cheapo is ideal for romantic types looking for a simple, historic and super-central hotel.

Quick read

Pros: Central location on Ile de la Cité. Recently renovated rooms. Historic building.
Cons: Extremely simple with few amenities. Neighborhood can be eerily quiet at night.

The hotel

The Henri IV's building was constructed in 1635 and once served as the printing offices for King Henri IV. More recently, the Balitrand family has been running it as a hotel since 1935. In the early days of EuroCheapo’s Paris guide, we recommended the hotel, as it offered ultra-cheap, basic rooms with a sense of history to boot. Things got a little too “basic,” however, and so we took down the review a couple of years ago. However, the owners, now in their third generation, revamped the Henri IV in late 2009, renovating almost all of its 15 rooms.

Rooms

Don’t get the wrong impression—the zero-star hotel still just provides minimal services and amenities. Expect a bed, desk and chair and large, old-fashioned windows (our favorite, of course, look out to the Place Dauphine). There are no TVs or telephones to be found. However, rooms have been spruced up, walls painted, and a lovely assortment of richly patterned fabrics replaced the tired drapes and bedspreads.

Bathrooms were also renovated, with fresh new tiles and showers. Two highly sought-after rooms have private terraces, and a few cheaper doubles are available without full facilities.

Our verdict

Although we find the Henri IV an old-fashioned charmer, it’s clearly not for everyone. While the Place Dauphine is located in the bulls-eye center of Paris, minutes from the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame and Louvre, the area could feel deserted late at night. Also, if your hotel demands include modern amenities like air conditioning, TV, Wi-Fi or an elevator, you should keep looking.

However, guests craving a sense of history with their hotel will embrace the hotel from the first sight of its antiquated sign and the inaugural climb up the crooked staircase.

Note: Reservations are only taken by telephone.