Hotel-Residence Chalgrin

The Hotel-Residence Chalgrin is a romantic and vividly eccentric dream of a hotel, offering reasonably priced rooms in a 19th-century mansion just west of the Arc de Triomphe. With history, gorgeous rooms and a friendly staff, the Chalgrin is a Cheapo seducer.

Quick read

Pros: Eccentric 19th century furnishings. Rooms well stocked with amenities. Reasonable rates.
Cons: No elevator. Neighborhood may be a little too pricey for some Cheapos.

The hotel

The hotel was constructed in the mid-19th century as a chic residence for the famed writer Anatole France. In 1915, the mansion was reworked into a hotel, although many of the original rooms and details remained.

Today the Chalgrin’s décor pays playful homage to the building’s past, boldly mixing fabrics and furnishings. The rooms offer a range of colors (red, white and green drapes and fabric wall coverings), with small table lights casting shadows down onto blue carpets. Furniture varies from Louis XVI-style reproductions to antique dressers and armoires.

Given all the 19th-century styling, the flat-screen TV and telephone (in all rooms) and free Wi-Fi (throughout the hotel) struck us as a bit incongruous, if convenient. All rooms are equipped with a private bath, all with shower, tiled and mostly modern.

(One room, #24, a playful-in-pink “lovers’ lair,” is located a few steps down from the reception and has a dated, 70’s-era green pea bath. We snapped a photo.)

Facilities

With all these trimmings, why are the Hotel-Residence Chalgrin’s rates so reasonable (staying about €100 year-round)? The hotel has five floors of rooms and no elevator. And, although the very friendly staff will probably lend a hand with luggage, some travelers will find the mansion’s old winding staircase less-than-charming.

If, however, you don’t mind the climb, we’d recommend the rooms with small balconies on the fourth floor (make a note of it when reserving). All but four of the hotel's 19 rooms overlook the street.

A breakfast buffet is offered for €9 (including cheeses and meats). The entire hotel, including all rooms, are non-smoking.

Location

The Chalgrin is located on the small and crooked rue Chalgrin, which is tucked into the city’s diplomatic quarter two blocks west of the Arc de Triomphe and Avenue de Champs-Elysées. This is not Cheapo-territory—in fact, it’s posh and chic. If that appeals to you, however, we know a mansion with your name on it.