Perfect Hotel and Hostel

Starving artists and others reliving the best of Amélie or Moulin Rouge on the cheap can find an affordable home base at the aptly named one-star Perfect Hotel and Hostel. Situated in old artists’ enclave of Montmartre, the simple rooms will perfectly fit the most meager of budgets.

Quick read

Pros: Renovated rooms. Free breakfast. Easily accessible. Friendly English-speaking staff.
Cons: Very simple rooms. Neighborhood can be dicey at night.

Rooms

Rooms at the Perfect Hotel and Hostel are pretty simple and unassuming. While the beds are a bit tired, the peach and pink tones and striped wallpaper give a little warmth and life to the rooms, even on a gray Parisian day. Ask in advance for rooms on the top floor, which feature views that are not to be missed. (Who needs fancy decorations when you have Parisian rooftops framed by the curtains?)

Although simple, all rooms are equipped with a TV and telephone, and Wi-Fi is available throughout the rooms and the rest of the hotel. Aside from a bare table and chair, furnishings (and decorative flourishes) are sparse.

As with many hotels in Paris, “mostly” non-smoking rooms are available.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms, either private or shared between rooms, are squeaky clean. Be sure to specify if you prefer private baths.

Hotel facilities

First and foremost at the Perfect, rooms are clean and cheap. Happily, the hotel and hostel offers a few extra perks: They serve up a simple complimentary breakfast each morning (think croissant and coffee—simple, but free!).

Also, a shared kitchen is available to guests, which could certainly help keep down dining costs, though don’t expect an oven or stovetop.  A microwave will get you pretty far though...

The hotel’s reception is open 24 hours a day.

Location

Fortunately, if you want something more gastronomic (or at least some really good coffee), the nearby rue des Martyrs is a haven for all things food. Pastry shops and bakeries line the street that leads up to the historic hill of Montmartre, topped with the gleaming white Sacre Coeur church.

Finding a hotel at these prices in this neighborhood makes us wonder how long the Hotel Perfect will be able to keep it up. It all sounds a bit too, well, Perfect.

Transportation

Metro: The Metro line 2 will drop you off at Anvers, followed by an easy downhill walk to the hotel. Avoid the Pigalle Metro stop at night unless you want to discover the seedier side of Paris’s red light district.

From Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports:  The RER B will drop you off at Gare du Nord and a connection can be made to the line 2 where the metro will whisk you away to the Perfect in minutes.