Hotel La Louisiane

Paris’ Jazz Age comes alive at Hotel La Louisiane, a superb Cheapo pick that offers history, clean rooms, and a prime St. Germain des Pres location that’s surrounded by cafes and an outdoor market.

The Hotel La Louisiane is the kind of hotel that we adore: It’s packed with character, rooms are well cared for and comfortable, and the location is super central. Throw in rates that are about the lowest around (doubles are €131 for most of the year; room rates rise in September and October but fall in July and August), and you have real Cheapo winner.

First, the boring part. The hotel’s 80 rooms are budget hotel basic, but are a pretty generous size for Paris. According to the authorities, the Louisiane is a zero-star hotel, but it compares (very favorably) with most two-stars we’ve seen. Rooms that we inspected had cream walls, red carpet, and simple tables and chairs. Most rooms face the street and have large French windows that open to great neighborhood views.

Note that the rooms do not have a TV, although they do have internet access and a telephone. (Wi-Fi works in most of the rooms—ask ahead when reserving.) All rooms are also equipped with a mini fridge (which is convenient, given the market outside).

All rooms have their own private bath, which we also found to be in good shape, with a tub and very clean.

The hotel has an elevator. Breakfast is served for €7.

History

The hotel’s history is rich. Constructed in 1823 by a former officer in Napoleon’s army (who worked and became quite wealthy in Louisiana), the hotel later became a home base to jazz musicians and writers beginning in the 1920s. The list of tenants reads like a who’s who of the era and includes Miles Davis, Chet Baker, John Coltrane, Ernest Hemingway, Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and many, many more.

Even today the hotel is a favorite home base for writers and artists, some of whom have given the hotel art and photos as payment for their accommodation (many of these pieces can be found in the hallways and stairways).

Location

The location, one block north of the Boulevard St. Germain on the Rue de Seine, is in the heart of the St. Germain des Pres neighborhood (the church is one block west). Cafes and small shops stretch out in all directions from the hotel’s front door, and a regular outdoor food market makes grabbing a snack a snap.