Recommended Hotels in the 9th Arrondissement of Paris (the Opéra, the Grands Boulevards and Lower Montmartre)

Today it’s a 20-room hotel designed by Jacques Garcia (born 1947), and every room is named after a courtesan of the Belle Époque. Two red lanterns at the entrance are the only hint from the outside. In the basement there’s a spa with a ten-meter heated pool and a mosaic hammam, and you can book it for exclusive use as a couple. Note that this is a place for adults and not for families, so I recommend it for couples only.

Its Salon Opéra, with a 14-meter ceiling, is a listed historic monument, and so is the Café de la Paix on the ground floor. The hotel stands right across from the Opéra Garnier, and today it has about 470 rooms after a renovation by Pierre-Yves Rochon. Note, though, that only some of the rooms face the Opéra, and they’re priced accordingly. I still recommend them, because that’s the whole point of sleeping here.

63 rooms from 14 to 46 square meters (about 150 to 495 sq ft), designed by Michael Malapert, with herringbone parquet, moldings and winks at French pop culture: the suites are named after songs by Edith Piaf (1915–1963) and Serge Gainsbourg (1928–1991). On the ground floor there’s a guinguette with a stage for live shows and two food stands, one for seafood and one for charcuterie and crêpes. In the basement there are three private bathrooms with a Jacuzzi that you can book as a couple. Note that the cheapest rooms are only 14 square meters, so I recommend upgrading to at least a Superior.

163 rooms that blend Art Deco with contemporary design, from the small category facing the inner courtyard up to suites in shades of green and gold. The brasserie under the glass dome serves breakfast with eggs to order and pastries baked on site, and it has a terrace that opens onto the boulevard. Richelieu-Drouot station is about 130 meters away. Note that this is a large hotel and that the lighting in the rooms is stylish but dim, so if you read in the evening, keep that in mind.

43 rooms on Rue d’Amsterdam, a spa with a hammam and a Jacuzzi, and a gym that’s open around the clock. With some bookings you also get half an hour in the spa at no extra charge. Saint-Lazare station is about 150 meters away and the Printemps department store about 450 meters. Note that the Classic rooms are 15 square meters and the bathrooms are small. For families I actually recommend the connecting rooms of 30 to 40 square meters.

Paintings of famous opera divas hang on the walls. Breakfast is based on organic and local products, the viennoiseries are baked on site every morning, and free tea and coffee are restocked in the rooms every day. Note that the rooms are small and that a balcony costs about 15 euros more per night and only on request in advance. I recommend asking for one anyway, because from some of the balconies you can see the Folies Bergère.

The ground-floor restaurant, La Cantine, is covered by a restored Victorian tin ceiling. 71 rooms on Rue Buffault, and some of the Superior rooms come with a real rooftop terrace, a rare thing in Paris. Cadet station on line 7 is about a four-minute walk away. Note that there’s no wheelchair access and that on the lower floors facing the street you hear the traffic, so I recommend asking for a high floor.

The lobby opens onto a patio full of flowers, and the breakfast room has a big shared table that’s comfortable for sitting and working. For families there are connecting rooms with a total of 40 square meters, and some of the rooms facing the street have a balcony. The Opéra Garnier is about 400 meters away and Saint-Lazare station about 500 meters. Note that there’s no spa and no pool here, but the hotel is adapted for guests with disabilities, and that’s really not a given in a Haussmann building.

57 rooms, 12 of them suites, and the design picks up the theater theme of the neighborhood: big makeup mirrors and murals that tell the story of the area. Rooms start at about 24 square meters (about 260 sq ft), which is bigger than the Parisian average. There’s a gym, and in a space called Auburn they serve coffee in the morning and wine in the evening. Note that only a few rooms really face the Opéra. I recommend asking for a room with a Haussmann balcony, because those are the nicest in the hotel.

There’s a small spa with a sauna, a shared kitchen for guests, and fresh madeleines are left in your room every day. Breakfast is homemade and includes freshly squeezed orange juice and eggs. Grands Boulevards station, on lines 8 and 9, is about a three-minute walk away. Note that the soundproofing between rooms isn’t perfect, so I recommend asking for a room on a high floor facing the courtyard.

All the bathrooms have rain showers, and there’s a cocktail bar in the lobby. The Galeries Lafayette department store is about a nine-minute walk away and the Opéra Garnier about twelve. Note that the basic rooms really are small, so I recommend spending a little more and booking a Comfy Double of about 20 square meters.

The Astotel habit shows here: the minibar in the room includes free soft drinks, and from noon until the evening there are free snacks and drinks for guests in the lobby (great if you come back worn out after a day of walking). Note that the rooms are small and that breakfast costs extra. In my opinion it’s one of the best values for money in the Pigalle area.

52 rooms, each with air conditioning you can set yourself, and that’s really not a given in Paris during an August heat wave. Breakfast opens as early as 6:30 a.m. and includes croissants, juices and a selection of cheeses. The Privilège rooms on the upper floors look out over the rooftops of Paris. Note that the street is lively in the evenings, so if you wake up at every little noise, I recommend asking for a room facing the inner courtyard.

The nicest detail here is actually the breakfast room: an original vaulted cellar with exposed stone pillars and dramatic lighting. The minibar in the room has free soft drinks, and from noon until the evening there are free snacks and drinks in the lobby. Rue des Martyrs, with its little shops, is right nearby, and from there you climb up to Montmartre in about ten minutes on foot. Note that the basic rooms are small, so I recommend asking for a room facing the garden.

The hotel bar was one of the first American bars in Paris to serve whisky, and thanks to a connection with the owner of the Olympia music hall, singers and actors stayed here for many years. The same family still runs the place today. There’s a spa with a Jacuzzi, and the Auber RER station is nearby, which is very convenient for getting here from the airport. Note that the design here is classic and ornate, so this isn’t the hotel for anyone looking for clean lines and minimalism.

39 rooms, some with exposed wooden beams, and the breakfast room has kept its original stone walls and ceilings. There’s a sauna and a gym. The Musée Gustave Moreau is about a five-minute walk away, and it’s one of the lesser-known museums that I think is well worth a visit. Note that the elevator only goes up to the sixth floor, so if you book a room on the seventh floor you’ll finish the trip on foot.

Only 24 rooms and suites, and from the Prestige rooms on the top floor you can see the Eiffel Tower. Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., costs 18 euros per person and includes eggs to order. Blanche station is about 170 meters away and Pigalle station about 290 meters. Note that there’s no bar here and that the ground-floor rooms behind the reception can be noisy, so I warmly recommend asking for a high floor or a room facing the courtyard.

Cadet and Le Peletier stations are both about a two-minute walk away, so you can get almost anywhere from here. The location, not the hotel, is the story here: the Folies Bergère is about a five-minute walk away, and Rue Cadet is full of boulangeries and small delis. There’s a bar and a cafeteria in the lobby. Note that the rooms are completely standard, so I recommend this place if you’re looking for a convenient base at a sane price and not an experience.

Here too you get the group’s habit: free soft drinks in the minibar, and snacks and drinks in the lobby from noon until the evening, and you can do the same at any of the group’s other hotels in the city. Breakfast is a buffet and you can also have it in your room. Grands Boulevards station, on lines 8 and 9, is about a three-minute walk away. Note that this is a large hotel and not a boutique, so don’t expect an intimate atmosphere.

Only 24 rooms, midnight blue walls, smoked mirrors and carpets with giant flowers. The elevator is made of wood and dates from 1933. There’s an inner courtyard with sofas, and the owners themselves welcome you and hand out addresses from their private notebook. Note that some of the rooms have a fan and not air conditioning, so if you’re coming in summer I recommend checking this in advance.

The design works with the past and doesn’t try to hide it: a red door for every room and a leopard-print carpet along the corridors, and these days fashion shoots take place here too. The hotel is for adults only. Note that the rooms have no TV and no phone, that the entrance isn’t wheelchair accessible, and that rooms facing the street can be noisy. I recommend asking specifically for a room facing inward.

There’s a sauna you can ask for at no extra charge, and breakfast is served from 7 to 11 a.m. for 16 euros. Poissonnière station is about 200 meters away and Gare du Nord about a five-minute walk, which is very convenient if you’re arriving by train from London or Brussels. Note that the rooms are a little smaller than usual, so I recommend upgrading to a Superior.

The location is the main reason to choose it, and it’s a good reason: the Galeries Lafayette department store is about 350 meters away, the Opéra Garnier about 450 meters, and two metro stations are right at the door. The continental breakfast is served from 7 to 10 a.m. Note that the reception is on the second floor and there’s no elevator up to it, so with heavy suitcases you’ll have to take the stairs. I recommend letting them know in advance, because the staff usually help.