Hotel des Academies et des Arts

Hotel des Academies et des Arts Review

Owners Charlotte and Laurent Inchauspe have dedicated this small (20 room) boutique hotel to the arts. Sculptures by Sophie de Watrigant and paintings by Jerome Mesnager of "white bodies," found throughout the hotel and guest rooms, complement each other beautifully. The Latin Quarter neighborhood is a historic magnet for artists such as Picasso and Chagall; Hemingway and Sartre were also regular fixtures.

The hotel's twenty guest rooms are small but with plenty of closet space, and decorated in four different inspirations. Mine was a "photography" room, in shades of grey. A small flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall opposite the bed; above the bed is painted one of artist's Jerome Mesnager's "white bodies."

The details are thoughtful; reading lights and plugs built into the bedside tables; robes and slippers in the closet. The bathroom is also small but with an impressive(and complicated) shower with no less than six showerheads on the sides, a rainforest showerhead above and a European showerhead mounted on the wall. Large windows open to let in fresh air from the lightly trafficked street below.

A staircase winds its way up to guest rooms, but this small hotel has an elevator. Wi-Fi Internet access throughout the hotel is free, although the signal in my 4th floor room was low. Downstairs in the residential-style library, an Internet-connected PC is available free of charge to hotel guests.

Although small, the carefully designed public spaces offer three different rooms in which to enjoy the hotel's continental breakfast (15 Euros). In one room is an honesty bar with champagne, drinks and snacks.

The neighborhood and hotel, although dedicated to art and artists, are completely unassuming. Here in the Latin Quarter, the designer shops of central Paris are replaced with arts supply stores. There are still sidewalk cafes on most corners, but the people walking past are dressed much more casually. Henry at the front desk was personable and so helpful; he insisted on carrying all of our suitcases upstairs to our room, which he did without delay.

In nearby in Montparnasse are the famed Catacombs; fascinating to explore. We walked through nearby Jardin du Luxembourg, where flowers bloomed and children enjoyed the playground equipment. (Reviewed 11/3/2009)

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Hotel des Academies et des Arts is located: Latin Quarter
15 rue de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris, 75006 France
Email: reservation@hoteldesacademies.com
Web site: Hotel des Academies et des Arts

^{As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodations for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.}