It’s a tad unoriginal but Paris is one of my favorite cities. As a society, we have all agreed on some level the French are at the center of everything chic and beautiful—cuisine, architecture, fashion, and art. And they have always excelled at making it seem like just by being here, by consuming the things they create, you can also be at the center of it.
But what if you’re on a budget? Well, you can still eat well, you can still admire the architecture and the art, and you learn pretty quickly that all those well-dressed French folks are also on a budget. But there’s often no harder task than finding a decent hotel in Paris without breaking your wallet. The majority of reasonably priced hotels you will come across in Paris offer rooms that are très outdated, with quiche decor in a room the size of a closet with paper-thin walls and often two single beds pushed together. The nice hotels in Paris are all priced at a nightly rate that probably resemble the one you pay on rent.
Given how much time I’ve spent here, I’m always asked by friends and family for somewhere cute and affordable. So, every now and then when I stumble onto the rare affordable gem I get excited. My latest find, Le Wallace Hôtel & Bar, which is both chic and affordable, felt like the perfect selection for Room Key, Beast Travel’s series on exciting new hotels.
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The hotel is in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, a quiet neighborhood in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. A walk from the hotel to the posh 16th arrondissement taking the Pont de Bir-Hakeim across the Seine provides one of the best views in the city of its famed tower. But you might not have to take this walk to have an amazing shot of Monsieur Eiffel’s wonder since a couple of the rooms (Superior Riviera Room and Junior Suite) offer ones just as good.
This 45 rooms are simple, chic, and tasteful, but best of all, they start at around $160 a night. The rooms, designed by Hauvette & Madani, have a light Italian Art Deco retro touch like the lacquered U-shaped headboard, terrazzo vanities, and fringed sconce lighting. (I particularly loved the Kartell Componibili side table, but perhaps that’s because I also have one at home.) The bathroom, although small, also has some of the best water pressure I’ve ever experienced in Paris, which is a major plus after a day of walking. Giving the room a bit of pop are orange-striped curtains.
The hotel’s stark white facade with midnight-blue awnings over each window stands out on the Rue Fondary, where most of the buildings are unadorned. Inside, at the center of the hotel with light beaming down from an atrium multiple floors above is the property’s central patio and bar, where, given all the Dolce Vita vibes, one really should sidle up for a negroni.
Four additional levels clad in midnight-blue zinc designed by Silvio d'Ascia were added to the edifice. And while they remind one of a Nordic spa, they could also be seen as a nod to the gray zinc roofs of Haussmannian buildings throughout the city. The Nordic spa prompt makes sense, as Le Wallace has a terrace at the base of the addition which has an outdoor sauna that looks out over the city’s classic roofline.
