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Chic and cheerful: The best budget hotels in Paris

Ellie Day
Ellie Day - [email protected]
Chic and cheerful: The best budget hotels in Paris
Paris' MOB HOTEL. Photo credit: Booking.com

Paris regularly tops the list as the most romantic city in the world, but there’s no reason to throw financial caution to the wind for a weekend in its embrace. Here are our favourite Parisian hotels that will make your pulse race – and not because you’ve seen the bill.

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1. MOB HOTEL

This sleek hotel based in the centre of the Saint-Ouen flea market is more than just a place to rest your head. In fact, it describes itself as an “ethical and cultural embassy.”

Between its restaurant rustling up organic dishes and rooftop terrace serving cocktails and views, as well as yoga classes and open-air cinema nights, Mob is a destination in itself.

But when you are ready to get some shut-eye, you’ll be in safe hands: all rooms have “palace style beds” bestowing you with a night’s sleep fit for a king/queen.

Rooms start from 80 euros per night.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by MOB HOTEL (@mobhotel) on Jul 29, 2018 at 9:07am PDT

2. Hotel Paradis

You may not imagine paradise to come in the form of a three-starred hotel, but Hotel Paradis certainly lets you experience a taste of Parisian nirvana.

Found in the 10th arrondissement, some of the rooms have views over Montmartre (of Moulin Rouge fame). It’s a skyline to marvel at – and the mount of Montmartre is just a 20-minute walk from the hotel.

Within the confines of the hotel, crisp and cosy beds, a rooftop terrace for aperitifs and an all-you-can-eat buffet of French treats mean you’ll leave Paris having sampled some of the Gallic greats.

Rooms start from 110 euros per night.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hotel Paradis Paris (@hotelparadis) on Oct 18, 2018 at 10:02pm PDT

3. Mama Shelter Paris

Designed as a bolthole for creative types, at Mama Shelter you’re just as likely to cross paths with aesthetic-seeking artists as you are travellers on a budget.

The interiors were the work of Philippe Starck, the name behind the new Brach hotel and the 2024 Paris Olympics medals. They mix style with fun – pod-like bedrooms complete with iMacs, chalkboards on ceilings and eccentric hanging decorations throughout.

Additional touches in the rooms make for good social media fodder. A quick scroll through Instagram shows guests posing in the cartoon masks left in each room – a publicity coup. Less photographed are the free ‘adult films’ which can be streamed in guestrooms; though these can be disabled on request.

Rooms start from 110 euros per night.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Mama Shelter (@mamashelter) on Oct 15, 2018 at 12:09pm PDT

4. Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc

Is it a countryside retreat from the olden days? Is it a city hotel? Spoiler: It’s very much a city hotel. But, in a 17th century building with exposed beams, nestled in Le Marais – ‘old Paris’ – you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d been transported to the French countryside of the past when you step inside.

Don’t let Jeanne d’Arc’s relaxed demeanour deceive you, though – its setting places you in the centre of a hive of activity. It’s right by a whole host of art galleries, as well as the Musée Picasso and the Maison de Victor Hugo. This is modern Paris, yes – but with an old school charm.

Rooms start from 120 euros per night.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Julie Seillier (@hoteldauphinestgermain) on Feb 7, 2017 at 1:05pm PST

5. Hotel Ekta

Hotel Ekta makes monochrome colourful, with each room unique but following the same black and white 70's inspiration.

Images of models and zigzag patterns abound, creating a half retro, half futuristic effect. If you’re after the full experience, book the terrace suite – spanning the whole top floor, you can survey the city below from the comfort of your own balcony, completely uninterrupted.

Fittingly, Hotel Ekta neighbours some of the city’s fashion heavy hitters – with many on the nearby Champs Elysées – so you can ensure you look the part during your stay, even if you arrive feeling under-dressed.

Rooms start from 120 euros per night.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hotel Ekta Paris (@hotelektaparis) on Oct 5, 2018 at 8:25am PDT

6. Yooma Urban Lodge

It’s hard to believe we’ve got this far into an article about Paris and not mentioned the tall, triangular elephant in the room/on the skyline. Two words: Eiffel Tower. This hotel is just a five-minute stroll away from it (or ten minutes, if you account for photo-taking time as you walk towards the French capital’s most iconic landmark).

And the hotel itself is pretty impressive. YOOMA’s restaurant serves dishes with vegetables cooked on its own rooftop garden, there’s a gym, sauna and cookery school on site, and, having been designed by artist Daniel Buren, it’s all very easy on the eye. Naturellement.

Rooms start from 90 euros per night.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Yooma Urban Lodge (@yooma_hotels) on Aug 30, 2018 at 2:46am PDT

7. La Mondaine

Small but perfectly formed, La Mondaine has something of the 18th-century boudoir about it. The rich colours and heavily patterned walls and textiles give it the air of somewhere you might expect to stumble upon an impromptu can-can show. Perhaps not surprising - it's close to the Moulin Rouge in Montmartre.

The fact that the hotel rooms are without TVs encourages you to get into the spirit of Paris, as somewhere to go and seek adventure. Adventure can be found close to home, in La Mondaine's case - whether that's in climbing the steps to the Sacré-Cœur or by exploring the many restaurants in the hotel's vicinity.

Rooms start from 130 euros per night.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by La Mondaine (@lamondainehotel) on Jul 10, 2018 at 2:42am PDT

8. Hôtel des Grandes Ecoles 

Named after the highest grade of French universities - the Grandes Ecoles - you can be in good intellectual company when staying in this hotel. It counts the Sorbonne, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Panthéon mausoleum, which holds the remains of some of the most eminent French people, as a few of its closest neighbours.

Found in Paris' Latin Quarter, this family-run residence has retained the homely charm it had when it first opened as short term lodgings for lecturers and students in the early 20th century. If you start feeling a sense of ennui wandering the cobbled streets in the area, you can always retire to the hotel's private courtyard garden for some restorative 'you' time. 

Rooms start from 145 euros per night.

Afternoon tea at the Hôtel Des Grandes Ecoles. Photo credit: Booking.com

 

This article was produced by The Local and contains affiliate links from booking.com. The Local will earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a booking.

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