Artus Hôtel

34 rue de Buci, 6e, Paris, 75006, France
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Why We Like It

The fifties retro vibe doesn't feel like warmed over vintage at this small neighborhood hotel, but sleek and comfortable (it's all new since the hotel was totally renovated in 2016). The service, on the other hand, does harken back to a more chivalrous time, and that's good news.

Fodor's Expert Review

One of the best things about this stylish six-story hotel with a fifties theme straight out of Mad Men, is that it's smack in the middle of Rue de Buci in a lively corner of St-Germain-des-Prés. This means you can grab breakfast at Paul (the well-known French boulangerie chain), shop at the wonderful street market and chic boutiques, then relax with an espresso at Bar du Marché.

You Should Know This is a small but very active street, which you'll feel the minute you walk out the door, but not in your room unless the double-glazed windows are open.

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Room

If you're not nostalgic for the '50s and '60s, you may not appreciate these resolutely mid-century modern rooms, complete with flashy colors, retro prints, and lots of blond wood in cabinetry and floors.

You Should Know Rooms below the Superior category are very small. For the extra euros, it's worth the upgrade, especially for a duplex, complete with skylights, views, and a private sauna, or why not spring for the huge top-floor suite, with fabulous views from the private balcony.

Bathroom

Lower category rooms have open or semi-open-plan bathrooms; higher category rooms offer elegant marble-clad baths with tubs or walk-in showers and double sinks. All are spotlessly clean, beautiful, and spacious.

Lobby

The chic, very turquoise lobby leads to two lounge areas, one reserved for guests using the hotel's computer and printer, the other for the honesty bar, where you can relax with a glass of wine or a Nespresso, along with a complimentary sweet, at any time of day.

Spa

The downstairs Wellness Center includes a treatment room, sauna, and shower, which must be booked in advance. There is also an exercise bike for clients' use.

Tip Because the spa is for one or two people at a time, be sure to book in advance or risk being disappointed.

Dining

Although there's no restaurant, you can enjoy a full breakfast buffet, with both hot and cold dishes, in the streamlined downstairs breakfast room.

Tip Besides Paul bakery across the street, you may be tempted to forego the 25 euro breakfast for something a bit more decadent just a few blocks away. Pastry shop Gérard Mulot (Rue de Seine), a Paris institution, has a couple small tables and lots of breakfast goodies to choose from, and rock star pâtissier Pierre Hermé (Rue Bonaparte) is a Paris legend. Both are just minutes away. Though Hermé is takeout only, why not enjoy your pastry in the nearby Luxembourg gardens?

Drinking

The hotel's Playtime cocktail bar is now defunct, but you can still have a drink at the honesty bar and lounge, just off the lobby.

What's Nearby

Getting Around

The Mabillon metro station is across the Boulevard Saint-Germain, and The Saint-Germain-des-Prés station is a minute from the hotel. A block from the Eglise de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris's oldest church, and off the bustling Boulevard Saint-Germain, you're in the heart of Left Bank life, buzzing with sophisticated boutiques, cafés, and restaurants, and close to many not-to-miss sites. Within minutes of two historic churches—Eglise de Saint-Germain and Saint Sulpice—you're only steps from the Musée Eugène Delacroix, a few minutes walk to the Luxembourg gardens and museum, and 10 minutes from Notre Dame and the Louvre. Great restaurants, cafés, and wine bars abound and the flâneurs among us will never tire of the discoveries to be made on foot.

Restaurants

On the quick and cheap side, Breizh Café Odéon, on the charming Rue de l'Odéon (2 minutes away) serves up some of the city's best crêpes with artisanal ciders, and if you don't mind standing at the zinc bar, L'Avant Comptroir serves up an excellent cheese and charcuterie plate with well-priced wines by the glass, or you can be seated at the Yves Camdebordes legendary Le Comptoir next door. Semilla is an absolute favorite for its friendly vibe, fresh and plentiful dishes, and excellent wine list (compliment's of the owner's wildly popular wine store, La Derniere Goutte, just around the corner). For great pastry, both Mulot, a Paris institution, and rock star pâtissier Pierre Hermé's Rue Bonaparte flagship are minutes away.

Bars

Though not exactly a bar, you won't get a more classic café society experience than at the Café Flore, a couple minutes from the hotel. Or, you could sit on the terrace at Brasserie Lipp, one of Hemingway's favorite watering holes in his Montparnasse years, just across the Boulevard Saint Germain. But if it's craft cocktails you're after, you've got two choices a five-minute walk away for a truly top-notch drinks experience, Tiger, and the dusky Prescription Cocktail Club. We also love Freddy's Wine Bar, next door to Semilla, for a glass of natural wine and a great variety of tapas plates.

Quick Facts

HOTEL INFO

Phones: -01–43–29–07–20