Hôtel Mistral
24 Rue Cels, Paris, 75014, France
Why We Like It
Paris power couple Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir began their love affair here, and you’ll love it too. Bright, contemporary, clean and cozy, with a pretty garden terrace in a classic Parisian neighborhood far from the hustle and bustle but close enough to walk to major sites.
Fodor's Expert Review
Bright, contemporary rooms, a friendly atmosphere and a pleasant location on a quiet street convenient to central Paris but far from its crowds and noise all add up to a budget hotel far above the usual. We love the interior garden terrace, a nice spot for a drink or for working in perfect peace on a warm day. The hotel even comes with an oh-so-Parisian pedigree: this is where Jean-Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir conducted their early love affair.
Tip Package deals here can save you a bundle, especially in the off-season, when the hotel offers three nights for the price of two. Be sure to check on the hotel site before booking anywhere else.
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Room
All of this mid-size hotel's 37 compact rooms are bright, cozy and well laid out, with large double-paned windows that open onto the street or a quiet inner courtyard, pale walls and curtains accented with bright throw pillows, headboards, and upholstery. Rooms are small, but a recent renovation really freshened the place up, not always the case in a budget hotel.
Bathroom
Done up in gleaming white, punctuated with amusing silhouettes of Sartre and Beauvoir, all the baths were newly renovated, meaning they are spotless and fully functional. Most have showers in the bath, but some rooms have both bath and a semi-open rain shower.
Lobby
Small but cheerful, the hotel has taken pains to create a few comfy nooks in this pleasantly bright lobby for lounging or catching up on work. Best of all is the outdoor terrace, with lovely potted trees, plants, and vining roses. A pretty spot for a coffee and a quiet moment.
Dining
A reasonably priced buffet-style continental breakfast—with everything from fresh croissants and cheeses to dry cereal and yogurt (hot breakfasts upon request)—is served in a pleasant atrium-like breakfast room overlooking the terrace.
Tip On days with nice weather, get there early to nab an outdoor table for breakfast on the terrace.
What's Nearby
Getting Around
There are at least six metro lines within a 10-minute walk, with the hotel's proximity to the Gare Montparnasse, a major hub. A 10-minute direct metro ride to the Musée d'Orsay or the Eiffel Tower; a 10-minute direct metro ride to the Musée Rodin; 10-minute direct metro ride takes you to Notre Dame cathedral.
This seemingly out-of-the-way Montparnasse neighborhood is actually incredibly convenient to most points of the city, and a place to make lots of new discoveries, including the Paris catacombs (scary!), the cemetery where many famous Parisians are laid to rest (including Satre and de Beauvoir), and the wonderful Fondation Cartier. It's also an easy walk to the lovely Luxembourg gardens and close to transport that takes you pretty much everywhere. Whatever you do don't miss the rue Daguerre market street, it's one of the best in Paris.
Restaurants
This corner of Paris boasts some of the city's great brasseries, so you might as well do what the many artists and writers who once populated this area used to do: hunker down in a red leather banquette and feast on a towering seafood platter served on a mound of ice at Le Dôme, or La Coupôle, another icon, a few steps down the boulevard (10-minute walk). For the ultimate budget meal five minutes from the hotel, Rue du Montparnasse is Paris's crêperie central, with several of the city's best. We like La Crêperie Josselin for a classic savory galette and a dry artisanal cider (10-minute walk). Bread and Roses, near the park on Rue Madame, is well known for its quiches, salads, sandwiches, and American-style desserts (15-minute walk).
Bars
Across the cemetery, La Coupôle's late hours and large terrace are perfect for a glass of wine or a nightcap. If you want to get a little fancier, but no less historic, La Closerie de Lilas's piano bar is a fine place to settle in for a drink, at least Baudelaire, Zola, Hemingway, Picasso and a dozen other notable authors and artists thought so (10-minute walk).
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