Fodor's Expert Review Cloître Saint-Louis

Standing serene and noble within its sturdy 16th-century walls, this sleek hotel encloses a magnificently cloistered courtyard lined with grand old plane trees. In this cloister setting, you can enjoy meals in summer, with a market-inspired menu during the week and a popular buffet lunch on Sunday. The early Baroque building, erected by the Jesuits in 1611, was first a theological school for novitiates and later a hospital, before it became a hotel. Now interiors are stripped and modernist (especially those in a wing designed by Jean Nouvel), playing up the cool old stone. A recent nip and tuck in some rooms and bathrooms has enhanced the style and level of comfort, although some rooms require navigating flights of stairs. There's a small roof-top pool, and the hotel is a block's walk from the central train station.