Six Nights (and days) in the Marais

Old Dec 5th, 2016, 12:48 PM
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Six Nights (and days) in the Marais

My husband and I recently spent six nights at the Hotel Jeanne d'Arc on rue de Jarente in the Marais, which is situated between rue de Sevigny and rue de Turenne. Overall, we had a very good experience, and I would consider staying there again.

This tasteful, attractive, and snug, little hotel offers a number of pluses--especially for travelers wishing for ready access to all of the delights of the Marais and nearby sites. The visual appeal begins with exterior holiday decorations, which are festive and beautiful, but not the least bit overdone.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: The HJd'A cannot be beat if you are interested in spending time in the Marais, Place Vosges, the Ile de la Cite, etc. The weather was very nice--although a bit chilly, we dressed warmly--and we walked along the Seine to the Louvre, to the Musee de l'Orangerie, and to the Musee d'Orsay, as well as to the Christmas Market and other destinations, most of which were over two miles. We love taking long walks, and these strolls along the Seine were as memorable as our visits to museums, cathedrals, and outdoor markets.

COMFORT: Beds are very, very comfortable, and the room was immaculate. The windows are double-paned, and block out most exterior noise. We slept VERY well, which is essential for us. (We stay very active during the day, and rely on a good night's sleep to recharge) The dimensions of the room are pretty snug, however, and the bed fills most of the room. If you require space to spread out or if you like to spend a lot of time in your room, this is probably NOT the hotel for you. We found the armoir to be large enough to accommodate almost all of our belongings, and the small desk in the room and bedside tables offered convenient surfaces for writing and distributing the stacks of books that we inevitably manage to accumulate. There's a lovely, big window that let in a lot of daylight, however, after dark, in-room lighting could have been a bit better. The bathroom was nicely appointed with high-end fixtures (e.g. Grohe), but the shower stall was small. Towel bars were needed as well.

STAFF: To a person, they were all extremely accommodating and cordial. We found them to be very welcoming, and helpful. They gladly answered questions and offered suggestions for restaurants upon request, arranged for taxis, held baggage for a couple of hours after checkout, and made a phone call for me to try to help track down a book I'd lost. Front desk staff were all knowledgeable professionals.

LANGUAGE: The staff spoke English, which was very helpful for me, and they were also happy to converse with my husband, who was keen to practice his French.

RESTAURANTS: There are lots of restaurants nearby, and we didn't have a bad meal while we were staying in the Marais. We truly enjoyed what we ate and/or drank at Les Bougresse (right across the rue from HJd'A), Robert et Louise (on rue Vielle du Temple), Mariage Freres Tea Shop (on rue du Bourgeois Tibourg), Le Petit Bofinger (on rue de la Bastille), and Le Sevigny (near the Musee Picasso at Parc Royal), among other spots.

HINT: HJd'A is currently undergoing rennovation. It might be wise to request a recently renovated room. We had room #35, and we peeked into room #32, which was being cleaned, and that looked quite lovely. Our breakfast of coffee, croissant, baguette, fresh orange juice, and yogurt was provided without charge since their breakfast room was being renovated while we were there. (Expected completion date of the breakfast room is, I believe, by the third week of December.)

NOTE: For solo travelers who are on a budget, minuscule rooms are available offering a single bed and a sliver of a shower. Were I travelling alone and spending my daytime hours out and about, I could be very comfy in one of the singles.

http://hoteljeannedarc.com
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Old Dec 5th, 2016, 04:47 PM
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Pegsview:
Thanks for your succinct and informative TR. I am definitely considering the HJd'A Hotel on my next trip coming up in March.The restaurant recommendations will come in handy, too!
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Old Dec 5th, 2016, 05:23 PM
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We just booked there for May ...we love Le Marais. It'll be my birthday too!This is great info. Thanks.
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Old Dec 6th, 2016, 04:20 AM
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I haven't heard about this hotel for several years. I will be in Paris next week (at a hotel nearby) and will take a look at it. Thanks for posting.
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Old Dec 6th, 2016, 05:09 AM
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please post back, weekender! The more info, the better!
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Old Dec 6th, 2016, 06:19 AM
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Deb:

I agree and will do.

FYI..will be staying at Les Tournelles this trip. You might want to take a look at this hotel as well. Totally refurbished from top to bottom and has a great staff. Rooms on the small size but no surprise there.

http://www.lestournelles.com/en/
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Old Dec 6th, 2016, 08:17 AM
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bmk
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Old Dec 6th, 2016, 11:08 AM
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weekender - very nice hotel, a bit too expensive for me though.
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Old Dec 6th, 2016, 01:28 PM
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We used Sawdays, and found reasonable hotel rates for Paris:
https://www.sawdays.co.uk/find#!Sear...5&display=list

Has anyone else used other online sites to ID good rates for Paris hotels? (Note: we are spending a few nights at the Aiglon in Montparnasse--based on a comment from Fodorite, Christina, last October--and got a very good rate on this hotel as well. Thank you, Christina!)
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Old Dec 6th, 2016, 01:38 PM
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PegsView,

my go to is Booking.com, but I have also got good rates booking directly with hotels, especially in Paris - one year we got a rate that was about 50% of the rack rate, simply by booking 9 months in advance.

I think a lot of it is luck to be honest.
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Old Dec 7th, 2016, 11:48 AM
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I hope you like the Aiglon, when are you going?

Very good detailed review of the Jd'Arc, should help a lot of folks.
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