Name: Hôtel Da Vinci
Address: 25 Rue des Saints-Pères, Paris, 75006, France
Telephone: +33 1 55 35 41 88
Price range: $$$

Fodor's Expert Review

If you're not already a fan of Leonardo Da Vinci you will be after a night at this theatrical Left Bank boutique hotel in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés where the Mona Lisa herself spent a few nights in 1911.

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Room

Cozy rooms take the Italian Renaissance motif and run with it, sporting wood floors and exposed beams, Da Vinci-themed murals, Venetian mirrors, ornate lighting and period furniture in dark wood or upholstered in damask or velvet to complete the scenography. Rooms with balconies offer pretty views of the courtyard or the rue des Saints-Pères.

You Should Know Like many structures in Saint-Germain, the hotel is housed in an older building so volumes are snug. If you're very tall you may not like the top-floor Adorateur's sloped ceilings.

Bathroom

Recently renewed baths are compact but spotless. with either a tub and shower or walk-in rain shower. Amenities, include robes, slippers, and luxury Roberto Cavalli bath products.

Lobby

In the cozy lobby you could almost kick off your shoes in front of the fire or settle in with a drink from the honesty bar. You're also invited to relax with a coffee if so inclined.

Pool

What the dusky pool area lacks in size it more than makes up for in drama, done up in the colors of the Mona Lisa and twinkling like the night sky, it's perfect for an intimate swim alone or with your traveling companion.

Tip Be sure to book when you arrive, or when you reserve your room, as your session is luxuriously private.

Spa

A menu of massages and skincare treatments is available to book at the front desk.

Tip Like the pool, reserve early.

Dining

The hotel's stunning café is a replica of the legendary Café Florian in Venice right down to the coffee machine. Open for breakfast and through the day for a coffee and a sweet, teatime, or a glass of wine or a cocktail, you can also access the pretty courtyard, open in warm weather. A fresh buffet breakfast (including eggs, charcuterie, smoked salmon, cheese, vegetables, pastries, yogurt, etc.) is served in the café or you can have the continental breakfast (fruit juice, yogurt, fresh and dried fruit, pastry) delivered to your room.

Tip If you don't fancy breakfast at the hotel, tucked away in a charming courtyard around the corner from the hotel, Treize Bakery's healthy and just plain yummy southern-style comfort food includes two fresh-pressed juices of the day and an irresistible range of desserts.

Drinking

If you don't feel like sitting in the café, you can avail yourself of the small honesty bar for a glass of wine, champagne or a selection of spirits.

What's Nearby

Getting Around

The Saint-Germain-des-Prés metro station is a few-minutes walk from the hotel. Just across the Pont des Arts you can get the no. 1 line, Paris's fast central line, at the Louvre-Rivoli station. Or hop on the Batobus (bus boat) between the Pont des Arts and the Pont Neuf, which stops at all of the city's important sites around the Seine, including Hotel de Ville, the Eiffel Tower, and the Musée d'Orsay.

You could hardly be more central than the rue des Saints-Pères, in the midst of elegant shopping, lively cafés, and the bustling, fashionable life of Saint-Germain. A few minutes walk from both the Seine, the Musée d'Orsay, boutique-lined rue du Bac, and Le Bon Marche, Paris's most elegant department store and its gourmet food hall next door, the best of its kind in Paris. The Right Bank, and the Louvre, are a quick walk away, across the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge.

Restaurants

Semilla (5-minute walk) is an absolute favorite for its friendly vibe, fresh and plentiful dishes, excellent wine list, and good-value prixe fixe menu. Next door, Freddy's wine bar is perfect for a glass of natural wine and small tapas plates. Fish (La Boisonnerie), across the street, is a favorite expat spot for a well-crafted menu of bistro favorites and fab wines. For a budget meal, Little Breizh, a branch of Paris's most famous sit-down crêperie, is a few minutes away on a charming backstreet (11 Rue Grégoire de Tours). Or, you can just head over to the Grande Épicerie at Le Bon Marché and buy any little gourmet treat your heart desires, including prepared foods and wine.

Bars

Though not exactly a bar, you won't get a more classic Parisian café society experience than at the Café Flore (2-minute walk). Or you could sit on the heated terrace at Brasserie Lipp, one of Hemingway's favorite watering holes in his Montparnasse years. But if it's craft cocktails you're after, head to Tiger, for a top-notch drinks experience. We also love Freddy's wine bar and the Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels (10-minute walk).