Hotel Le Sainte -Beuve, Paris?
 

can anyone tell me about their experience with this hote? I tried looking up old threads, but there is not much. Thanks in advance.

topping

All I can tell you about the St-Beuve is that it's in the charming hotels guide, usually a good sign. I know a few people in Paris who think it's an excellent buy with a good location, if that's any help.

Just checked out of the Sainte-Beuve yesterday morning, so unless the hotel changed dramatically overnight, my comments should be very up-to-date :).

It's a very nice hotel and the price is quite decent. We had a Classic Room, which was a good size--double bed, two night stands, armoire, luggage rack, tv over mini bar, and a tall, thin chest of drawers (kind of like a lingerie chest). Furniture is in dark woods; upholstery is light, curtains floral and plaid in muted colors.

The toilet is separate from the bath/sink area, which is always nice. Bathroom was a good size, with marble top sink, a selection of toiletries, hairdryer, decent towels, imprinted terrycloth slippers, and embroidered Porthault bathrobes (that, frankly, had seen a few too many washings). The bed linens are Porthault too, I think.

Everything sparkled. We had a lovely balcony and enjoyed having the windows open a lot (this week was rather mild). The hotel is quite small (22 rooms), and there were just three rooms on our floor. We peaked into the one next to ours. It was a little bit larger; had two double beds and a desk.

Staff was extremely courteous and helpful (we had some problems with our phone, some other guests had problems with the tv--they handled these concerns patiently). Public areas are also quite tasteful, designed by British decorator David Hicks. They may have been a bit TOO tasteful for us--we had just transferred from a very funky hotel in the Marais, so the Saint-Beuve seemed subdued to say the least. Halls and public areas have sisal carpeting. Guests seemed to be primarily fair-haired anglophones (my husband was one of the few dark-haired, darker-skinned people in the breakfast room and he was afraid to smoke there because he felt sure that he would be subject to their blue-eyed wrath. . . )

Breakfast was a little too copious and the coffee was not quite up to our standards (I prefer mine dark and thick, this coffee was rather "American" in strength and flavor. Also, my husband prefers cafe creme, and the hotel's version was more like a cappuccino).

I like the location, which makes the hotel feel more like a part of Montparnasse than St. Germain, despite the fact that there is nothing even remotely bohemian about it.
The historic cafes of the Carrefour Vavin--La Coupole, Le Dome, Le Select, La Rotunde--are practically out the front door. There are two metro stations very close--Vavin and Notre Dames des Champs--that have pretty good lines and connections.

Shopping in the immediate neighborhood tends to focus on lighting, furniture, and other design-oriented stores, although there is a L'Occitane around the corner. Just a short walk up the Boulevard Raspail is an outdoor market. On Sundays it focuses on organic foods and wines.

The shops and sights of the "heart" of St. Germain aren't in the immediate area, but are just a 10-20 minute walk. The hotel is also well situated for visiting Luxembourg Gardens (which we did not do on this trip).

Hope this is helpful. If you have any specific questions, let me know. . .

Actually, we "peeked" into the room next door, not "peaked". Didn't proofread. Sorry.

Topped for Underhill re: Elle's report on the Sainte Beuve.

Thanks! I just spent some time clearing out cookies, and I think things may be working again. At least, I hope so.

Actually I experienced the same thing you did, Underhill. The link says "Done" but the page is blank. In fact, this site is acting a bit strange sometimes. Clicking the "Europe" heading results in a blank page.

I suspect gremlins again. Sometimes the time for a page to load is VERY long.

Elle,

Did your bathroom have one or two sinks?Long or short tub?

One sink, I think. I'll look at the photos tonight to confirm.

Tub was long enough for me to take a nice bath (I'm 5' 7").

FYI-I emailed Sainte Beuve to inquire about the size of the deluxe room. They say it's 19.5 sq. meters with view of the building across the street. The WC is separate from the bathroom which contains a shower/tub combination.

Gee, 19.5 meters doesn't seem all that big (the room we've reserved in Nice is 25 meters). Maybe I should re-think this--back to the Madison?

I think, Underhill, if you're used to the Madison & the Nice hotel's 25 sq. m. then for sure the deluxe at the Ste. Beuve will seem much smaller. To me that size seems ok as I did spend 2 nights in a standard room at the Verneuil. I think that would be like 11 sq. m. more or less.
Unless you get the Ste. Beuve room instead of a deluxe, that may be a bit larger. But it is expensive.

francophile03, THANKS. I think you've made up my mind for me at last and it's back to the Madison. I got to thinking about all the interesting places in that neighborhood, being able to walk over to the Seine, the art galleries-- yes! We'll be coming to Paris from Nice and the Beau Rivage, and space for pulling out our staff for re-packing to head for home will be very useful.

Underhill since you've been to the Madison already, you're in a better position to judge the type of room you want there. I think if you are doubtful about Ste. Beuve's rooms it's just better to go back to the Madison where you know what room you want and what it's like. No need to put the final days of your trip in surprise and disappointment if it's not what you'd imagined.
Besides, Ste. Beuve is further away from St. Germain.