Hôtel Collège de France

7 rue Thénard, 5e, Paris, 75005, France, Paris, France
Fabrizio Verrecchia | Unsplash

Why We Like It

We don’t know any hotels in Paris this well located where you can get a comfy room with a balcony for a song. Though the lack of air-conditioning and a minibar may be a deal breaker for some, we stand by this choice for its top-notch service, spotlessness and great Latin Quarter location in the heart of old Paris.

Fodor's Expert Review

For some travelers, the most important thing in a hotel is price, for others its friendliness and quiet, and others would sacrifice both for a location convenient to everything. At this welcoming, mid-size hotel you get all that and more. Pleasantly old-fashioned, in a quiet neighborhood in the Latin Quarter, this clean, cozy hotel has everything you could want to feel right at home, a location that can’t be beat and at a price too good to pass up.

You Should Know Paris has lately been prone to heat waves, and though this hotel has ceiling fans in rooms with high ceilings, there is no air-conditioning.

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Room

The hotel’s 29 rooms are clean and bright and range from small, but well laid out, to spacious with high, beamed ceilings, views over the Paris rooftops (some with Eiffel Tower views) and balconies. The décor is tasteful and all rooms come with desks, full-length mirrors, and handsome woodwork, some with half-timbered walls. Rooms in the mansard have sloped ceilings. Most have large windows and plenty of light, some with small balconies.

Tip For an extra 50 or 60 euros a night, it’s worth upgrading to a top-floor supérior room with a balcony budget permitting.

Bathroom

Though not the most contemporary—some even have bidets—bathrooms are clean and fully functional. Most have showers in the tub, though some have showers. Blow-dryers are of the wall variety.

Lobby

Like a cozy den in grandma’s house, with gilt-framed paintings, potted plants, and wood polished to a high gloss, the lobby focuses more on warmth and comfort than chic. The décor references the hotel’s proximity to nearby medieval gems—the Sorbonne, Cluny, Notre-Dame—and original stone and half-timbering adds an old-world charm.

Dining

A standard continental breakfast is served in a pleasant, well-lit room off the lobby, including fresh croissants, cereals, cheese, juice, coffee, and teas.

What's Nearby

Getting Around

Cluny-La Sorbonne metro station is about a five minute walk, and Odéon about a 10-minute walk. The hotel is not too far from the St. Michel RER stop with direct trains to both Paris’s airports.

Set in a bustling neighborhood in Paris’s Latin Quarter, near several universities, including the Sorbonne, museums, churches, Paris’s best gardens, the Roman arena, as well as restaurants, cafés and open-air markets. Many important sites and monuments can be reached on foot within 5-15 minutes, including the Panthéon, the historic Jardin des Plantes, the Grande Mosquée de Paris, the Arènes de Lutèce, and the wonderful rue Mouffetard market street.

Restaurants

Les Papilles cave à manger (rue Gay-Lussac) is as Parisian as it gets and we love it, reserve in advance. Le Pré Verre is also a neighborhood favorite, with excellent wines by the glass and a good prix fixe menu. For one of Paris's truly great views and good Middle Eastern fare, we love nearby Le Zyriab restaurant, at the top of the Musée du Monde Arabe. It's also a great spot for afternoon tea out on the terrace (all within a 10-minute walk)

Bars

You can always grab a glass of wine at a nearby café, but for a little nightlife, Little Bastards is the Latin Quarter's newest cocktail bar, speciaizing in gin, infused vodkas and a tempting list of craft cocktails. It's also open from 2 pm–4 am on weekends. The cocktail bar at Hotel Seven also serves up some impressive cocktails, with a sort of oddball glamour, at a price much less pricey than most hotel bars (both within a 10-minute walk).

Quick Facts

HOTEL INFO

Phones: -01–43–26–78–36