Fodor's Expert Review Hôtel Cardinal

In a graceful 18th-century house in the Quartier Mazarin, this eccentric and slightly threadbare inn is the antithesis of slick, which, coupled with the location, makes it a favorite among writers, artists, and musicians at festival time. Its large rooms are furnished gracefully enough with secondhand finds, and some rooms have original 18th-century painted door panels. If you like charm, there's novel furniture, the elegance of the structure, and the music of the bells of St-Jean-de-Malte. The hotel also has six kitchenette suites; the two across from the Musée Granet and the one on the ground floor with a private garden are the best.