Fine lodging in the Latin Quarter
Written: Aug 30 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good location in the 6th; friendly and helpful staff; spacious rooms; nice neighborhood
Cons: Lift gets crowded at checkout time
The Bottom Line: Fine three-star lodging; I'd happily stay there again
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| sundogg99's Full Review: Atel Du Pantheon |
My wife and I spent four nights at this hotel at the conclusion of a two week vacation in France in July 2009. After a week and a half of road tripping, changing hotels every night or two, it was pleasant to park ourselves in one place for a few nights. The Hotel du Pantheon is, as its name suggests, right across the street from the Pantheon museum and mausoleum, in the 6th Arrondisement of Paris.
The 6th is known as the Latin Quarter and is home to the Sorbonne and a number of other colleges. There are tons of eateries within short walking distance of the hotel, some of the priced to cater to the large student population, others more in line with regular Parisian prices - which is to say, high.
We were hauling enough plunder from our travels that we opted not to take the RER train from Charles de Gaulle airport, but lighter-laden visitors can exit at the Luxembourg station and walk about 3 blocks to the hotel. The neighborhood is well-served by a couple of Metro lines, and is no more than a ten-euro cab ride from most of the major sights of Paris. The Luxembourg Gardens, shopping on Saint-Germain, and the Ile de France and Notre Dame are all within 10-15 minutes' walk through lively, colorful Parisian streets.
The Hotel du Pantheon is a solid three star property with about 30 rooms, part of the small Hotels Paris Rive Gauche group. We entered the small but charming hotel lobby and were greeted by a pleasant English-speaking concierge who quickly confirmed our reservation and showed us to our room.
Unlike many European hotels (places where we stay, anyway) the Hotel du Pantheon has a small operating lift. We stayed in hotels without lifts and with malfunctioning lifts, but here it actually worked. Although our room was only on the first floor (one flight up from street level), it was nice not to schlep our bags up the charming, but undeniably steep and narrow stairway.
Although it was reached by a narrow hallway reminding us that this is, after all, an 18th century structure, our room was startlingly spacious - by Parisian standards - and a pleasantly eclectic mix of new and vintage furnishings. In addition to an American-sized queen bed, our room featured two nightstands and lamps, a small writing desk and chair, and an oversized armoire that held TV and minibar. It doesn't sound like much, but most affordable double rooms in Paris aren't much larger than the bed they contain. We had space to walk around and admire our view of - well, the tops of some bamboo and another wall, but still...
The bath was generously sized as well, containing a combination tub/shower, toilet, and a spacious sink area with room to store our toiletries. Water pressure was adequate and although water temperature was a little squirrely, we were perfectly satisfied with all amenities, which included plenty of fluffy towels, nice shampoo and soaps, and the like. The bath included a lighted magnifying mirror and a hairdryer, too - common enough in North America, but less routine in European hotels.
In Europe we find ourselves far more reliant upon hotel services than we are in North America. In Paris we imposed on the hotel staff to call for taxis, for directions to a laundromat, and dinner recommendations, and in every case they were pleasant and helpful. Housekeeping service was inobtrusive and efficient. When time came for us to leave, the hotel arranged our shuttle service, and they were helpful in any number of other ways as well.
We didn't eat breakfast at the hotel. Although it was available, it came at a tariff of 13 euros per person. It's an unfortunate reality that the included breakfast seems to be a disappearing feature in European hotels. When breakfasts are offered, they tend to come at an unrealistically high price and are typically served in gloomy basement or central rooms - in all, nothing to pay a premium for. As an easy alternative in the mornings, we wandered a half block down the street to one of the numerous local cafes and got breakfast for half the price, and with better people-watching too.
We were totally satisfied with the Hotel du Pantheon and will unhesitatingly recommend it to visitors, with one significant caveat: the hotel website is the place to make reservations, and depending on one's time and flexibility, can be incredibly economical. I found a special back in March that landed us our room in July for an average of less than 100 euros per night. That's an incredible bargain for Paris in the summer - the hotel's lowest standard rate is about double that, which is still pretty competitive. The hotel frequently offers a number of special deals, so it pays to investigate the website frequently.
Recommended:
Yes
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