Don’t you wish that you could be transported back to the glory days when most hotels in Paris were dripping with character, charm, and class? But without the rates to make you Misérables?

As more and more affordable hotels in the city transform themselves into much more expensive boutique (or worse, charmless chain) hotels, the old-fashioned, typically “Parisian” hotels of yore are becoming something of an extinct species.

Fortunately, a few classic places are still bucking the trend, offering old-world charm and trappings at relatively old-world prices.

Related:
• Our favorite budget hotels in Paris
• 47 ways to save on your trip to Paris
• How to save on your hotel in Paris
• How to save on your hotel in France

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Paris: 8 budget hotels with old-world charm

Here are our favorite central and affordable hotels in Paris that exhibit a healthy dose of charm:

La Louisiane

60, rue de Seine
Neighborhood: St. Germain des Prés (6th)
Doubles from: €115

This two-star charmer is our kind of budget hotel. Packed with character (including a fabulous jazz history!), perfectly located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and with rates that hover around €115 year-round for a double room, La Louisiane is a true cheapo gem.

The rooms are basic, but all have private bath and most overlook the picturesque streets and rooftops. You can also add your name to the historic and artsy roster of former guests, which includes John Coltrane, Ernest Hemingway, Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir. Read our review.

Hotel Esmeralda

4 rue Saint-Julien Le Pauvre
Neighborhood: the Latin Quarter (5th)
Doubles from: €121

One of our favorite hotels in Paris, Hotel Esmeralda oozes that old-world charm from the lobby to the guestrooms. It is situated at the banks of the Seine in a building first constructed in 1640 — talk about old-school! Wood-beamed ceilings are complemented with eccentric furnishings and antique touches to make it feel like you stepped back in time. With this being one of many old, charming Paris hotels, you should also expect smaller guestrooms and to climb lots of stairs here.

Nearby, you’ll find the iconic Shakespeare and Co. bookshop, one of the oldest outdoor markets in the city, and a convenient Metro stop. Read our review.

Hotel Chopin

10 Boulevard Montmartre
Neighborhood: Opéra / Grands Boulevards (9th)
Doubles from: €153

Nestled inside a 19th-century shopping arcade lined with bookshops, jewelry stores, and boutiques, this two-star beauty might just have our favorite location of any hotel in Paris. A friendly and family-run place, you can feel the personal touches of the cute lobby to the grandmotherly decor in the rooms.

If you return to your room in the late evening, you might just find yourself strolling the elegant and empty halls of the arcade — an experience you won’t soon forget! Read our review.

Hotel Bellevue et du Chariot

39 Rue de Turbigo
Neighborhood: The Marais (3rd & 4th)
Doubles from: €131

Want a taste of old-world Paris elegance at an affordable rate? Welcome to this two-star old-school option that offers 59 rooms with private bathrooms along the rue de Turbigo between Republique and the Marais. Even with a renovation a few years ago that lifted it out of “student tour” quality, old fireplaces, built-in armoires, and other charmingly dated features have still been left in place.

Downstairs, the lobby, lounge, and café will quickly seduce the romantics out there, with antiques, wall candelabras, gilded mirrors, stained-glass windows and other architectural traces from the past. Read our review.

Hotel Stella

41 Rue Mr. Le Prince
Neighborhood: St. Germain des Prés (6th)
Doubles from: €79

You can feel the shabby-chic character of this special ultra-cheapo stay from the moment you walk in. Antique touches add a touch of shabby-chic romance around every corner. The wooden beams look like they have been there forever. And it’s no wonder because the building’s history as a hotel dates back to 1748! This is easily one of the cheapest — and most interesting — accommodation options in St-Germain. Just keep in mind that this place is truly old-school: it only accepts cash payments. Read our review.

 

Hotel de Nice

42 Bis, Rue de Rivoli
Neighborhood: The Marais (3rd & 4th)
Doubles from: €175

The Hotel de Nice, located along the rue de Rivoli at the base of the Marais, offers a fun and flamboyant take on 19th-century decor that will tickle those in search of quirky, old-world charm (especially if they have a soft spot for vintage flea market style). Modern perks include air conditioning and clean (if tight) private bathrooms bring it up to speed. While lately the rates have gone up past what we’d normally accept in cheapo range, this spot is well worth a splurge.

Thankfully, the eclectic decoration continues in the red and turquoise corridors, filled with scenes from old Paris. Read our review or check out our photo essay.

Hotel Tiquetonne

6 rue Tiquetonne
Neighborhood: Bourse / Montorgueil (2nd)
Doubles from: €102

Cheap, charming, and did we say cheap? The rates at the Tiquetonne are so low (we’re talking about €100 for a double with private bath, depending on the season) that you will be shocked with delight when you get the bill.

However, the best part is the old-world atmosphere that exudes from every nook and cranny. From the tiny elevator and winding staircase to the old-fashioned room key, the Tiquetonne is a true throwback, right down to the prices. The location, a quick walk north of Les Halles in the very center of Paris, is an extra bonus. Rooms on the top floors have lovely views of the hip street out front or Sacre Coeur out the back. Read our full review.

Hotel des Balcons

3 rue Casimir Delavigne
Neighborhood: St. Germain des Prés (6th)
Doubles from: €149

Art Nouveau touches in the lobby add charm to this two-star budget sleep near the Boulevard St-Michel and Luxembourg Gardens, but the real draw is — you guessed it — the balconies. Of the 49 rooms, 30 of them have balconies that open out onto the street. Ask for one of these when you reserve, so you can linger in your room as you watch the city stroll by. Looking beautiful of course! Read our review.

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Source: Euro Cheapo