I never used to splurge on a hotels. We’d always find something in the middle or lower end of our price range to rest our heads for the night. Not too much, not too little. And I never really went for the hostel vibe (sharing space gives me chest pains). I like the comfort and security of traveling and staying in a hotel. I’ve still never even done an AirBnB. I know, I’m really not down with the kids.
I’ll rewind for you. Back in December, Joe booked us Eurostar tickets to visit Paris as a Christmas gift (by the way, he snapped them up when they were on offer, so £59 return – wahoo!) And even though I’d just been to visit the city of light in October, I couldn’t wait to go again.
Paris is, and has always been one of my favourite cities. Just like Lauren Conrad as the girl who didn’t go to Paris, I too, missed my chance at university to study abroad so have certainly made it my mission to make up for it over the years.
So what’s a gal to do when booking a place to stay in Paris?
If you’re like me and are a hotels only kinda person, I’ve found the perfect splurge vs saves off the beaten path in Paris for you.
Our Splurge: The Hoxton Hotel Paris
As if this hotel needs an introduction, The Hoxton has gained complete popularity amongst the millennials in London and Amsterdam already. Last year they opened their Parisian hotspot and to no surprise, it’s been a huge success.
I’ve been dreaming of staying for ages now, and we actually found a super good deal for The Hoxton on Secret Escapes. Typically, you can expect to pay around £180 a night for their standard room. We booked two nights (as a third wasn’t possible through Secret Escapes) – and we also wanted to explore another part of the city too.
But I think it’s worth noting that even if we hadn’t found the deal, we were going to plan on staying there. Which is why it’s my splurge Parisian hotel.
The Hoxton Hotel actually looks more like a coffeehouse/creative space/restaurant than a hotel. In fact, their reception is tucked away through the other side of the hotel entirely. It’s what I like about it. The hotel cohesively blends from room to room. The interiors are gorgeous and it’s the kind of perfect Pinterest inspiration for my future home.
Expect dreamy velvets, plenty of greenery and gorgeously strong coffees.
We stayed in one of their Cosy standard rooms, which was overlooking the courtyard. The rooms themselves remind me of a mix of Mad Men Manhattan styles and modern prints. Does that make sense? Aren’t I a brilliant travel writer? Anyways, it’s beautiful. And when you walk through the door, the soft sounds of Parisian jazz are playing in the background over the radio. The lights are low and its just the cosiest way to feel instantly at home.
There’s a big shower and bathroom space too. It’s beautiful. But I also find it vaguely unnerving because I really hate like “see-through bathrooms”. Where the paneling is kind of a stained see through. Like, this matters so little to me post-being married for nearly four years. BUT OH MY GOD. I would stress if I was booking a getaway with a new partner, friend or literally anyone else except my mom.
And… moving on from the rooms and into the lobby areas. There’s plenty of space to hang out, grab coffees and pastries. Or even better, head into the Rivera restaurant and bar and settle in for a glass of wine or two. On our first day, we stayed at the bar for a few glasses of wine and loved every minute.
And the staff are brilliant. It may occasionally feel like a slightly pretentious space due to the customers around – seriously, some people will complain to the staff about anything. But they handle it so well and treat everyone warmly.
As a fun little note: you will 100% find yourself rolling your eyes at some of the conversations you’ll overhear. A little gossip for the bloggers out there. I overheard a very well established fashion blogger discussing how much ‘free stuff’ she gets for barely any work. So if hot goss is your thing, know that The Hoxton has got it in full!
Now moving onto the SAVE hotel, Hotel Emilé.
Our Save: Hotel Emilé
In the centre of Marais, you’ll find Hotel Emilé. I’m going to cut to the chase here, it’s a hotel of basics. But they do it well. It’s a cute little place to rest your head for the night with some pretty interiors, great balcony views and a gorgeous bathtub.
I fell in love with it after spotting it on Beth’s blog, Local milk. The downstairs breakfast looked charming and Hotel Emilé truly had me at balcony views. We paid around £120.
It’s worth the hotel switch because the area of Marais was so vibrant. I actually can’t believe we’d never stayed or explored here before. I loved every moment of it – stay tuned because I’m going to do a foodie post on where exactly you need to eat while you’re there.
Breakfast is included at Hotel Emilé. Expect good hot coffee, freshly baked croissants and baguettes, jam, butter and orange juice. But it can get quite crowded in the mornings. We barely managed to nab a seat at the window.
I’d suggest a room with a bath, purely for these views. Word of warning though, I chose the room with the bath… not realizing that it meant there was literally only a bath. No shower. It was fine, because my hair still looked great from yesterday, but I’m the kind of person that needs these options.
It all depends on what you’re looking for out of a hotel. I like to split my holidays up when we have the time with a splurge and save if possible. It means you can get two totally different experiences in one holiday, which can be a really fun thing.
So, are you a splurge or saver? Or a hostel or AirBnB fan?
Kelly xox