One block from the Seine, this family-owned hotel oozes period charm

The hotel

Hotel Prince de Conti, Paris, France

Check-in

It’s a crisp winter’s day when I enter this Left Bank bolt hole, tucked down a quiet side street near Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge spanning the River Seine in Paris. There’s a toasty welcome in the petite, colourful lobby, where an electric fire fuses mist and LED lighting to conjure a solacing flame effect and the amiable receptionist bids me “bonjour”. Hearing my (terrible) French, she switches to English, checks me in, hands me a key (electric but attached to a retro green leather tassel) and reveals I’m one of the first guests since they reopened following a 14-month makeover.

The look

This family-owned hotel occupies a mansion from the 1600s, the same century Pont Neuf was unveiled. Bygone references sprinkle the building, including a giant map in the lift portraying a pre-Revolutionary Paris. Yet despite vintage vibes in the hotel’s art, wood and fabrics, there’s a contemporary fizz to the decor, especially in the snazzily-patterned rugs and radiantly-painted walls and doors, whose hues (peach, mustard, strawberry, baby blue) remind me of macarons.

The room

Paris has a reputation for pokey hotel rooms, especially compared with the US and Australia. And, oui, in truth, many of the 23 rooms here are on the small side, including our third-floor, street-side Superior (16 square metres). But the compactness induces a cosy charm and the nifty layout packs a lot in, notably a huge wall mirror, built-in wardrobe with bath robes, a coffee machine, plus teas and infusions, and a marble desk below a quaintly framed smart TV. Our en suite has a shower, but some have bathtubs. We sleep well in our pleasantly firm queen bed and hear little outside noise (it’s easy to forget we’re in central Paris). If you’re after more space, travelling with large luggage or as a group, the hotel’s suites may entice. The biggest (31 square metres) sleeps four with connecting rooms also available.

Food + Drink

Guests whose rooms are by the interior courtyard may fancy breakfast on their cute little terraces. Otherwise, head to the exuberantly decorated basement, where a Continental buffet offers fruits, cereals, yoghurts, cheeses, charcuterie and better pains au chocolat than you’ll get at many Parisian boulangeries. The breakfast room adjoins a cute lounge with an honesty bar and inspiring books about Paris. Hung on the floral wallpaper above a plush green velvet sofa is a portrait of the prince the hotel is named after. He was a member of the House of Bourbon that once ruled France.

Out + about

Take a left out of the hotel to Quai de Conti and board a sightseeing cruise on the Seine, or cross the Pont des Arts for the Louvre Museum or Pont Neuf for La Samaritaine department store. For a different side to Paris, exit right out of the hotel and get lost in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, an always-beguiling village-like enclave brimming with galleries, boutiques, cafes, markets and bistros. The hotel is also within a 20-minute stroll of other Parisian icons, such as Musee d’Orsay and Notre-Dame cathedral.

The verdict

Intimate, chic, colourful – this is a genial and delightfully placed Parisian address.

Essentials

Hotel Prince de Conti. 8 Rue Guenegaud, 75006 Paris, France. Rooms from €295 ($492) a night. princedeconti.com

Our rating out of five

★★★★

Highlight

The interior design is just as fetching as the location.

Lowlight

Rooms can be a bit of a tight squeeze, especially for couples with large suitcases.

The writer stayed as a guest of the hotel.