| What to expect: The hotel has a central but quiet location on the Rue de Richelieu. The 18th century façade, marked with a Maltese Cross, opens into a small but welcoming marble-floored lobby with semi-circular reception. With the Stock Exchange 200 meters away and the Japanese community in surrounding blocks, businesspeople (including many Japanese) dominate, except in summer when tourists are in the majority. Amenity highlights: Guests can enjoy coffee, juices or champagne in the lobby, or in the hall, furnished with wicker sofas, with peppermint green covers, contrasting red cushions and low tables, and offering views onto the little flowered courtyard and flower-filled window boxes of another wing of the hotel. Insider tip: The hotel’s claim to fame is that General Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) stayed here for several months, in 1802. A plaque on the wall pays homage to the former guest who dedicated his life to the defending human rights in Latin America. |