Courtesy: John Mariani | News Source: forbes.com

The patina of age that once affected the grand old Paris hotels has, over the past decade, been scrubbed clean by new owners (largely Arab sheiks, who own the Plaza-Athenée, the Maurice, the Ritz, the Four Seasons Georges V and the Crillon) after lengthy closures that brought them into the 21st century with all modern amenities.  These restorations have forced all other hotels, some old, some new, at and below the five-star ranking to bring up their level of décor, cuisine and service. Here are three I recently stayed at that epitomize what is going on in Paris right now. And right now there are a lot of very good discounts on rooms.

Paris Hotels

Hotel de Sers

Many of the rooms at the Hotel de Sers have grand panoramas on the City of Lights.

HÔTEL DE SERS

41 Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie

+33 1 53 23 75 75

Noël Coward once said, “Ninety percent of romance depends on good lighting,” and for that, Hôtel de Sers is a very romantic place indeed. Not long ago even the most deluxe Paris hotels rarely had more than 45-watt light bulbs.  From the brightly colorful lobby and entry hall to the ample rooms themselves, the soft Parisian light bathes the interior of De Sers, a beautiful, small hotel, built in 1880 by the Marquis de Sers as his residence in the Second Empire style. It once had an entrance for horse-drawn carriages leading directly to a courtyard and stables.

In 2004, B Signature Hotels did extensive renovations, creating 45 bedrooms and seven suites in wholly contemporary décor, while the public areas’ walls pay homage to the Marquis’s family with original portraits.

Paris Hotels

Hotel de Sers

A superior room at Hotel De Sers is now priced at $364 a night.

In 2015 the library was expanded and linked to the lounge, and the bar, with sofas in a metallic-liket fabric by Lelièvre, is now one of the most sophisticated in the area near the Champs-Élysée and Avenue Georges V.  The pretty restaurant now has a terrace with a moveable glazed roof, so, if there is any sunshine in Paris between now and April, this is a fine place to dine. The reception personnel are young and warmly efficient.

All rooms are luxuriously appointed, and there is a sauna and fitness center with massage facilities. My room was done in charcoal grays with violet pillows and a motif of musical signatures on the wall. The bath was in white, with gray marble, pale pink roses, and the window gave a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower.

Rooms are available for those with reduced mobility. Right now a superior room can be had for $364.

Par is hotels

La Clef Tour Eiffel aris

The corridors of La Clef Tour Eiffel Paris connote its connection to Parisian fashion.

LA CLEF TOUR EIFFEL PARIS

 83 Avenue Kléber

+33 1 44 05 75 75

The international Ascott chain has 17 hotels in Paris, and I managed to stay at two of them. La Clef Tour Eiffel Paris in the 16th arrondissement is a five-minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe, and not far from the Trocadéro. It’s a fine neighborhood for a stroll on the grand boulevards in this older section of Paris.

The hotel’s 19th-century building conversion was designed by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, who’s done a score of projects in Paris, include Cartier’s and Rochas’s headquarters. The rooms are called “apartments,” with both single and double rooms available, with the Eiffel Tower Suite able to host up to four travelers. A Superior Room can be configured for one double bed or two singles. Floor-to-ceiling windows and muted colors of gray, beige and taupe, with figured space rugs, spacious desk and swivel chairs make it ideal for a business stay. The hallways and elevator landings are brightly lighted, with wall-sized, vintage black-and-white fashion photos.

Paris hotels

La Clef Tour Eiffel Paris

La Clef Tour Eiffel Paris's Classic Rooms are available for $210 a night this fall.

Upon entering, after being buzzed in as you would at an apartment building, you go to the left for reception. Farther on is the lounge and extensive breakfast buffet, whose variety of foods is replaced throughout the day. Wheelchairs are fully accessible.

There is a well-equipped gym and, for those staying on for a few days, launderette service, which can keep you from running up a hefty hotel cleaning bill.

 At the moment there are Classic Rooms available at $210.

Paris hotels

© Fabrice Rambert

La Clef Champs Elysees is currently offering an Deluxe room is now $345 per night.

LA CLEF CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES PARIS

46 Rue de Bassano

+33 1 53 75 01 60

This second Ascott Hotel, in their Crest Collection, is just blocks from the La Clef Tour Eiffel Paris, constructed out of a Belle Époque residence of the Hennessy family.  It is done in a youthful, chic, sleek modern décor of addictively soft surfaces and fabrics, impeccably appointed marble bathrooms with two sinks and L’Occitane en Provence amenities.

Some rooms have terraces for breakfast or relaxing with a glass of Champagne, overlooking the “Golden Triangle” in view of the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur in the distance; some have kitchenettes. It’s a very comfortable, happily quiet hotel, positioned near Étoile, the boutiques on the Champs-Élysées and close to any number of restaurants and bistros.

Paris hotels

© Fabrice Rambert

La Clef Champs Elysees Deluxe Suite bathrooms are all marble, well lighted and have two basins.

The entrance hall is dazzling, clearly geared to attract a fashion crowd, with designer books displayed, Bertoia-like wire net chairs, marble floor, etched glass and a romantic fin de siècle staircase.

This is a new property, and, while the service staff was entirely cordial, I found some lapses in providing basic information, and upon my arrival at 3:30 PM, my room was still not ready. By the next morning, however, a manager personally apologized and said these faux-pas had been addressed.

The breakfast room is downstairs and being upgraded. Breakfast is 35 euros. Currently a deluxe suite now runs $375 euros.