Hôtel des Deux-Iles

In my first post about going to Paris with a dog, I told you that we’d be renting an apartment for our visit this fall and recommended that you do too. It occured to me, though, that maybe you could use a short list of dog-friendly Paris hotels, so I got to work.

If I were starting from scratch, I’d use TripAdvisor (click on “Europe” on the map, click on “Paris” on the list of “Top Europe destinations,” click on “Paris Hotels” in the left column, and then use the resulting left column to narrow down by neighborhood, price and “Pet-friendly”). Even though I wasn’t starting from scratch, I used TripAdvisor reviews to narrow down my choices, all culled from articles and business cards I’ve stuffed into my Paris file over the years. I ended up with a list of eighteen hotels that I’ve divided into five rough categories (Budget, 2-star, 3-star, Fabulous, Stratospheric). Here’s an article that explains the differences between French 2-star and 3-star hotels.

Please keep in mind that you will enjoy your Paris hotel experience best if you come to it with low expectations! The top hotels on this list would thrill anyone, but who can afford them? Any hotel that is even marginally affordable (the 3-star hotels) will certainly have small — even tiny — rooms and bathrooms. The elevator will be extraordinarily small, and may not go past the fifth floor. The shower may be via a handheld nozzle, and the water pressure will likely be unreliable. Towels may not be plush. Walls will be thin. The front desk will not be obliging, especially if you get your knickers in a twist. And 2-star and budget hotels will be even more so.

The fact is, you’re in Paris, which is an ancient, crowded, desirable, much-visited city. If you remind yourself that all Parisian hotels in your price range are like the one you’re in, you won’t yearn after a better room somewhere else — and you may find yourself enjoying the tiny, funky charm of your choice. Plus, heck, it’s Paris — you’ll just be in your room to sleep anyway, and you’ll be so tired from having fun all day that you won’t mind any negatives you encounter!

3-star hotels

Hôtel du Jeu de Paume (Ile St. Louis) — Like l’Hôtel des Deux-Iles (below), this hotel could not be more perfectly located. There is a charge of 10€/day for visiting dogs.

Hôtel des Deux-Iles (Ile St. Louis) — A bit less expensive than its neighbor. “Nous acceptons les petits animaux s’ils ne sont pas bruillants et s’il sont propres.”

Hôtel de la Bretonnerie (4ème/Marais)

Hôtel des Grandes Ecoles (5ème/Latin Quarter)

Hôtel le Saint Gregoire (6ème/between Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Montparnasse)

L’Hôtel (6ème/St. Germain-des-Prés) “Suite à votre demande, je vous confirme que vous pouvez visiter L’Hôtel avec votre petit chien !!!” (I loved the exclamation marks — what a cheerful reply!)

Hôtel de Fleurie (6ème/St. Germain-des-Prés) — “Nous acceptons les petits chiens propres gratuitement.”

Hôtel Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6ème/St. Germain-des-Prés)

2-star hotels

Hôtel Louvre Forum (1er/Centre)  — “If you want to stay in our Hotel with a pet, it is not a problem.”

Hôtel Mogador (9ème/Opéra)

Budget hotels

Hôtel Séjour Beaubourg (4ème/Marais) — “Oui, il y a aucuns problèmes, si votre chien est propre.”

Hotel Ibis — A modestly-priced chain with locations across Europe (and worldwide), Ibis has a number of hotels in Paris. They lack the charm of the other hotels I’ve listed, but they’re reliable and inoffensive.

Fabulous hotels

Pavillon de la Reine (4ème/Marais) — Located in the Place des Vosges. “Pets are accepted if they are small and behave well.”

Relais Christine (6ème/St. Germain-des-Prés) — “Nous vous remercions de votre email et sommes ravis de confirmer que nous acceptons les animaux de compagnie dans notre hôtel.” (“Ravis”! I just love French.)

Hotel Keppler (8ème/Champs-Elysées) — “Would you like to bring along your loved pet? Domestic animals are welcomed in our trendy hotel.”

Stratospheric hotels

We can all dream, right? Here are three out-of-this-world Paris hotels that welcome pets. I’ve included Le Bristol’s entire response because it is so divinely elegant.

Le Meurice (1er/Tuileries) — This hotel has a special affection for dogs — a stray greyhound became the mascot of workers renovating the hotel at the turn of the last century, and provided the inspiration for the Meurice’s logo.

Plaza Athenée (8ème/Champs-Elysées) — Part of the Dorchester Collection of hotels, along with Le Meurice.

Hôtel Le Bristol (8ème/Faubourg Saint Honoré) — Le Bristol did not have a pet policy page on its site, so I enquired about pets in an e-mail message. I did my best, but my French is limited, and my message was, no doubt, uncouth. Here’s the reply I received. It boils down to “yes, leashed dogs are allowed in the hotel, and if you wish to stay at Le Bristol, just tell us the name and size of your dog.” The complete response, though, is a thing of beauty, and bodes well for the service you’re likely to receive at this marvelous place: “Merci de votre courriel qui nous a été transmis ce matin et surtout d’avoir si aimablement patienté pour notre réponse. Nous permettons en effet aux petits chiens, tenus en laisse bien sûr, l’accès à notre établissement et si vous souhaitez réserver une de nos chambres nous vous demanderons simplement de nous préciser la taille et le nom de votre épagneul. En espérant d’avoir le plaisir de vous accueillir parmi nous dans un avenir proche, nous vous prions d’agréer, Madame, l’expression de nos respectueuses salutations.”

Have I missed your favorite dog-friendly Paris hotel? I’d love to hear about it — please add it to this list in a comment!