When Dan and I started planning our most recent trip to Paris, finding the perfect place to stay was at the front of my mind. I’ve stayed in a four star hotel in the 2nd arrondissement and a quirky Airbnb in le Marais, both of which had their charms and downfalls, but for this trip—our long-awaited Parisian honeymoon—finding the perfect home base seemed more crucial than ever. Enter the Hôtel & Spa Royal Madeleine, my new favorite hotel in Paris.
A Prime Location
Where you stay can have a huge impact on your vacation. It is true that in Paris, you can stay virtually anywhere and be an easy train or bus ride away from wherever you want to go. The metro system is amazingly efficient, but riding the metro trains everywhere can be a time-consuming, cost-prohibitive, and rather unromantic way to spend precious vacation time. I much prefer to be able to walk and enjoy the atmosphere of the Parisian streets whenever possible, so when choosing a hotel, a central, walkable location is my number one priority.
Located in the fashionable 8th arrondissment, The Hôtel & Spa Royal Madeleine provides a perfect blend of location and style. The district is known for its luxury shops, beautiful architecture and elegant atmosphere. The 8th arrondissement is home to the famed Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées, flagship stores for brands like Louis Vuitton and Guerlain, and the French equivalent of the White House. The hotel is within easy walking distance to places like the Louvre, Sacré-Cœur, and the Palais Garnier. For farther-flung destinations, there are several metro stations nearby as well as a major train station, the Gare Saint-Lazare.
Stylish Rooms & Amenities
In a city like Paris, style is everything. The Hôtel & Spa Royal Madeleine, renovated in 2018, is a chic boutique hotel with 59 rooms, an onsite bar and restaurant, and a tranquil pool, spa, and sauna.
The rooms have a classic, timeless appeal with some modern updates: a bold accent wall here, some fun patterned tile or a cluster of eclectic art prints there. Elegant molding, pillowy white bedding, and enormous windows overlooking charming single-lane streets complete the room. The overall effect is that of a quiet oasis in the midst of one of Paris’ most stylish districts.
Every room is outfitted with soft white bathrobes, a minibar, a coffee maker, complimentary water bottles, and—my favorite part— toiletries from l’Occitane. Rooms and suites, many of which have large terraces, range from 15-52m² in size.
Downstairs, there is an airy dining area featuring wicker-backed chairs and fun, colorful entrees like poke bowls, avocado toast, and ceviche. Whimsical orange trees stretch toward the skylight-studded ceiling, while black and white accent tiles and brightly colored pillows lend a cozy feel to the room. A breakfast buffet is available for an additional €20 per person.
Steps away from the dining room is the Royal Au Bar, a fun little hangout spot with a separate street entrance. The menu includes classic cocktails like gin and tonic and aperol spritz, as well as several reasonably-priced wines, beer, and an assortment of spirits. There is also a very limited tapas-style menu with items like a charcuterie board or roasted Camembert with honey and thyme.
Our favorite amenity, however, is the relaxing pool and sauna on the bottom floor. With relaxing zen music and the fragrance of cedar, spearmint and lemon filling the room, the pool is the perfect place to unwind after long days out in the city. Like the rest of the hotel, the pool area is beautifully decorated with light stone accent walls, neutral uplighting, and hanging chairs finished with cozy cream-colored cushions. A mirrored ceiling over the pool doubles the visual space without detracting from the room’s intimate, relaxed vibe. There is a small fitness center on this level, as well as a day spa with a full menu of facial, body, and massage treatments.
Our Experience
From check-in to check-out, we absolutely loved our stay at the Hôtel & Spa Royal Madeleine. The hotel’s location and modern-classic design were right up my alley, and the staff was friendly and courteous. The concierge was very helpful, for example, in helping us to print our last-minute Disneyland tickets.
We booked the “classic room,” which at 15-18 m² (or 161-194 ft²) is the smallest room available. We found the room surprisingly spacious, with a full bathroom and plenty of space to move about. The huge windows let in plenty of light, and with both sheer white curtains and heavier, light-blocking drapes, we had plenty of control over how much privacy we wanted. I loved that the windows opened up onto the street for a balcony feel at a fraction of the cost.
Location-wise, the hotel was perfect for exploring Paris and for getting out of the city. We walked to Sacré-Cœur on our first day at the Hôtel & Spa Royal Madeleine, and strolled over to Saint Germain in the evening for dinner. The Champs-Élysées was an easy ten-minute walk away, as were the Tuileries and the Place de la Concorde. Within Paris, we took metro trains to visit Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Atelier des Lumières.
The hotel’s proximity to the Gare Saint Lazare and Auber stations made getting out of the city a breeze. We were able to take a day trip to beautiful Giverny from Gare Saint Lazare, and took the RER A on two occasions: once to visit Disneyland, and again to travel to Charles de Gaulle airport. The Roissybus, which picks travelers up just outside the Palais Garnier, was another convenient option for transportation to and from the airport.
Back at the hotel, we loved hanging out on the spa level, enjoying some time at the pool and sauna. I didn’t care much about the pool when we initially booked our stay at the Hôtel & Spa Royal Madeleine. I was more interested in the style and convenience of the place. The pool turned out to be an unexpected highlight of our trip, however. It was wonderfully luxurious to don our bathrobes and recharge in the sauna or give our tired feet a rest in the pool, then head upstairs to change and head back out into the city for dinner.
We did not take advantage of the breakfast buffet, because €20 seems a little steep for pastries, juice, and coffee. We much preferred going out to various cafés for breakfast each morning. We did, however, visit the bar one evening after returning from Disneyland to find most nearby restaurants closed for the night. It seemed like a popular destination for post-work drinks, based on the crowd, but we were disappointed to find that there was no more food available. Or rather, there was no more bread available to serve with the various spreads and cheeses, and what would life be without bread? We did enjoy a glass of wine each, however, and probably would have stayed longer were we not hungry.
In Summary
We loved our honeymoon stay at the Hôtel & Spa Royal Madeleine. From its luxurious amenities its stylish decor to its prime location, this is a hotel I’d stay at over and over again if given the chance. While we have no immediate plans to return to France, we think of this hotel often and find ourselves price-checking random dates just in case Paris comes calling.
Interested in checking out the Hôtel & Spa Royal Madeleine for yourself? Click here to book your stay!
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