Bonne Nuit Paris (3rd arrondissement)

There are wooden beams galore, a magnificent period parquet floor in the lounge-cum-dining room, sumptuous terracotta tiling made by the craftsman appointed to both the Châteaux of Versailles and Chambord.  In this esteemed Maison de Maître bourgeois townhouse, all of the work has been carried out by specially selected craftsmen.

On the ground floor there is a studio (with kitchenette) and a bedroom overlooking the courtyard; on the first floor are two rooms with private access. The ground floor studio which looks out onto Rue Charlot is an exceptional place for observing the life of the district. Certain foreign guests appreciate this experience even more than visiting the Pompidou Centre: “the real Paris experience!”  Jean-Luc is keen to maintain the friendliness peculiar to the chambres d’hôtes whilst respecting the independence of his guests.

One particular feature you will find on the breakfast table is Périgord honey produced by Jean-Luc himself. As an ex-advisor in international finance he is now a graduate of the Jardin du Luxembourg’s Central Society of Apiculture and Entomology. A 'happy beekeeper' as the late French songwriter Bashung used to sing.

And of course there is le Marais itself.  Wandering around this district is a true delight.  Jean-Luc and his wife have been living there for 25 years and know every part of it. Rue Charlot is the old street of craftsmen and workshops, but nowadays it is full of designers, stylists and similar boutiques.  There is also Julien the wine merchant, the Italian restaurant Innamorati or even the Marché des Enfants Rouges (located next to Rue de Bretagne) the oldest market in Paris which opened in 1628. The Bonne NuitChambre d’hôte is situated roughly ten minutes on foot from the Georges Pompidou Centre, Les Halles and numerous other Parisian monuments.