Hotel des Grandes Ecoles

The Grandes Ecoles occupies a special place among Parisian hotels. More like a country manor than a city hotel, it’s hidden down a cobbled lane in a gorgeous garden – yet it’s also beside a buzzy square and close to a food market in the convivial Latin Quarter.

The hotel’s 51 floral, antique-filled rooms are spread across the main house and three other buildings, and there’s a lovely, shady garden that’s an oasis of calm after a day’s sightseeing. It’s also a divine spot for a relaxed breakfast in summer – you could be in Provence rather than Paris. It’s friendly and family-run – many staff have been here for decades.

Step out of the hotel and you’re seconds from the pavement cafés of Place de la Contrescarpe and ancient, atmospheric Rue Mouffetard.

This is a wonderful location if you want to explore the historic Latin Quarter, with its famous universities, and absorb the aura of the area’s expat literary heritage – Hemingway, Joyce and Orwell all lived nearby.