Hotel Intel: Paris Perfect, Paris, France

Paris Perfect rentals has apartments all over the city ideal for groups, families, or travelers who just like to make their own meals and spread out on a couch in the afternoon. However, now six of their best apartments are within one building on a tiny triangle on Île de la Cité. This flagship property, 25 Place Dauphine, is like a hotel in that it’s all in one building and the staff are at your service with any requests (they will do anything from getting your groceries to teaching you how to use the metro) but different because you can feel like you have a home in Paris (meaning, no one comes to clean you room every day, just like at home, unless you have a maid…), not just some impersonal space.

First Impressions

Huge government buildings seem to shield the triangle that houses Paris Perfect’s new property from the surrounding tourist attractions. Walking into Place Dauphine feels like you’re walking into a secret section of Paris without leaving the center of the city.

There is no signage to let you know you’ve arrived at the building, so just look for number 25 at the tip of the triangle.

The square has a calm feeling that is purported by the uniform buildings, no crazy colors or architecture to attract hordes of onlookers. Most of the edifices on the block have arched windows on both sides of the door and a light exterior. Paris Perfect’s is a shade of sand with red brick detailing and has five-stories. Of course it also has the classic ornate iron Juliet balconies along the tall windows confirming you’ve made it to Paris.

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Walk in the front door where the small lobby with low ceilings directly on your left mimics the tone of Place Dauphine: peaceful. The off-white walls, faux fireplace, plants and four dark gray arm chairs facing each other create a warm space and the gold end tables, picture frames and sconces give it a bit of glam, which is exactly what Paris Perfect represents, cozy opulence.

Keep walking to your apartment, which might be on this floor—if not there are winding stairs and a petite wood-lined elevator.

The Rooms

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25 Place Dauphine consists for six newly remodeled apartments, all with views of the plaza, some with a hint of the Notre Dame. Each apartment has at least 1.5 bathrooms, a fully-functional kitchen, one or two bedrooms, at least one communal space, one sofa bed, hardwood floors, and boat loads of Parisian charm. All the apartments are different, but expect off-white walls, exposed wood beams, fireplace mantles, huge windows and Parisian themed art like paintings of the Seine or photos of the Eiffel Tower (not cheesy, we promise). They packed the apartments with regal furniture in grays and browns, antique finds from the local Paris flea markets and kitschy shelf/table accessories. For example, in most rooms you’ll find a huge vintage mirror above the mantle, a magnifying class with a horn for a handle, and a decorative stone dice set.

While the apartments are small and have a lot going on, it all compliments each other so well, it doesn’t feel cluttered. The angle of the dining table and space between the two jars of shells seem so deliberate, someone must have spent hours putting each piece in place.

All the beds have a tufted gray headboard and matching super soft quilts and pillow cases, while the rest of the bed linens are white, and feel as fluffy as they look.

Some of the apartments are duplexes with winding narrow wood stairs. Others have balconies and huge chandeliers, giving you a little bit of Versailles (OK maybe that’s a stretch, but a girl can dream).

Overall, if you like the Restoration Hardware style—modern design and rich colors with some chic tchotchkes thrown in—you’ll feel right at home in one of these apartments. They’re all so beautiful you’ll almost never want to set foot outside, but since they are so quintessentially European (in our imaginations, anyway), it doesn’t feel so bad if you spend an extra hour or two on the couch under the chandelier or sipping café on the balcony, because you are experiencing life like a true Parisian (the way we think they live, at least).

What Pops

The building was originally erected in 1610 by order of King Henri IV. In the 1600s it provided residences and storefronts for the emerging merchant class. It was turned into a hotel after World War I, and its last occupant was one of the most historic tiny hotels in all of Paris, the Hotel Henri IV.

The building is a protected landmark, and Paris Perfect did everything they could to tell the structure’s story. You’ll see signs from the Hotel Henri IV throughout the communal spaces. And, instead of covering up the wood beams jutting through the ceilings and lining the hallways, Paris Perfect and Chief Architect of the Historical Monuments of France Gabor Mester de Parajd used them to give the accommodations a rustic feel. The original structure also had a cellar, which Paris Perfect uses as a place for gatherings like cooking lessons and wine tastings. They’ve kept the cellar’s cavernous feel utilizing the original limestone tiles and arches, and heightened it by adding leather armchairs and a cowskin rug.

The Locale

Place Dauphine sits on Île de la Cité where Paris was born over 2,000 years ago. So, if you want to be in the beating heart of Paris, this truly is it. In the middle of the city with the Seine on either side, you can be on the left or right bank in a matter of minutes, and walk to major attractions like the Louvre, the Marais and of course, Notre Dame, which is almost directly behind Place Dauphine.

Address: 25 Place Dauphine
Website: Paris Perfect 25 Place Dauphine
Room Rates: From $236/night