I am back from Paris and I have to share with you the review of the great hotel I stayed in : Le Pigalle !
When my business trip to Paris was confirmed, the first thing I did was to spend 2h online, trying to find the best possible hotel! In a sea of possibilities, and with close to zero knowledge of where to stay, it was not an easy mission. Although location was very important of course, most of all I wanted to find a “cool” place. When I am on business trip in the Middle East I always go to classic hotel chains, that offer great quality but little character. I knew I wanted something different out of my Parisian stay. Luckily one of my friends suggested Le Pigalle hotel. Centrally located, trendy / borderline hipster, and on budget, it was a done deal! Since I loved it a lot, I really wanted to share with you my review of Le Pigalle hotel in Paris.
LE PIGALLE – THE LOCATION
If you know a little about Paris, there is a good chance you heard about Pigalle, and probably in derogatory terms : the dirty, sleazy, dodgy, kind of red light district of Paris, home of the famous Moulin Rouge.
Nowadays the nightlife in Pigalle is as lively as it ever was, but strip clubs were replaced by trendy cocktail bars, brothels closed down (apparently there is still one around, I let you find it !!) and sex shops … wait … no, sex shops are still there!
Anyhow, with its new bar and restaurant scene, and a central location on the Rive Droite, it is hip and trendy to stay in Pigalle, and you should experience it when you come to Paris.
LE PIGALLE – THE ROOMS
With 6 types of rooms, from small 12sqm with bunk beds, to the spacious 35sqm suite, there is a room for (almost) everyone at Le Pigalle.
I booked the Pigalle15 room . Upon checking in I though it was a bit small, but soon I felt just like home. That is the thing about this hotel : it is designed to make you feel at home, like in a Parisian apartment with a vintage decoration inspired by the neighbourhood naughty past.
Think classic wooden floors meet suggestive pictures on the walls ! It is really full of charm, and I couldn’t wait to spread my stuff all over the place to feel at ease. After all, I was going to stay for 9 days!
There are a few details in the room that I particularly liked :
– First of all the bed is incredibly comfortable! You can be sure that you will spend a restful night here, and isn’t it the most important after all? Trust me, it was a real challenge to get out of this bed early every morning.
– They have great bathroom products. I have a very sensitive skin, so I value the quality of the hotel amenities. I was excited to see they had full size Le Labo shampoo, shower gel and body lotions. Le Labo is a perfume and cosmetic brand from New York producing Paraben Free, Cruelty free products. You can check it out here.
– Each room has a vinyl player with some awesome records (Pink Floyd, anyone ?) .
– You can order room service from the in room Ipad. It also offers tons of information about the hotel, the best place to go out in the area, the events happening at the hotel, a music playlist etc …
Some of the room are street facing, some have Paris rooftop views, and some have the “courtyard view” which basically means that you have a wall 2m from your window. Although one can argue it is a true Parisian experience (many building have these small courtyard and thus many apartment enjoy that “proximity” with their neighbours), the best thing about these rooms is definitely the calm. Staying on street facing room will offer more of a view but might also get pretty noisy at night, as bars and restaurants line up the street.
As much as I loved the place, I must be fair in my review of Le Pigalle and share with you a couple of points I didn’t like so much: the bottle of rum could be replaced by a coffee maker, a kettle and some bottles of water (I know, not as trendy, but pretty useful). Also, I think all hotels should offer the possibility to not change the bedsheets / towels on a daily basis. It is unnecessary and damaging for the environment.
READ MORE : 10 TIPS TO BE A MORE ECO CONSCIOUS TRAVELER
LE PIGALLE : BREAKFAST & DINER
You can take your breakfast from the main restaurant on the ground floor, or in your room (add.5 EUR) and although the menu is quite limited, it is delicious. Pretty much every day I had a true Parisian breakfast with a croissant, half a baguette with butter and jam, a tea and a fresh orange juice. That is enough to make me happy!
As for the diner, the choice is even more limited and the selection is pretty eclectic ! You can have a soup, a Croque – Monsieur (a great one!), some Sardines and Rillettes and a very good Mousse au chocolat (among a few other things). It was okay for a quick in-room diner once, but the area has a lot more to offer and I recommend to head out at night instead.
LE PIGALLE : THE AMBIANCE
All the staff working here is young, smiley, friendly and helpful, which is always a good thing!
The whole atmosphere is laid back but efficient. One example is the check in – check out process. As there is no reception counter, you are invited to seat on one of the cosy sofa in the bar / restaurant, and the whole process is done through an IPad. I loved that.
What I liked as well, was coming back to the hotel after a long day at work to find the bar restaurant full with a good crowd and a great music!
There is not many places that makes you feel so good that after 8 nights that you still wish you had stayed longer, but LE PIGALLE is one of those.
Voila voila, I hope you liked my review of Le Pigalle hotel, and that I made a convincing argument for you to consider it next time you visit Paris !
A très vite,
From 200 USD/ night for a double room, breakfast included.
How to get there ? Around 60 USD by taxi from CDG (40 min drive) or 55 min by RER + metro , exit Pigalle station.