Hotel the Originals Paris Mouffetard Apolonia

This Comfort Inn occupies five floors of a corner, white masonry building in an area of cobblestone streets with shops, hotels, and restaurants. There's a restaurant on the first floor that's unaffiliated with the hotel, but its bustle and warm yellow lights are beckoning features for the property. The street-facing lobby with louvered blinds is rather spare: There's a leather ottoman or two, some newspapers, and a small, pale violet sofa. Two of the walls are red and there's a shiny orange reception desk. Down a short corridor to the rear of the building, there's a breakfast room with gray or purple tables, and chairs upholstered in purple. Lights ringing a coffered ceiling cast a pale-purple glow and mediate the otherwise lackluster, windowless room. There's a small, wall-mounted TV and, in the morning, various chafing dishes holding what guests routinely describe as a delicious array of breakfast foods. Back stairs in dark wool carpeting lead to the upper floors, but there's also an elevator, a rarity in smaller Parisian hotels. Guests are mainly international couples on vacation. 

Just walking around the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank is a perfectly fulfilling outing for many a tourist, and the Rue Mouffetard, the Comfort Inn's street, is full of small shops and wonderful little restaurants with reasonably priced menus. The neighborhood also offers many sights in walking distance. The Place Contrescarpe, a charming square with literary pedigree and a permanent open-air market, is a two-minute walk away. Also two minutes away on foot is the Place Monge metro stop, while the magnificent Pantheon is a six-minute walk. The Jardin des Plantes and the Musee National d'Histoire Naturelle are around 10 minutes' walk. Around 15 minutes away on foot are the Cluny Museum and its exquisite collection from the Middle Ages, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the elegant, quintessentially French Jardin du Luxembourg. To reach the Louvre, it's around a 15-minute drive or 17-minute train ride. The Eiffel Tower is a 20-minute drive or 41-minute train ride. Charles de Gaulle Airport is a 32-minute drive without traffic.

Rooms and bathrooms at the Comfort Inn Mouffetard are small with stylish decor that tries to squeak out the most of its petite dimensions. For example clean-lined, contemporary desks are built into the walls or sometimes a corner, and reading lights are affixed to the headboards, smooth planks of wood paneling. Bed linens are white with sable brown throws and accent pillows, and the floors are polished and stained sable. Small, flatscreen TVs are affixed to the ceilings, while windows look out on the street or a nondescript interior courtyard. All rooms have mini-fridges, free newspapers, and free Wi-Fi, which can be spotty. Ironing facilities are supplied on request. Bathrooms are quite tiny but chic with plain white walls; white tile with decorative earth-tone stripes at waist level; vessel sinks on trim wooden vanities; and stall showers with glass doors. Hairdryers and hotel-brand toiletries are provided, but there are no tubs nor bidets. Guests often joke that it's difficult to turn around in the bathrooms, due to their small dimensions.

This Comfort Inn offers free Wi-Fi, newspapers, and luggage storage. Its front desk is staffed 24 hours, and a concierge is available during limited hours. The hotel is on five floors with an elevator. A big breakfast is served each morning for a fee and includes croissants, hardboiled eggs, juices, breads, ham, cheese, cold cereal, and coffee. Pets are not allowed, and there's no parking at the property, though that's common for Parisian hotels.