Home MODERNE

The Home Moderne is small but mighty, set in a former 1970s apartment building. Its stylish Art Deco doors and entrance lead into a petite lobby that doesn't feel cramped but rather stylish and French. The black- and-white tile floor sets the tone for the lobby, which is pretty with funky touches, such as an old-time telephone switchboard used as a side table. The breakfast room is furnished with high pub tables and stools, nice lighting and walls painted "calm," offering a stylish beginning to a day in Paris. The courtyard is a cozy, charm-laden space carved out between buildings, with stone flooring, pretty iron tables with mosaic tops, and bright-pink sunbrellas. A romantic iron fire escape staircase leads from upper floors into the space, giving it a timeless La Boheme flavor, sans operatic suffering. The Home Moderne, in the French manner, offers the perfect amount of charm and space, neither too much nor too little.

The Home Moderne is in a quiet neighborhood in the 15th arrondissement, near the exhibition hall at Porte de Versailles. While the location can be convenient for business travelers, sightseers might find it a bit out of the way. The surrounding streets are lined with little shops, bakeries, and restaurants, and there's a Sunday morning farmers' market. It is a pleasant 12-minute walk to the metro (the station is Convention), and from there it's a 15-minute ride to the Eiffel Tower (on foot, it takes 40 minutes). The bus stops right outside the hotel and takes passengers on a scenic ride through the center of town, as does the nearby tram.

Rooms at Home Moderne are small but not claustrophobic. They have pretty wood floors and modern textiles and furniture, including small dressers. Everything is clean; guests may request a nonsmoking room. Summer guests should note that not all rooms have air conditioning. "Family" rooms are larger corner rooms with big bathrooms. Standard rooms have small, perfectly adequate bathrooms with walk-in showers; some have tubs. Alley-view guestrooms have a romantic vantage point between old-style buildings, with gabled rooftops, and climbing ivy. Each room has everything a larger hotel provides: plentiful toiletries, safes, cable, mini-fridges, flat screen TVs, and most rooms hace coffee/tea service.

The Home Moderne offers a plentiful breakfast with ham, cheese, and a machine that boils eggs to order, all for a reasonable price. There is a parking garage nearby that takes online reservations; space must be reserved in advance, and the entrance is a bit hard to find.