Hotel Balmoral

Built in 1880, the six-floor Balmoral Hotel opened its doors to guests in 1902. With a central location in close walking distance to the Arc de Triomphe, the upscale hotel mainly attracts couples but also welcomes travelers with children. The hotel’s staff speaks French, Spanish, Italian, German, and English. The elegant lobby is filled with natural light thanks to large windows that face the cobblestone street that runs in front of the hotel. The interior decor in the lobby lounge is a mixture of classic and contemporary furnishings including light wooden and mirrored wall panels, marble flooring, sculptures, paintings, and plush velvet furniture. The fireplace lounge features colorful artwork, books to borrow, avant-garde dangling light fixtures, and a comfy sectional sofa.

White and brown patterned carpeting lines hallways that feature artwork and photos of French architecture. There’s a small elevator and a spiral stairwell with windows, overlooking the courtyard. The sleek ground-floor courtyard is surrounded by room windows -- featuring intricate wrought-iron railings -- and is decorated with topiaries and black patio furniture. Overall the atmosphere is intimate and polished.

The Balmoral Hotel is on a one-way cobblestone street in the 17th arrondissement with shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes, and Paris landmarks in walking distance. The Charles de Gaulle Metro station, Arc de Triomphe, and Palais des Congres are within five minutes' walking distance. More shopping along the Champs-Elysees is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The Air France bus stop is also a short uphill walk from the hotel. The Eiffel Tower is 24 minutes by subway and the Louvre Museum is 17 minutes via the Metro 1 Line. The Paris Orly Airport is a 40-minute car trip. The Opera Bastille takes 23 minutes by metro.

Rooms here are divided into several categories: Double Classic, Double Superior, Double Prestige and ADA accessible rooms, Suites, and Luxury Apartments. The smallest Double Classic Rooms start at a teensy 15 square meters (160 square feet). Elegant furniture, neutral-colored carpeting, colorful pillows, and artwork fill all the chic rooms. Large windows overlook the Paris streets or hotel’s courtyard. Modern bathrooms offer heated towel racks, and stall showers or shower/tub combos. Rooms feature flat-screen TVs, safes, minibars, and coffee/tea makers. Upgraded rooms have bathrobes, DVD players, espresso machines, and iPod docks. Suites have two flat-screen TVs and living rooms with sofa beds, while the two-bedroom Family Suites have two bathrooms. The two-bedroom Grand Palais and Elysees apartments are on the highest floors with sofa beds and two bathrooms.

The chic breakfast room is accessible from the lobby. Boxed ceiling lights, with leaf patterns, illuminate the dining room that is decorated in classic teal chairs, marble flooring, and black and white cocktail tables. There’s also inset booth seating that provides a bit of privacy. Guests can often be found working from the breakfast room. A printer and an Apple desktop computer are also available at the business corner.

The 24-hour lobby bar also serves cocktails in the stylish ground-floor lounge. There is a small outdoor patio with tables and chairs. Wi-Fi is free and there are iPads available for rent.