Hotel Baume

Once the Hotel Jardin de l'Odeon, the elegant Hotel Baume is an upscale boutique with vintage elegance inspired by the 1930s. The tone is effectively set in the lobby, where high-back chairs covered in velvety chartreuse fabric are complemented with funky-glam mirrors and lighting. A tiny hall -- where pitchers of fresh juice and baskets of fresh bread are set up in the morning, and where an honor bar is available at night -- connects the lobby to a conservatory-like breakfast room/lounge and a quaint back garden. This scene is quiet, save for guests flipping through "Le Monde" by the street-facing windows or catching up on emails in a back corner banquette. The interior of the elevator is papered in vintage perfume ads and the dark shagreen halls are punctuated by black-and-white ads for Jean Patou "Joy" and Lancome "Fleches," and the shiny gray doors of the guest rooms. Throughout the hotel, a boudoir vibe is shaped by velvets, satins, and brocades and a color tone of black, golds, cloudy silver, and powder pinks. The refined vibe draws primarily older couples of a certain budget; most guests arrive in Ubers with Rimowa luggage in tow.

Hotel Baume is located on the Left Bank, in a quiet area between the tony Saint-Germain-des-Pres and the Latin Quarter. It's located on one of the side streets radiating from the square in front of Odeon-Theatre de l'Europe. Just past the theater, a three-minute walk from the hotel, is the Palais du Luxembourg and the gardens. The Sorbonne and the Pantheon are six and 11 minutes from the hotel by foot, respectively. The neighborhood generally devoid from the hordes of tourists, and populated by quiet restaurants and cafes. From the hotel, it is a five-minute walk from the Odeon metro station (lines 4 and 10). The drive to Orly Airport (ORL) takes about half an hour (or 45 minutes by public transit), while the drive to Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) is usually an hour (or 45 minutes by public transit).

Hotel Baume's 35 rooms and suites come in eight categories, starting with 150-square-foot Classic Rooms to 323-square-foot Balcony Suites overlooking the Odeon Theater. Decor varies among room types, but all rooms are designed to feel like the dressing room of an Old Hollywood starlet. Expect a decadent Deco look with details like heavy silver brocaded curtains, dusty pink lounge chairs, sunburst mirrors, glossy black headboards with silver nailhead trim, and soft gold poufs. Walls may be covered in thick gray damask or satiny striped wallpaper inspired by celluloid spools. Most rooms have lamps shaped like a cloche, the bell-shaped hat popular in the '20s and '30s. For example, the Junior Suites have pale-pink Lolita floor lamps with dainty cut-out trim. Junior Suites also add low grey crushed velvet sofabeds with pale pink suede throw pillows.All rooms have air-conditioning, large flat-screen HDTVs (but not smart TVs) with 60-plus channels, and free Wi-Fi. There is a work desk in every room; in ours, it was a black marble desk with brass trim and legs, with a studded chair upholstered in silver velvet. Safes are available, but they're not big enough for a laptop. One bottle of Evian is provided for free with the nightly turndown. Crystal-cut glasses are by the bedside. Higher-level rooms have Nespresso machines, plus Betjeman & Barton earl grey and chamomile teas. There are no minibars in the rooms, but an honesty bar is set up in the lobby at night.Beautiful white-tiled bathrooms have heated towel racks and either a walk-in rainfall shower or a deep tub with a rainfall showerhead. Some rooms have separate toilet rooms. Toiletries are custom made in Italy for the hotel; they include musky-scented shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and, in room with tubs, bath salts. Sewing kits, shower caps, shoe buffs, nail files, and cotton pads are all provided. There are short monogrammed robes and slippers in every room. Hairdryers are full-size Black Mambo ionic models by Aliseo.Connecting rooms are available, as are two wheelchair-accessible rooms. Note that two top-floor suites can be converted into meeting rooms; these units have Murphy beds with thin mattresses whose springs you can feel. Light sleepers should request a room away from the elevator, which can be disruptive.

Hotel Baume's common features are limited to a glass-covered breakfast area, a small back garden covered in ivy with tables and chairs, and a nightly honesty bar. The breakfast is expensive for what it is and its set-up is awkward; guests help themselves to bread, pastries, and orange and grapefruit juice, all under the careful watch of a server who tracks every piece of bread taken and presents an itemized bill upon departure. Ultimately, guests pay quite a lot for a basic breakfast that they could easily find outside the hotel for a quarter of the price. At least Baume uses Andresy Origines jams and Echire butter. Guests can also opt for more complete meals -- scrambled eggs and bacon or muesli and homemade yogurt -- but these are also expensive for what they are. At night, the breakfast counter turns into an honesty bar with drinks and snacks. Guests can also order dishes with reception, who will arrange for the delivery from an outside restaurant. Options include salmon pasta, beef bourguignon, and crepes Suzette.Same-day laundry and dry-cleaning are available and taxi services can be arranged. Free copies of "Le Figaro" and "Le Monde" are placed in the lobby. Two of the larger, top-floor guest rooms can be converted into meeting rooms. Wi-Fi is free throughout Hotel Baume.