Great location in Latin Quarter
Good-sized bathrooms with tubs in some
Some rooms have balconies
Free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs
Excellent breakfast (costs extra)
Hotel has character, including stained glass windows and medieval touches
Thin walls
Late-night street noise in the front of the building
Elevator is small
The six-floor, 29-room Hotel du College de France is a quiet gem in a quintessentially Parisian location, halfway between the Pantheon and Notre Dame in the bohemian Latin Quarter. The hotel is welcoming and wonderfully French. This clean, comfortable hotel is a great value for such an ideal location, and has plenty of character (particularly for a budget property). Rooms are basic, with carpets and comforters, but they're perfectly adequate for the price.
Scene
Tres Parisienne with a touch of the medieval
The Hotel du College de France is inherently Parisian, with lots of red drapes, artistically worn wood, and a charming spiral staircase (although there is also an elevator). There is a touch of the medieval to the place, with coats of arms, large statues of Joan of Arc, and smaller Knights Templar set around the premises, as well as half-timbered walls. Stained glass windows let in a lot of light from the romantic Latin Quarter streets. The breakfast room and lobby are quaint and comfortable. This is not a modern hotel with soaring ceilings and tons of space; rather, it feels like a lot of life, and joie de vivre, has passed through the narrow, deeply atmospheric corridors of this delightful find.
Location
In the heart of the Latin Quarter and central to everything Paris
The Hotel du College de France's prime feature is its location, which is right in the heart of things. The property sits on a quiet corner in the Latin Quarter, next to the Sorbonne, and midway between Notre Dame and the Pantheon (which are both less than a 10-minute walk away from the hotel). The metro is very close, as are tons of Left Bank restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and clubs. The hotel and other area buildings are classically Parisian; a walk down the street feels like a stroll back in time. The Luxembourg Garden, Saint Germain des Pres, and the Cluny Museum (also known as the National Museum of the Middle Ages) are just a few of the cultural landmarks close to the hotel.
Rooms
Clean and comfortable, with lovely views and quaint iron balconies
Rooms at the Hotel du College de France are clean and big enough to move around. Many of the bathrooms have tubs, which is rare for a small Paris hotel. Decor is plain and simple, though vintage black-and-white photographs are a nice touch. Large windows have floor-skimming drapes, and lovely views of the surrounding streets. Ask for a room with a balcony; the wrought iron terraces add romance, and are nice spots to sit with a glass of wine in the evening light. (If noise is an issue, avoid street-side rooms.) All rooms have ceiling fans, flat-screen TVs, and safes.
Features
A nice breakfast, but it costs extra
The breakfast room feels like a little Parisian cafe, and the buffet breakfast includes large jugs of coffee and hot chocolate, croissants, pain au chocolat, meats, cheeses, and more. It does cost extra, though. One freebie the hotel does offer is Wi-Fi.