Hotel Le M Paris

On a bustling, old-theater street, Hotel Le M's 19th-century busy facade features a Palladian window, massive rotunda, and peaked roof. The reception area, with its curved red desk, glossy dark-wood floors, and frosted glass partitions, resembles a casino bar. The area is spacious and includes a wall-mounted TV and mirrored table. The high-ceilinged breakfast room is a nice place for guests to linger; its high-gloss black wood buffet and pendant lights make an attractive display. The backdrop is a dramatic glass-enclosed staircase. Local and international newspapers and magazines, heavy on finance, are on-hand. Upstairs is the Bar Le Must and Library. Art consists of some modern sculptures and black-and-white photos of Paris and its architecture. A hint of casino decor is evident again in the many reflective surfaces and sheer drapes tinged violet from colored lighting. For business travelers winding down a tough day or tourists needing a lift before heading out to dinner, the bar is snappy, and its seating fosters conversation. 

The rue de la Gaite, where Hotel Le M is located, is packed with theaters, including the famous Bobino Music Hall, bars, bistros, comedy clubs, and sex shops. Some rooms have views of the Montparnasse Tower, a five-minute walk away. The hotel is conveniently located near three metro stops: Gaite (Line 13), Edgar-Quinet (Line 6), and Montparnasse-Bienvenue (Line 4, 12, and 13). The picturesque Luxembourg Gardens is a 13-minute walk from the hotel, as is the famous Montparnasse Cemetery, where several renowned artists and writers are buried. The Eiffel Tower is six metro stops from Montparnasse-Bienvenue, while Notre Dame Cathedral is about a 20-minute metro ride. Charles de Gaulle Airport is at least a 40-minute drive, depending on traffic.

Hotel Le M's 59 guest rooms have a certain glossy look with fashionable touches. Some of have terraces, which offer views of the Montparnasse Tower. All the rooms have high ceilings, making them look spacious, along with dramatic dark wood furnishings and glossy dark floors. The color palette tends toward charcoal gray, chocolate brown, and black with cream accent pillows and drapes, or an upholstered chair in houndstooth check. Some rooms have cloth canopies suspended from the ceiling over the beds, and leopard print carpeting. Pampering touches include terrycloth robes and slippers. Rooms include tea- and coffee-making facilities, trouser presses, minibars with beverages, safes, and built-in desks with a  strip of multiple outlets for electronics. Bathrooms have rectangular tiles in a white-grained sandy hue or large, cocoa tiles, and include hairdryers, towel dryers, and magnifying mirrors, In the larger rooms, a picture window separates the bathtub from the bedroom -- there's a privacy blind. Smaller rooms have square white porcelain sinks that are attractively suspended but don't leave much room for toiletries. Some shower stalls have both power and rainfall showerheads. The toiletries are Charles Aurel. Guests have complained that the sinks and tubs could use a bit more scrubbing. 

The hotel's breakfast isn't included in room rates, but it's served in an attractive rotunda room. There's also a bar with a book-lending library -- but there's no full restaurant serving lunch or dinner. The reception desk at the Hotel Le M is staffed 24 hours, and the concierge will arrange for theater tickets and airport transfers. There's a small business center, two meeting rooms for up to 70 people, and a banquet hall for 120. These spaces look out on a terrace. Guests can borrow books from the bar. A fitness and massage center is slated to open in the fall of 2015. Wi-Fi is free throughout.