Le Citizen Hotel

Le Citizen Hotel is situated in a small building on a street corner, and guests need to ring a bell to be admitted to reception. There are only 12 rooms in this property, and the intimate, homey feel is enhanced by the numerous thoughtful extras, including the evening drinks (served for guests in the breakfast room) and the phenomenal free breakfasts. The attractive Scandinavian design throughout the hotel incorporates plenty of blonde wood as well as cheerful yellow and blue color accents.

The hotel is located on the Quai de Jemmapes, a lock of the Canal Saint-Martin, which connects the Canal de l'Ourcq to the River Seine. This hotel location provides an opportunity to explore a lesser known part of Paris which mass tourism has so far spared. This popular neighborhood is undergoing transformation, and 10 years ago it wasn't a particularly safe area, but now has trendy cafés, restaurants, bookshops, and art galleries; it's one of the most fashionable parts of Paris for locals. However, this location isn't the most practical for visiting the main tourist attractions; it takes half an hour to get to the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Élysées. It's a 10- to 15-minute walk to the Gare de l'Est, Garde du Norde, and La Republique train and metro stations.

Rooms have simple, sleek furniture in light-colored wood and a Scandinavian feel. Rooms have white bedding as well as blue and yellow color accents (these colors may be present in the pillows, wallpaper accents, or bathroom tiling). Rooms range from the tiny City Room (only 160 square feet) to the Citizen Apartment (540 square feet), which has two bedrooms and can fit up to five guests. Amenities include coffee/tea facilities, free minibar items, slippers, earplugs, and reading lights on the headboard.

With only 12 rooms, the Hotel Citizen hotel is small, and there are unsurprisingly few property features (no fitness center, no full restaurant). But the hotel does offer numerous thoughtful extras to ensure guests feel cared for. These include free minibar items, free freshly made snacks (such as biscuits or cakes), evening drinks, and Wi-Fi. The excellent free breakfast is a highlight, and includes items such as pastries, cooked-to-order eggs, yogurt, fresh fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, smoked salmon, and small hot plates of french toast, croque monsieurs, and pancakes. There are also tablet computers for guests to use.