41 boulevard Saint Michel, Paris, France | (888) 710-7049
Excellent Left Bank location near Notre Dame and other popular sites
Ultra-stylish interiors with custom wallpaper, fabrics and furnishings
Chic rooms with airy decor with minibars and monogrammed towels
Wide range of rooms, from wee singles to a sizable suite
Some rooms have soaking tubs and Juliet balconies
Continental breakfast buffet served in an attractive dining room
Concierge service, dry cleaning/laundry service, and room service
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Very short on hotel features (no full restaurant or bar)
Potential for some street noise in boulevard-view rooms
Breakfast only free for guests with direct bookings
This 27-room, four-pearl boutique hotel happily marries the Latin Quarter's romantic side with its youthful Sorbonne spirit. Offering a très chic take on Lewis Carroll’s children’s tales, Le Lapin Blanc (or, in English, The White Rabbit) is notable for its clean-lined look and dreamy decor, all of which provide a welcome respite given the hotel’s lively location on Boulevard Saint-Michel. The guest rooms -- complete with custom wallpaper and Scandinavian-style furnishings -- could have been lifted from the pages of a decorating magazine, but the property is otherwise short on features. As an alternative, the nearby Select Hotel aims to fill a similar boutique niche, often at lower rates. But here decor isn't quite as polished.
Scene
An Alice-themed, design-oriented oasis on Paris’s Left Bank
The name of this hotel ("the white rabbit") provides a clue to its Wonderland-themed interior, designed by architect Rémi Chevrillon and artist Anaïs Albar. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it front door doubles as a metaphoric rabbit hole, beyond which guests step through the looking glass -- or at least they walk beside one since a floor-to-ceiling mirror, inscribed with a quote from Lewis Carroll, runs the length of the narrow entry hall. This lends an illusion of space but can’t conceal how tiny Le Lapin Blanc's tiled, pastel-colored reception area really is. A few steps from it, an equally little lounge contains a pair of Eames-ish armchairs, a matching settee, Alice-inspired art and artifacts, plus a guest computer. The only other common area is the basement breakfast room; however, that doesn’t seem to bother the romance-seeking hipsters who happily retreat to the privacy of its Instagram-able guest rooms.
Location
Ideally situated in the heart of the Latin Quarter
Le Lapin Blanc is wedged between two storefronts on Boulevard Saint-Michel, the Latin Quarter’s main commercial artery. Lined with shops and eateries, the boulevard bustles day and night, but the hotel’s proximity to the Luxembourg Gardens means that it's easy to find a quiet escape. The Musée National du Moyen Âge (home to the famed Lady and the Unicorn tapestries) is only three minutes away on foot, and the Seine is just a quick six-minute walk north; bridges spanning it take pedestrians to top stops on Île de la Cité, including Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte-Chapelle, in 10 minutes. Half a dozen metro stations are also within a 10-minute trek on foot -- the closest being Cluny-La Sorbonne, which is a mere five minutes away.- Three-minute walk to Musée National du Moyen Age (aka The Cluny Museum)
Rooms
Rooms in soft, powdery hues designed for modern-day romantics
Although inspired by a kids’ lit classic written in the 19th century, this hotel has grown-up appeal and an up-to-date look. Rooms vary widely in terms of size (the smallest are just 140 square-feet; the largest, which have dedicated seating areas, are 430). Each of the hotel’s six floors showcases a different color, creating soothing retreats in hues like shell-pink, pearl-gray, and cafe-au-lait. All rooms are airy and share common design elements -- custom-made wallpaper and Scandinavian-style furniture among them. Not surprisingly, bunny motifs also abound (note the cute porcelain mugs with their cottontail handles); retro touches, like the rotary princess phones, add yet another layer of playfulness.The soft, powdery palette of the decor is offset with natural oak accents, and monochromatic fabrics keep rooms from seeming overly feminine. Bathrooms are equally stylish often with matte-white soaking tubs or walk-in showers right in the sleeping area. (Toilets, thankfully, remain separate.) Other in-room features include air-conditioning, soundproofed windows, flat-screen TVs with international channels, minibars, tea/coffee-making facilities, Le Lapin Blanc-branded toiletries, monogrammed towels, and free Wi-Fi. Some rooms include wrought-iron Juliet balconies that look out over the street scene.
Features
A lobby lounge and breakfast room lead the list of short amenities
There is no getting around the fact that Le Lapin Blanc is stripped down when it comes to features. Indeed, the list of common spaces doesn’t extend past the little lobby and the basement breakfast room. The former contains a 24-hour reception desk plus a tiny lounge area with reading material and a guest computer. The latter is a stylish room with a retro Smeg fridge, Scandinavian-style chairs and tables designed by Quantic Studio. Note that the Continental breakfast buffet served in it daily is free for guests who book directly through the hotel website. Despite the overall romantic vibe, children are welcome; both family rooms and connecting rooms are available. Discounts are offered to any guest making reservations either through the hotel’s website or Facebook page; a cultural package (which includes breakfast and a Paris Museum pass) may appeal to cost-conscious travelers as well. Other on-site perks include concierge service, dry cleaning/laundry service, room service, and free Wi-Fi throughout.