Hôtel Pavillon de la Reine is the romantic choice in the Marais: a small luxury hotel on Place des Vosges, the oldest planned square in Paris, with 56 rooms, a spa with a hammam and a Michelin-starred restaurant named Anne. The hotel takes its name from Anne of Austria, the queen linked to the 17th-century pavilion on the square. Place des Vosges was inaugurated in 1612, when it was called Place Royale and it still looks much as it did then: red brick facades, slate roofs and vaulted arcades around a garden of lime trees and fountains.
For a honeymoon, the appeal is the address. You step out under the arcades into one of the most beautiful squares in Europe and within five minutes you are in the lanes of the Marais with their galleries, falafel shops and late wine bars. Back inside, the hotel is calm and set back from the square.
It suits couples who want a lively neighborhood, a proper dinner without leaving the building and a little history. Choose elsewhere if you want river views or big rooms.
Highlights at a glance
- Address on Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris
- Michelin-starred Restaurant Anne
- 250 m² spa with hammam and jacuzzi
- 56 rooms, including the Suite de la Reine
- Easy walk to Île Saint-Louis and the Seine
Why Couples Love Pavillon de la Reine
The square does half the work. Early in the morning, before the cafés under the arcades open, Place des Vosges is almost silent and a walk around it with a coffee is one of the nicest ways to start a day in Paris. On Sunday afternoons the lawns fill with picnics and street musicians play under the vaults.
The hotel itself is discreet. It is set back from the square rather than right on it, which keeps the noise down and the décor leans toward dark wood, rich fabrics and antiques. Service is personal in the way of a smaller hotel. The staff are used to anniversaries and proposals and can arrange flowers or Champagne in the room. The Marais location also means you are a short walk from the Seine, Île Saint-Louis and Notre-Dame.
Rooms and Suites to Book
The 56 rooms fall into eight categories: Classic, Superior and Deluxe Rooms, Junior Suites and Junior Suite Prestige, Family Rooms, Suites, the Suite de la Reine and Le Petit Pavillon.
Classic Rooms are compact, as in most historic Paris buildings and fine if you are mainly out exploring. For a honeymoon, a Deluxe Room or a Junior Suite gives you more room to unpack and a sitting area for room-service breakfast. The Suite de la Reine is the showpiece and the one to book if the budget allows a splurge. Le Petit Pavillon, which sleeps up to four, is a separate space that offers more privacy than a standard suite.
When you book, ask for a quiet room facing the garden side rather than the street. The hotel can confirm which rooms have the best light.
Food, Drink and the Spa
Restaurant Anne is the hotel's Michelin-starred table, led by chef Thibault Sombardier with executive chef Matthieu Pirola. The cooking is seasonal and precise, with menus that change with what arrives each day. It serves lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. A weekday lunch menu of about €79 for three courses is the most affordable way to try it and dinner is worth booking well ahead for your first or last night. On Sundays the hotel serves brunch and there is a bar for a nightcap.
The Spa de la Reine covers about 250 m² with a hammam, a jacuzzi, a fitness room and two treatment cabins. Treatments are personalized and use products developed with the French formulator CODAGE. The spa is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and also accepts outside guests, so book your slots early.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do in the Marais
The Marais rewards slow wandering. Start at Place des Vosges, where Victor Hugo's former apartment is now a free museum. Walk west through the lanes to the Musée Picasso and the Musée Carnavalet, the history museum of Paris. Rue des Rosiers is famous for falafel and Jewish bakeries, while the streets of the northern Marais are full of independent boutiques and concept stores.
If one of you likes shopping and the other prefers sitting at a café terrace, this neighborhood works well for both. In the evening, cross the Pont Marie to Île Saint-Louis for an ice cream and a stroll along the quays, then walk back via the Hôtel de Ville. The Centre Pompidou and the Louvre are both reachable on foot and the Bastille Métro station is a few minutes away for the rest of the city.
Getting There
Most nonstop flights from the US arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). A taxi to the Marais takes about 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. Official taxis from CDG charge a fixed fare to central Paris, which avoids surprises after a long flight. Orly (ORY) is a good alternative for flights within Europe.
If you are continuing south by train, Gare de Lyon is only a short taxi ride from the hotel, which makes Pavillon de la Reine a practical first stop before Provence. The nearest Métro stations are Bastille, Chemin Vert and Saint-Paul, each within a few minutes' walk. Cars cannot pull up right at the arcades, so the hotel will advise the best drop-off point when you book a transfer.
Is It Worth It?
Pavillon de la Reine is good value for a luxury hotel in central Paris if you love the Marais. It costs much less than the palace hotels, yet it has a starred restaurant, a real spa and a setting that is hard to match anywhere in the city. Rates swing widely by season, so check direct and compare with packages that include breakfast or spa access.
Pick elsewhere if your picture of Paris involves views of the Eiffel Tower or the Seine from the room, since the hotel offers neither. Pick elsewhere too if you want large rooms at the entry price, or a pool. For couples who want to wander through the oldest square in Paris at dawn and dine downstairs at night, it is one of the most romantic small hotels in the city.
Insider tips
- Book the weekday lunch menu at Anne for a starred meal at a fraction of the dinner price.
- Reserve spa slots for late afternoon, when you come back footsore from walking.
- Visit the Maison de Victor Hugo on the square early, before the tour groups.
- Use Gare de Lyon, a short taxi ride away, if you are taking the train on to Provence.
