Hotel Mayet

Class: Comfort

Style: Cheerful

Rooms: 23

At this late date the mere fact of a contemporary-style hotel in Paris may not be enough to raise eyebrows. But add to that the fact that Hotel Mayet manages to come in at a starting rate of under €120 per night, and you’ve got yourself a story. In this case we’re not talking about the kind of haute-luxury minimalism that fills the pages of the interior design magazines. The Mayet is perhaps brighter, more cheerful, more colorful and eclectic than what we’re used to seeing; there are options around Paris if you’d like to stay somewhere more sober and grown-up, and pay twice as much while you’re at it. From the lobby, bedecked with graffiti by a local Parisian artist, you know what you’re in for. The rooms continue on in the same vein, not the biggest rooms in the city, but livened considerably by the simple shapes and vibrant colors. Services are on the light side, as you’d expect for the price, but the basics are accounted for. Breakfast is included, wi-fi is free, and most anything else you’d need is practically right at your doorstep — the Mayet’s location, near the Boulevard Montparnasse, places the best of Paris at your feet.