Why stay at a One Star Hotel in Paris?

Our first visit to this hotel was in 1991 when we took our kids out of primary school and went around Europe and England in a motor home for three months. After we took the motorhome back to the UK, then we had a week in Paris, and that’s when we had our first stay in this hotel.

We stayed at Hotel Marignan, in the Latin Quarter, because it was cheaper than many others and in a really good location. From that point onwards there has been no other hotel for us in Paris, and yes, we have been back a few times. It’s a brilliant city.

There’s also something wonderfully nostalgic about returning to the same city, the same neighbourhood and the same hotel over so many years. We first stayed at Hotel Marignan in 1991, returned in 2013 and came back again in 2025. Paris has changed, the Latin Quarter has evolved, and the hotel’s rooms and décor have been refreshed and improved, yet somehow it still feels reassuringly familiar. Walking through the door and settling back into this part of Paris feels less like arriving at a hotel and more like coming home.

Now, why this hotel – here are the reasons why!

1. It’s walking distance to Notre Dame and Sorbonne.
2. It’s close to Left Bank Market Stalls on the banks of the Seine.
3. There are great food shops in the area close to the hotel, including a place with award winning croissants.
4. Nearly all the rooms are ensuites.
5. Breakfast is included and delicious – check out the award winning croissants.
6. The kitchen is left open until 9pm and you can use it to cook a meal so long as you clean up afterwards.
7. The dining room is left open until 9pm and you can use that too. We took pizza back there once, and it was just a very normal thing to do.
8. When they have finished their own washing, you can use the hotel’s washing machines and dryers. An absolute winner when you are travelling.
9. It’s owned by a hands-on family, and they were there when we started going there, and were still there in 2025.
10. The ‘road’ outside has been turned into a walk way with a garden in the middle of it. It’s still big enough for emergency vehicles, but there’s no traffic going up and down every hour of every day.
11. They love Australians. Why? Simple really, they say we don’t complain like some other nationalities do.

With all those good things, are there any possible poor things at Marignan?

Well, just one as far as I’m concerned. There are 6 floors of rooms, but no lift. So, if you get a 6th floor room you certainly get your essential exercise every day! Last time we were there, we pointed out our ages and asked for lower floors. We got a room on the 3rd floor because 1 and 2 were having some upgrading work on them. As soon as they opened rooms on the 2nd floor, we moved down a floor.

This may be a hotel, but it’s really like coming home to a cousins place and having a great time in their city and in their home. It may only be 1 Star but it batted well above its weight. It helped that it meant so much more to Peter and I having been there before all of those years ago... Try it out for yourself!

HOTEL MARIGNAN - LATIN QUARTER - FRANCE