Superb boutique hotel in just the right location, close to the Gare Montparnasse and the Métro, an historic building filled with art and transformed into a work of art itself; even the room numbers are hand painted in a style reminiscent of Picasso and Cocteau. Everything about the hotel radiates taste, charm, and refinement--that most French of aesthetic values--yet none of it is off-putting or self-conscious. We've never had a better hotel breakfast buffet, and the breakfast room and front lobby were pleasant places to hang out.
The staff were delightful and helpful always, sensitive to our needs and curious about our own discoveries. And there's a lot to discover close by. The hotel is a few minutes' walk from the grand Montparnasse brasseries, and there are stunningly good small restaurants, too, the shops in the lovely Vavin neighborhood, and the Jardin de Luxembourg. There's a lot of Paris in this small area.
Yes, the rooms are small, though they're not out of line for a European hotel, but the bed was wonderfully comfortable, the fixtures new and as attractive as they are efficient, and the heating/cooling system excellent once I figured it out. There is really nothing we would change; we've found our perfect Paris hotel and look forward to coming back here.