In the French capital there’s a bed (or a tepee or a poolside lounger) for every kind of kid, from the budding Degas to the water baby
LessWaking up in the heart of bohemian Paris will please parents. The magical ambiance of old wood, toile and tapestry will enchant little ones and give them a sense of place.
The triple rooms are the ideal pied-à-terre for shopping the turreted “grands magasins” — like Galeries Lafayette, a few minutes’ walk away. But the interconnecting rooms are a godsend for kids craving a little independence from the olds.
Ticking off the big five on your Parisian safari? From this Seine-side patch, centrally located in the Latin Quarter, you’ve got the Eiffel Tower to your left, the National Museum of Natural History to your right, Notre-Dame, Bateaux-Mouches and the Louvre straight ahead.
Overlook the big-brand blandness of the exterior and you’ll see some hotels can please all the people all of the time. The city’s most tourist-friendly Novotel is surrounded by shopping, Metro stations and banner sights, such as the Seine and Eiffel Tower, steps away.
If you can piggyback your child for 20 minutes, they’ll never have to walk, with the Louvre, Pompidou and Musée d’Orsay an easy stroll from this centrally located affordable gem.
Cue the collective “whoa!” when you walk into the lobby. Few family-friendly hotels in Paris are this unrepentantly exuberant — there’s not a wall without a double-height mural, textured panelling, ribbed glass or flamboyant terrazzo.
Just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean leaving behind the vogue-ish quarters of your misspent youth. Apart from being dead cool, the Marais is where you’ll find bold street art, crêpes at all hours and shops like La Perlerie, where kids can sift through bins of beads to string their own jewellery. Centrally located among them is Jeanne d’Arc, where family rooms have a “snug” with twin beds and more living space than you’d expect.
Ever landed on a family holiday, put the kids to bed in a dark room, then whispered, “Now what?” Don’t become a cautionary tale. This bijou family hotel in Paris will park your double buggy, secrete you away in the apartement, ring a trusted sitter and see you on your way.
When you’re on that kind of holiday, staff of the art nouveau Bristol have umpteen tricks up the sleeves of their starched white uniforms. Swimming lessons in the sixth-floor pool? Done. Special dairy-free no-veg menu? Done.
Is it off the beaten path? Sure, if you’re not into tennis at Roland-Garros, football at Stade Jean Bouin, pedal-boating or simply running around the Bois de Boulogne, across the road. Not to mention that the hotel itself is renowned for its art deco pools.