Below the Palais Royal

A split-level apartment in the heart of the 1st arrondissement, with the Palais-Royal Gardens on your doorstep and the Louvre just eight minutes on foot. The layout works in your favour – the living area sits on the ground floor with a street-facing window, while the bedroom is on the lower level, keeping sleeping and socialising neatly separate. Self check-in means you arrive on your own schedule, and air conditioning keeps things comfortable when the city heats up. Notre-Dame is a twenty-seven-minute walk; the Musée d'Orsay, with its Impressionist collection, a seventeen-minute stroll.

Home truths:
* The living room faces directly onto the street at ground level. Some guests have noted that passers-by are visible through the window, and there can be early-morning noise from nearby restaurant deliveries – worth bearing in mind if you're a light sleeper.
* The bedroom is in the basement and has no window, so there's no natural light or view here.
* As is common in France, the toilet is separate from the bathroom.
* You won't find an oven here – though there is a hob. We think the kitchen is better suited to prepping lighter bites than large meals.
* Parking in central Paris can be challenging – we recommend making the most of the city's excellent public transport network or exploring on foot.