Hôtel Balzac

For a couple that likes books as much as Mr Smith and I do, there’s a particular romance to finding a hotel on the corner of Rue Balzac and Rue Lord Byron. Here, two literary giants welcome us to the charm and elegance of Hôtel Balzac. 

We both work in the arts and are in the city for Paris Photo, the world’s greatest photography fair. So where to stay? The 8th arrondissement, with its grand Haussmannian architecture, can be a bit stuffy, but we want to be close to the fair at the Grand Palais. And so Hôtel Balzac seems perfect. It’s just a short walk up a cobbled street from the noise and bustle of the Champs-Elysées, and a 10-minute stroll from the Arc de Triomphe. It’s also excellent for the Métro, particularly our favourite line, the No 1 at George V, and further up the avenue, the No 9 at Franklin D Roosevelt. 

What we instantly like about Hôtel Balzac is its elegance and modesty. Too often, boutique hotels shout out their ‘hipness’ with unnecessary and annoying interior-design details. Balzac, by contrast, knows it is special, and declares it with a whisper. 

The entrance lobby says it all. A classical marble floor, warm oak-panelled walls and modern white sofas set the scene for the entire hotel. The designers have pulled off the wonderful trick of combining 19th-century Parisian elegance with a 20th-century mix of art deco and sparse but warm modernity. Wherever you go in this hotel, you feel supremely comfortable, without having cushions thrown at you. 

The open-plan lobby leads into a beautiful, glass-ceilinged breakfast and tea room, and because we’re here in November, we immediately gravitate to the sofa in front of the open fireplace. And yes, those burning logs are real. This is where we breakfast each morning, and delicious it is too: soft-boiled eggs, croissants, bowls of berries and excellent coffee. 

Venture further through the breakfast room and some steps take you down into a dimly lit, exquisite deco cocktail bar, perfect for pre-dinner and late-night drinks. To call this bar romantic would be an understatement. 

It’s worth noting that the artwork hanging in these rooms, and throughout the hotel, is sophisticated and beautifully judged. This is not the usual smorgasbord of contemporary work. Instead, there’s a classy mix of mainly mid-century drawings and paintings. We love finding the right frames for our own art and couldn’t help noticing how thoughtfully this collection has been framed and hung. Bravo to the art advisor. 

It won't come as a surprise to discover that there are more aesthetic treats downstairs in the basement, ready for when you want some exercise or pampering. The gym is small but beautifully equipped, with all the machines fashioned from wood. And then there’s the serene Japanese Ikoi Spa, complete with a sauna and plunge pool. You really could be in Tokyo or Kyoto. 

And so up to our suite on the fifth floor. I turn the key and we step into a beautiful, hushed bubble. Filled with creams and honey tones, the rooms are simultaneously warm and inviting, yet bright and spacious. There’s a luxurious oversize king bed, specially made Thirties-style furniture, and a magnificent marble bathroom. It’s got it all: a freestanding bath tub, a generous walk-in shower and our favourite Diptyque bath products. 

From our terrace and bedroom, the views of the Eiffel Tower are quite sensational. And for guests with a sense of the absurd, there’s also the extraordinary spectacle of the 10-storey silver suitcase currently covering the building site of the new Louis Vuitton flagship store. Downright vulgar or post-modern silliness? You be the judge. 

Here, mornings begin slowly. Curtains open onto soft Parisian light, zinc roofs glowing pearly grey and the Eiffel Tower acting as a quiet punctuation mark. We linger longer than planned, coffee taken on the terrace despite the chill, wrapped in robes as the city stirs below. 

The service throughout our stay is instinctive rather than showy. Staff seem to know exactly when to engage and when to disappear, offering recommendations with confidence but never insistence. You quickly feel recognised but never watched. 

There’s no formal restaurant, and none is needed. Paris does the heavy lifting. Instead, Hôtel Balzac excels in the moments between; the carefully judged breakfast, fire-lit afternoons, and late-night cocktails. These small luxuries are where the hotel quietly wins you over. 

By the end of our stay, its strength is clear. Hôtel Balzac offers sanctuary without isolation. You’re firmly in Paris, close to its grandest gestures, yet protected from the city’s noise and performance. It trusts its own taste, never chasing fashion. 

For Mr and Mrs Smith devotees, this is very much a thinking person’s boutique hotel: romantic without fuss, luxurious without volume, cultured without pretension. As we check out, reluctantly, the city feels suddenly louder and brasher. We glance back at the discreet doorway on Rue Balzac, already certain this is a place we will return to.