5 inspiring literary hotels in Paris

Opened in June 2018 in a small street in the 5th arrondissement, the Hotel Monte Cristo draws its inspiration from the extraordinary personality of the prolific writer, author of the famous Count of Monte Cristo. As soon as you walk through the doors, you’re immersed in a very 19th-century atmosphere, where classic French style is combined with oriental influences. All the furniture is bespoke, with over 200 specific pieces specially sourced to give the place real soul. Talented artists and craftsmen have made frescoes and customised tiles. The influence of the writer can be seen all the way to the rum-dedicated bar, with its beautiful collection of vintage bottles paying homage to the writer’s ancestors, who had their own distillery in Santo Domingo. www.hotelmontecristoparis.com

At the heart of Montmartre, the Hotel Literaire Marcel Aymé pays homage to the author of the Contes du Chat Perché, the Traversée de Paris and the Passe-Muraille. Its location isn’t a coincidence; the writer spent most of his life in Montmartre, a district that largely inspired his work. His world is reproduced with great precision and poetry here thanks to vintage posters and photos, quotes and more than 500 books, including original editions and translations. Perhaps our favourite feature is the ‘Antoine Blondin’ bedroom on the top floor – named after another writer, and one of Aymé’s friends and admirers – with its balcony and panoramic view across Paris. www.hotel-litteraire-marcel-ayme.com

Easy to miss within the glut of antique shops on the Rue des Beaux-Arts, the simply-named L’Hôtel was the last home of the Irish poet, who died here in 1900. But today’s hotel has nothing in common with the second-class establishment of the beginning of the last century. Decorated by Jacques Garcia, this favourite haunt of artists and writers is a luxurious sweetie jar of multiple influences. Among the 20 rooms, number 16 – the Oscar Wilde Suite – pays homage to the famous dandy with drawings drawn in auction rooms. One of the only Left Bank establishments to have a small swimming pool, L’Hôtel is famous for its Michelin-star restaurant, opening onto a patio with a pretty fountain – delicious on summer days. www.l-hotel.com/en-us

Tucked away on a small street a few minutes’ walk from the Picasso Museum and the Rue des Francs Bourgeois, the Librairie du Marais had been losing customers and resigned itself to closure, when a passionate hotelier turned it into a family suite. With its beams and shelves filled with books (4,500 sourced from flea markets), this unique room offers all the comfort of a four-star hotel with à la carte services (breakfast on request, a directory of must-visit Parisian establishments and ideas for walks) – plus a warm welcome. https://parisboutik.com/en/boutique-hotel-marais-district-paris/

Located a few steps away from the Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, the Champs-Elysées and the Place de la Concorde, the Pavillon des Lettres is a luxurious cocoon whose decoration is an ode to literature. Its 26 different rooms (a reference to the 26 letters of the alphabet) are each dedicated to a famous author, either French or foreign. Their elegance is due as much to the beauty of the materials, colours and furniture as to the printed headboards with their sinuous texts about night time, dreams and poetry. The height of sophistication, the Pavillon des Lettres provides all guests with a text by the author corresponding to their room, laid out on the bedside table. www.pavillondeslettres.com