Hotel Amour

If a no frills, hipster Paris experience is what you’re after, then look no further than the cute, fun and super casual Hotel l'Amour in the hyper trendy and emerging Lower Pigalle area. Rooms in the scruffy hotel are all unique and none include TVs, safes or other so-called amenities.

This is a crash pad for the global traveler with a sense of adventure and a romantic partner (or two).

The Hotel Amour is a love hotel in multiples senses of the word: erotic photos are on display in most rooms and, like famed Tokyo love hotels, you can rent rooms here by the hour.

Most Parisians know Hotel Amour for its popular lobby restaurant and charming garden (which can get almost too busy).

Budget-minded travelers will appreciate Amour’s reasonable (for Paris) price, which is set at seasonal prices rather than dynamic booking scales like most hotels. While you won’t have world-class bedding or luxury Turkish towels. the bathrooms do carry one of the hotel industry’s best amenities— from Aesop. So there you go.

Tucked down the Rue Navarin, the hotel is a few steps from one of the liveliest and most interesting streets in Paris, the Rue des Martyrs, where you’ll find an assortment of local and imported restaurants, cafes and shops. Be sure to visit Rose Bakery, which has become something of a Paris institution.

Don’t expect to get an undisturbed night’s sleep at Hotel Amour, as the walls are thin, the street outside is noisy and the guests in your neighbouring room are more than likely practicing the art of lovemaking themselves. Stay here for a night or two for the experience, but check your pretensions and standards at the door. If you know what you are in for at Hotel Amour, you’ll have a great time. We did.