Away from the hustle and bustle: Top hotels for a quiet break in Paris

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Few places in Paris put their proverbial fingers on their lips. This is a city of honking scooter horns, pushbike bells and pavement-café chatter. Having said that, there are a few pockets of serenity in the French capital. Here’s a guide to the hotels that allow you to inhabit that hush, while keeping Paris’s top attractions within easy reach.

Find your haven of peace at Saint James Paris, a splendid Napoleon III style residence decorated in the spirit of an extravagant family home

Le 10 Bis Hotel

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Despite being just a 10-minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe, Le 10 Bis has a reputation for being a meditative spot. It’s on a quiet street, surrounded by parks and leafy courtyards that act as natural sound proofing. Rooms are soothing spaces, too. They’re designed with natural woods and calming colour schemes. The hotel goes that extra mile to keep your heart rate down with iPad and umbrella loans and a concierge service that will book tickets and make reservations on your behalf.

Metro: Porte Maillot

Rooms at Le 10 Bis Hotel are elegantly decorated, with a resolutely contemporary yet intimate atmosphere

Hotel La Tamise - Esprit de France

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Just across the road from the peaceful Tuileries Gardens and the waters of the Seine, Hotel La Tamise is in an unhurried part of Paris. Some of the rooms look out over the hotel’s courtyard, making them all-the-more quiet. The 17th-century building has been a home for travellers since 1878, having welcomed well-to-do English and Americans on their post-graduation Grand Tour, giving it quite a colourful past. It also used to host Madame Grès' fashion models when they were in town, and it claims Twiggy stayed here, too.

Metro: Tuileries

Hotel La Tamise's rooms are stylish and modern, while maintaining an old-fashioned charm

Hotel Signature St Germain des Pres

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The family team behind Hotel Signature St Germain des Pres has curated a home away from home. The owners want you to sleep as well here as you do in your own bed, so rooms come with pillows and duvets from Drouault, a French brand known for its quality down and feather. The location is part of Signature’s homespun feel, too. It’s on a quiet side street surrounded by local apartments and independent restaurants. But when you want to be back in the thick of Paris, the closest metro is just a two-minute walk away.

Metro: Svres-Babylone

OHotel Signature St Germain des Pres' rooms welcome you to a typically Parisian, sophisticated and warm atmosphere, where your comfort is the main priority

Hotel Fabric

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The interiors of Fabric are striking. Communal areas have eye-catching industrial design with lots of bare bricks and chrome, and the bedrooms’ statements go from bright-pink headboards to muraled bathroom tiles. The location is far subtler, though. The hotel is on a subdued street in the Upper Marais area of Paris. Footfall in the area is made up largely of locals as they visit the family-run restaurants and bistros nearby. Central Paris, meanwhile, is a short Metro ride away.

Metro: St Ambroise 

Hotel Fabric combines industrial era-inspired furniture and raw materials with colourfully patterned fine fabrics

Hotel Square Louvois

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Set beneath vaulted ceilings of natural stone, the underground spa at Hotel Square Louvois is one of the most peaceful parts of the hotel. The soundtrack here is the lapping of the water in the candle-lit pool and the clink of tea cups in the tearoom. The spa is not the only tranquil part of this place, though. Despite being only a 10-minute walk from the Louvre, you can leave your windows open at night and not be disturbed by any sounds from the street.

Metro: Quatre-Septembre

Contemporary design and 19th century Haussmannian influences are combined with great refinement

Hotel d'Aubusson

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Rather than city noise, you’re more likely to hear the sound of crackling fires and gentle jazz-piano music at the Hotel d’Aubusson. It’s on a tranquil side street, a 20-minute walk from the Louvre. In a renovated 17th-century townhouse with original features like exposed wooden ceilings and parquet floors and dripping in antique mirrors, chandeliers and period furniture, the hotel would be tempting even if were in a brass-band-loud area.

Metro: Mabillon

Hotel d'Aubusson has preserved its olden day charms: Versailles parquet, open beams, monumental fireplace in Burgundy stone, and the Aubusson tapestries which inspired the hotel's name

Hotel 34B – Astotel

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For peace and quiet on a budget, take a look at Hotel 34B. Rooms at this amazingly quiet three-star hotel cost as little as £120 a night. For that, you get your room – themed around the colours of the French flag – free WiFi and a free afternoon snack bar of nibbles, pastries and fresh fruit.

Metro: Grands Boulevards

Rooms in Hotel 34B – Astotel are themed around the colours of the French flag

Saint James Paris - Relais et Chateaux

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A sweeping drive with a fountain and turning circle set the chateau-style Saint James Paris Relais et Chateaux back from the street and will cut out all city noises from your room. And it’s just as well. The hotel’s premier purpose is to recharge your batteries. Inside, there’s a hushed spa, a mellow library bar and, outside, the leafy garden is the perfect spot to unwind over drinks. Should you be ready to venture out, the Arc de Triomphe is a gentle 15-minute walk away.

Metro: Port Dauphine