Rates: €130-175 with breakfast included
Added extras: The kind and welcoming owner (which counts for a lot, especially in Paris)
Services: The option of a personal chef to cook for you on demand.
At the heart of the trendy 18th arrondissement, the same area where hipsters are forever tracing Amélie Poulain’s footsteps, you'll find hotel owner Ilhame and her selection of rooms. As soon as the door is opened, the ‘smile of Montmartre’ in the name makes sense – Ilhame is always beaming. The living room on the top floor is impressive with its high ceiling and endless bookcases – but it feels very homely all the same. Not too busy, nor too minimalist, between photos of Rimbaud and oriental knick knacks, this communal room has a serious loft vibe and will calm you straight away.
Everyone will find their place here – holidaying families, lovers on weekend breaks and workers stopping over during the week. Here simplicity is the done thing and the warmth is tangible. Ilhame does not just host but welcomes with an authentic Moroccan hospitality which permeates the place – but especially in the Moroccan room. As for the other rooms, it’s difficult to choose because each (there are six, all petite) has its own style and acts as a warm cocoon. Zen is the catchword here, everything feels cosy and the bathrooms are set in stone. It will also be hard to resist the hammam or the vintage princess bath – found in a flea market no less. We would happily stay for a full week, and have a different voyage every day thanks to the varied, tasteful decor.
Ilhame’s generosity and kindness keeps guests coming back time and time again. And she’s not resting on her laurels either – she's planning a new address, by the Eiffel Tower this time, for March 2017. We’re big fans of the idea and in the meantime, there is no bigger luxury than a trip to Marrakech just a few steps from the butte de Montmartre.