Hôtel Pont Royal

The Pont Royal is an extremely grand and luxurious place to stay, with the added cachet of having hosted many of the big names of Paris's literary society during its long history (Albert Camus, Boris Vlan). What's more, the original Atelier de Joël Robuchon is attached – and the Michelin-starred kitchen even supplies the bar snacks and room service.

The hotel's gleaming lobby, with soaring high ceilings, is hung with black and white photos of writers and artists, many of whom patronised the bar in the last century: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda, Hemingway, Miró, Chagall and Miller. These days the Pont Royal's clientele is more likely to be rock stars than penniless writers, but the heritage is everywhere – from the original paintings of the neighbourhood hanging in the rooms, to the library prints on the lamps in the bar and the quotes from famous writers discreetly incorporated in to the décor.

So if budget is no concern, this is a wonderful place to hole up for a stay. The Saint-Germain neighbourhood, as long as you don't mind sharing it with all the other tourists, is incomparably beautiful and elegant, stuffed to the gills with restaurants (though head further afield if you're looking for a bargain) and bookshops, and the hotel is just minutes from the Seine.

It's also worth noting that the rooms on the upper floors have superb views across Paris's rooftops, as far as the Eiffel Tower if you're lucky.