Hotel Bowmann

Hotel Bowmann

On Boulevard Haussmann in the 8th arrondissement, the red portico of Hotel Bowmann marks the entrance to a Haussmannian mansion turned 53-room hotel across eight floors, near Saint-Augustin, its church, and the Chapelle Expiatoire. Rooms range from a compact 25 square metres to the 100 square metre Penthouse Suite, and the vocabulary stays consistent throughout: hardwood floors, ceiling-high moldings, leather-headboard beds, and bathrooms finished in Carrara marble. What separates it from other grand Right Bank addresses is the indoor pool, a rarity in central Paris where basement space usually goes to treatment rooms alone, and here it sits alongside a sauna, steam room, and massage service. The Penthouse itself adds a 360-degree terrace, a jacuzzi, and a view of the Eiffel Tower, worth requesting for a splurge night. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the property also holds Green Key certification, and staff switch between English, French, and Spanish without missing a beat. The 99 Haussmann restaurant and its terrace cover a market-menu lunch and an evening drink at the bar, and a business center with conference hall mean the hotel hosts meetings as easily as honeymoons. Families get connecting rooms and a family room sleeping four, though travelers with a dog should look elsewhere since pets aren't allowed, and anyone booking should know a 100 euro per night deposit is collected on arrival against damages. It suits a traveler who wants Haussmann-era architecture without hushed, museum-like formality, and who will actually use the pool. It suits less anyone chasing a Left Bank address or a lower nightly rate. Boulevard Haussmann outside isn't quiet, but the room behind that red door is. A Haussmannian mansion on Boulevard Haussmann with 53 rooms, Carrara marble bathrooms, and an indoor pool rare among Right Bank luxury addresses. The Penthouse Suite adds a jacuzzi, 360-degree terrace, and Eiffel Tower view. Best for a traveler who'll actually use the pool, less so for a Left Bank base.