Where to Stay in Montmartre: Hotel Elysee Montmartre – Expert Review 2026
Tucked between two legendary music venues on Boulevard Rochechouart, Hotel Elysee Montmartre offers something increasingly rare in Paris: an authentic neighborhood experience wrapped in thoughtfully designed luxury. This 16-room boutique hotel, which opened in February 2025, transforms what was once a restaurant into an intimate retreat that feels more like a Parisian pied-à-terre than a traditional hotel.
We are excited to give you our expert review of Hotel Elysee Montmartre 78 Blvd Marguerite de Rochechouart, 75018 Paris.
Location: The Heart of Montmartre’s Revival
Let us start with a bit of background. Hotel Elysee Montmartre sits at the intersection of old and new Paris. Located in the 18th arrondissement, just a five-minute walk from Sacré-Cœur, the hotel anchors a stretch of Boulevard Rochechouart that pulses with the area’s historic energy. Flanked by the iconic Trianon and Elysée Montmartre concert halls, venues where legends from Édith Piaf to Daft Punk have performed, the location offers unparalleled access to Montmartre’s cobblestone streets and Belle Époque charm, while Pigalle’s evolving restaurant and cocktail scene unfolds right outside your door.
Super convenient is the Anvers metro station sits two blocks away, connecting you to central Paris in minutes. The Louvre is 15 minutes by metro, the Marais 20 minutes, and the Eiffel Tower about 30 minutes. Yet you’re firmly planted in a real Parisian neighborhood where locals buy their morning croissants at corner bakeries and the evening apéritif hour fills sidewalk cafés with regulars.
Design: Architectural Restraint Meets Artisan Craft
Architect Julien Labrousse and producer Abel Nahmias created something quietly radical here: a hotel that resists the ornate maximalism Paris is known for in favor of materials-driven minimalism. Step through the discreet entrance and you’re immediately enveloped in the warm, almost medicinal scent of eucalyptus wood—not as an accent, but as the defining architectural element.
Design lovers will appreciate this hotel as much as we did! The eucalyptus, typically destined for paper production, has been repurposed through an innovative compression technique that transforms wood scraps into sturdy panels. These cover the lobby-café’s ceiling, form the staircase treads, and comprise much of the custom furniture Labrousse designed specifically for the hotel. The result feels both contemporary and deeply organic, a space where natural materials create intimacy rather than cold modernism.
Original architectural elements from the building’s past incarnations remain visible throughout—exposed beams here, a section of original wall there, serving as tangible connections to the structure’s 200-year history. Brass light switches, Portuguese pink marble vanities, and deliberately mismatched vintage dishware add layers of tactile richness. Every detail suggests a curator’s eye rather than a decorator’s catalog.
The lobby-café, restricted to hotel guests, functions as an extended living room. Wood-paneled and low-lit, it’s the kind of space that invites lingering over morning coffee or an evening glass of wine. Unlike the grand hotel lobbies designed to impress, this one encourages actual use. You also have access to lots of reading materials; magazines and newspapers. We especially loved the books on the history of the space and the rich neighbourhood of Montmartre and Pigalle.
Rooms: European Elegance with American Expectations
The hotel’s 16 rooms spread across three levels in a staggered configuration that creates an almost labyrinthine sense of privacy. No two room experiences feel quite the same, though all share the eucalyptus wood aesthetic, neutral color palettes, and an emphasis on quality over quantity.
Standard rooms deliver what European hotels often promise but rarely provide: genuine space. By Parisian standards, these are generous. By American standards, they’re comfortable rather than cramped, a crucial distinction for travelers accustomed to U.S. hotel proportions. Floor-to-ceiling windows in many rooms frame either Parisian rooftops or the boulevard below. The rooms facing the courtyard offer maximum quiet; those overlooking Rochechouart provide front-row seats to neighborhood life.
The four duplex suites represent the hotel’s crown jewels, particularly for American families or groups. The two-bedroom duplexes include a full living area with kitchenette on the main level and two separate bedrooms upstairs—a configuration virtually impossible to find in this part of Paris without booking an entire apartment. One duplex features a particularly clever family layout: a main bedroom for parents and a mezzanine sleeping area designed for older children or teens, offering privacy while keeping everyone under one roof.
For families traveling with younger children, the hotel’s combination of spacious duplex suites, dedicated kids’ room, and screening room creates an environment where everyone can actually relax—not just survive. This is Paris family travel elevated beyond the typical squeeze-into-one-room hotel experience.
Throughout, Ortigia amenities—the sophisticated Sicilian brand known for botanical fragrances—elevate the bathroom experience beyond standard hotel toiletries. The Portuguese marble vanities, custom-designed for the space, feel more like furniture than fixtures. High-speed WiFi performs as promised, a detail that shouldn’t be notable in 2025 but remains surprisingly inconsistent in many boutique European hotels.
Carefully chosen books and magazines scattered throughout the rooms suggest someone actually considered what guests might want to read, rather than just filling space with decorative spines.
Service: Warm Without Being Intrusive
The staff at Hotel Elysee Montmartre strike a balance that American travelers will appreciate: genuinely warm and fluent in English, yet respectful of privacy. They offer neighborhood recommendations when asked but don’t hover. They know their regulars but don’t make newcomers feel like outsiders.
This matters particularly for first-time Paris visitors who may feel intimidated by language barriers or cultural differences. The team here makes settling in effortless, whether you need dinner reservations, directions, or simply want to know where locals actually drink their morning coffee.
Breakfast: A Proper French Start
The breakfast service—which you should absolutely include in your booking—transcends the typical continental spread. Fresh-squeezed juices arrive actually fresh-squeezed, not from concentrate or pre-bottled. The pastry selection rivals neighborhood boulangeries: buttery croissants with the right ratio of flake to interior, pain au chocolat with quality chocolate, and rotating selections that change based on what’s best that morning.
Beyond pastries, you’ll find perfectly cooked eggs, quality ham and cheeses, cereals, yogurt, and fresh fruit. But the real star is the professional coffee machine producing cappuccinos, lattes, and espressos that would satisfy serious coffee drinkers. In a city where hotel coffee often disappoints, this alone justifies the breakfast inclusion.
The breakfast room, intimate and wood-paneled like the rest of the hotel, encourages a leisurely start rather than a rushed buffet-line experience.
The Unique Perks: Music, Movies, and Montmartre Magic
What sets Hotel Elysee Montmartre apart from every other boutique hotel in Paris isn’t just good design or friendly service—it’s the distinct experiences woven into the property’s DNA.
Secret Access to Trianon: Hotel guests receive priority access to Trianon concerts through a private entrance that literally runs across the rooftops. This isn’t just about skipping lines; it’s about experiencing one of Paris’s most historic music venues like an insider. The Trianon, with its Art Deco interior and storied past, regularly hosts major international acts. Being able to attend a concert and return to your room within minutes, via your own private route, transforms a standard concert outing into something genuinely special.
Private Cinema Room: Producer Abel Nahmias has curated a screening room stocked with his personal collection of vintage laser discs—an increasingly rare format that cinephiles prize for its quality and the films available only in this medium. The cinema operates as a free-access amenity: guests can browse the collection, select a film, and settle into the intimate screening room. Parents will particularly appreciate this during downtime—kids can watch a film while adults relax in the adjacent spaces. It’s the kind of unexpected luxury that reflects the owners’ genuine passions rather than a consultant’s market research.
Dedicated Kids’ Room: Understanding that families need space for children to play and unwind, the hotel provides a separate kids’ room—a thoughtful amenity that’s surprisingly rare in Parisian boutique hotels. This dedicated space means children have their own area to decompress after a day of sightseeing, while parents can enjoy some breathing room without being confined to the bedroom. Combined with the two-bedroom duplex suites and the screening room, Hotel Elysee Montmartre proves genuinely family-friendly rather than just family-tolerant.
These aren’t gimmicks designed for Instagram; they’re meaningful extensions of the building’s history and the owners’ interests that happen to create extraordinary guest experiences.
The Neighborhood Advantage
Staying at Hotel Elysee Montmartre means waking up in a real Parisian neighborhood rather than a tourist district. We had coffee in one of the best coffeeshops in Paris at Spree.
Within a five-minute walk, you’ll find:
- Sacré-Cœur and the winding streets of hilltop Montmartre
- Rue des Martyrs, one of Paris’s best market streets, lined with fromageries, wine shops, and cafés
- The evolving Pigalle restaurant scene, where young chefs are opening ambitious small plates restaurants and natural wine bars
- Historic cabarets like Moulin Rouge (for those who want the full tourist experience)
- Actual Parisians going about their daily lives
This is the Paris where you stumble upon perfect neighborhood bistros that don’t appear in guidebooks, where the boulangerie knows your order by day three, where evening walks reveal the city’s romantic reputation isn’t entirely manufactured marketing.
Who Should Stay Here
Ideal for: Couples seeking a romantic, design-forward base; families needing actual space, two-bedroom configurations, and kid-friendly amenities (the dedicated kids’ room and screening room are game-changers); creative professionals drawn to the music/arts connection; repeat Paris visitors ready to explore beyond the traditional hotel districts; anyone who values design, authenticity, and neighborhood immersion over status-brand luxury.
Practical Considerations
Rooms start around €227 per night, positioning the hotel in the mid-luxury range—more affordable than palace hotels but reflecting genuine quality and unique design. For American travelers, this represents solid value considering the location, space, and distinctive experience.
The two-bedroom duplexes prove particularly cost-effective for families or friends traveling together, offering more space than booking separate rooms while maintaining apartment-like functionality.
The neighborhood is safe and well-lit, though Boulevard Rochechouart maintains some of Paris’s grittier urban energy. This is part of its charm, but travelers seeking pristine, polished surroundings might prefer more traditionally upscale areas.
The Verdict: Authority Redefined
Hotel Elysee Montmartre succeeds because it doesn’t try to be everything. It’s not a full-service palace. It doesn’t offer a spa or rooftop pool. What it does provide is something increasingly rare: a genuinely thoughtful hotel that respects both its location and its guests.
The design reveals itself slowly rather than shouting for attention. The service facilitates rather than performs. The unique amenities—the Trianon access, the cinema room—emerge from authentic connections rather than marketing imperatives. Even the breakfast feels considered rather than corporate.
For travelers seeking Paris beyond the postcard, this is where you want to be. You’re not just staying in Montmartre; you’re living in it, with the perfect balance of neighborhood authenticity and boutique hotel comfort. The hotel gives you Paris as it actually exists—layers of history, creative energy, excellent coffee, and spaces designed for living rather than photographing.
In a city overstuffed with hotels claiming to offer “authentic Parisian experiences,” Hotel Elysee Montmartre delivers by not trying so hard. It’s simply, genuinely itself—which makes it genuinely, simply excellent.
BOOK HOTEL ELYSEE MONTMARTRE HERE
Hotel Elysee Montmartre
74-78 Boulevard Marguerite de Rochechouart
75018 Paris, France
+33 1 42 64 52 64
Rooms from €227 per night | 16 rooms including 4 duplex suites | Breakfast available | Metro: Anvers (Line 2)
