On my most recent trip to Paris I stayed at Hotel Korner Sorbonne, a hotel with a long history of welcoming budget-conscious travelers under its previous name, Hotel Diana Paris. Located on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter, Hotel Korner Sorbonne appealed to me (a solo female traveler in Paris) because of the proximity to some of my favorite spots in Paris, the design of the rooms, and the affordable price.
In this review of Hotel Korner Sorbonne I’ll talk briefly about the hotel’s history, then I’ll take you inside my room, around the hotel and into the surrounding neighborhood so that you can decide if Hotel Korner Sorbonne would be right for your next trip to Paris.
Disclaimer: I paid in full for my stay at Hotel Korner Sorbonne and did not disclose that I was a blogger. This is an unbiased review.
Hotel Diana Paris → Hotel Korner Sorbonne
When you’re looking for cheap, central hotels in Paris, you’ll likely find lots of comments from real travelers recommending Hotel Diana in Paris. Hotel Diana was a favorite hotel of Rick Steves, and many of his readers stayed at the family-run hotel over the years.
When the owner of Hotel Diana retired, he sold the property to a small local hotel group called Hotel Korner. They have several properties around Paris, but in my opinion Hotel Korner Sorbonne has the best location. While Hotel Diana was a two-star property, Hotel Korner Sorbonne has done some upgrades and they are now able to market themselves as a three-star hotel in Paris.
Where is Hotel Korner Sorbonne in Paris?
Hotel Korner Sorbonne is located in the Latin Quarter in Paris, on the Left Bank of the Seine. Nearby attractions include the Musée de Cluny (shown above, two blocks away), Shakespeare and Company bookstore (five blocks away), Notre Dame (seven blocks away) and the Jardin du Luxembourg (six blocks away).
The location of Hotel Korner Sorbonne feels very safe for solo female travelers. It is located on a wide, well-lit street (you can see the view from my window below) with local businesses that stay open late, so there are always local people around. One morning I had to leave the hotel at 6:30 am to catch a tour bus to the Loire Valley, and even at that hour there were locals out jogging and catching transit to work.
The Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame RER train stop is a five-minute walk from the hotel. From here, the RER B train travels directly to the Charles de Gaulle Airport in about 35 minutes, making this an exceptional location for anyone coming or going by plane. There are a few entrances to this station, but the one at the north end of Rue Xavier Privas (where it meets Quai Saint-Michel) has an elevator with direct access to the tracks.
The nearest metro stops are Cluny-La Sorbonne on Line 10 (traveling west towards the Eiffel Tower) and Saint-Michel on Line 4 (traveling north towards the Louvre, Le Marais, Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est). Bus #75 stops on the same block as the hotel on the way up the hill to the Pantheon, and Bus #68 will take you directly to the Eiffel Tower.
⭐ Learn more about the best things to do in the Latin Quarter! ⭐
My Room at Hotel Korner Sorbonne
As a solo female traveler with only four nights in Paris, I knew I wouldn’t be spending much time in my hotel room. So, I booked a “chambre simple”, which is the cheapest room in Hotel Korner Sorbonne. Accommodating one guest, the room had a wide single bed, a desk with a desk chair, a bedside table with a power outlet, a small closet space and floor-to-ceiling windows that opened onto Rue Saint Jacques.
My air-conditioned room had a private bathroom with a toilet, sink and deep bathtub with a glass shower partition. It was a bit of a tight squeeze (for example, I couldn’t have the bathroom door and the shower door open at the same time) but it certainly wasn’t the smallest room I’ve booked in Paris!
The hotel has a small elevator that can fit three passengers, or one passenger with a big suitcase (that’s me!). The reception desk is staffed 24/7 and there is free coffee, tea and croissants in the lobby, which is a nice touch for a budget hotel.
Of course, Hotel Korner Sorbonne also has larger rooms! They also have double rooms, triple rooms and rooms with two twin beds.
Breakfast at Hotel Korner Sorbonne
I opted for a room rate that didn’t include breakfast, as I knew I would have at least two mornings where I would leave before breakfast service started. On my last morning in Paris, before I headed to the RER B station to catch the train to Charles de Gaulle airport, I paid the €15 to have breakfast at the hotel.
The self-serve breakfast buffet at Hotel Korner Sorbonne featured fresh baguettes with butter, jam, cheese and cold cuts, along with hard-boiled eggs, pastries, yogurt, fresh fruit, coffee, tea and juice. It was enough to tide me over from the morning until lunch was served on board my mid-afternoon flight.
Would I Recommend Hotel Korner Sorbonne?
Yes, I am happy to recommend Hotel Korner Sorbonne to other travelers looking for a cheap, central hotel in Paris. Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, there are lots of things to see and do in the immediate vicinity of the hotel, and there are convenient nearby transportation connections to all the main attractions across the city.
This was my time staying solo on the Left Bank, and I really enjoyed everything about the experience, from the view out my hotel room window (shown above – check out that top-floor balcony across the street!) to strolling along the Seine each evening after dinner.
Other Budget Hotels in Paris
Every time I visit Paris I try to stay at a new, budget-friendly hotel. I don’t need a big room or a modern room, but I’m not willing to compromise on location or cleanliness. With that in mind, here are some other affordable Paris hotels you might want to look into:
- Hotel Caulaincourt – Half of this historic building in Montmartre is a hotel and the other half is a hotel. I stayed on the hotel side, in a top-floor room with a big window and a private bathroom. I love the street where this hotel is located and come back to have lunch at the bakery across the street every time I’m in Paris.
- Hotel Chopin – There are only three hotels located inside Paris’ historic covered passages, and the affordable Hotel Chopin (shown above) is one of them. You’re stepping back into history here, but you’re also just steps away from the trendy LoPi (Lower Pigalle) neighborhood where you won’t find any tourist attractions, so you will find tons of locals dining and shopping at secret hotspots.
- Libertel Canal Saint Martin – One of my favorite things to do in Paris is to stroll or cruise along the Canal Saint Martin, and this hotel is located right on the pretty waterway.
You might also like these Paris travel guides:
🏰 The Best Loire Valley Day Trip from Paris
🌹 How to Blend a Custom Perfume at a Historic Parisian Perfume House
🥖 A Taste of History: The Oldest Restaurants and Cafes in Paris
🛍️ The Most Beautiful Covered Passages in Paris
🎨 How to Spend One Perfect Day in Montmartre, Paris
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