If you’re looking for a design-focused boutique hotel near the Gare de l’Est or Gare du Nord in Paris, then you’ll definitely want to check out Hotel Les Deux Gares. Straight from the imagination of British designer Luke Edward Hall (probably via a Wes Anderson movie or two) Hotel Les Deux Gares is colorful, convenient and reasonably priced… what more could you ask for?
On my most recent trip to France I stayed in three different locations in Paris: Hotel Chopin inside a historic covered passage, an Airbnb in Le Marais, and this hotel near the two train stations. I only stayed here for one night as I was returning from Beaune in the evening and then departing on the train from Paris to Berlin the next morning at 10:00 am.
In this hotel review I’ll go over the location of Hotel Les Deux Gares, my hotel room, the facilities at the hotel, what they serve for breakfast and some other properties that you might want to consider if you’re also thinking of staying in the area.
Disclosure: I paid in full for my stay at Hotel Les Deux Gares and did not disclose that I am a travel blogger.
Hotel Les Deux Gares Location
As the name suggests, Hotel Les Deux Gares is located between two train stations (gares) in the 10th Arrondissement of Paris. Being close to transportation connections can be a big advantage when you’re traveling solo in Paris.
Directly across the street is Gare de l’Est. It was a two-minute walk from the hotel to the train station, and there was both an elevator and escalator to take you between the hotel (above) and the station (below). You also have the option of descending via what one journalist reviewing the hotel restaurant called “a handsome double staircase”. I’ve included a photo above for you to judge for yourself.
In the other direction, Gare du Nord is a flat three-block walk away. This is the station for the Eurostar and other trains heading north. It takes about five minutes to walk from the hotel to Gare Du Nord (or vice versa).
Both Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est have metro stations served by multiple lines, so it’s easy to get around Paris from here.
Generally speaking, the area around European train stations often isn’t the nicest part of town. For that reason, I would say that Hotel Les Deux Gares is the ideal place to spend one night if you’re arriving or departing by train (especially from Gare de l’Est) but it’s not a place I would personally choose for a longer stay. I felt safe walking around the neighborhood in the afternoon, evening and morning, but there just wasn’t really anything interesting to see or do in the immediate vicinity.
That being said, you’re not too far from Canal Saint-Martin when you stay here. I love this area for strolling, stopping by wine bars and taking a boat tour through the narrow locks (a nice change from the common Seine cruise). You can walk or take the bus from the hotel to the canal in about ten minutes. When I stayed at Hotel Les Deux Gares I walked over to the canal area for dinner at Lulu la Nantaise, a popular local creperie.
My Room at Hotel Les Deux Gares
I can’t tell you how long I spent browsing for hotels for this one night stay in Paris. Honestly, I spent way more time on this hotel search than I did looking for any of the properties that I stayed at for a week or longer on the same trip! You always want to be cautious when choosing a hotel near a train station, and it was actually the photos of the rooms here that made me feel confident I would be safe and comfortable at this property.
The Sleeping Area
I booked a standard single room because for just one night I didn’t need a lot of space or anything fancy. My room was on the fourth floor, and accessible via a small elevator (capacity for four people, or me plus my suitcase).
My room at Hotel Les Deux Gares featured a comfortable queen-sized bed with four good pillows and a bedside table on each side. There was also an electrical outlet on both sides of the bed, which is rare for affordable Paris hotels!
At the foot of the bed there was a small sitting area with a table, lounge chair and ottoman. When I checked in there was a basket of snacks on the table (fancy but not free!); I moved these into the adjacent armoire to clear space on the table. The armoire also included a small mini-fridge with assorted drinks (I moved the drinks out and kept some snacks for the train inside overnight), a coffee maker, Nespresso capsules, a kettle, tea bags and mugs.
The view out my window was directly over the tracks of Gare de l’Est. It’s not the Eiffel Tower, but it was actually reassuring to be able to look out my window and know just how close I was to the station I’d need to be at the next morning. The next day I even saw the famous Orient Express train arrive in the station, right outside my window! I didn’t notice any noise from the street or the train at night, and slept well without earplugs.
The Bathroom
The bathroom in my room was also very design-focused, with jade green tiles, pink ceramics and vintage-inspired plumbing faucets. There was a sink, spacious shower, toilet and hairdryer, plus two sets of plush towels, two bathrobes and two pairs of nice slippers. As a bonus, bathrooms are equipped with toiletries from Diptyque, a Paris-based luxury perfume and candle company. Their body lotion costs $75 USD, so take that tube with you!
I do need to flag that I was in Room #402 and adjusting the shower temperature was a challenge. The retro-inspired handle was so tight that turning the temperature down from scalding (literally) to warm or cool required significant grip strength and confidence in yourself that you’re not breaking it (because it feels like you’re breaking it). The girl in Room #502 above me was having the same issue, so my advice is to test out the shower as soon as you check in, and get help before you’re standing there naked and confused. I flagged this with reception when it happened and at checkout so hopefully they can loosen the handles a bit.
Services and Facilities at Hotel Les Deux Gares
I was really surprised to discover that Hotel Les Deux Gares had both a fitness room and a sauna. I needed a good sauna session to sweat out all the wine that I drank over the previous week in Beaune. If you want to use the sauna just let the front desk know about half an hour in advance so that they can get it heated up for you.
I respect you too much to lie and say I worked out in the gym, but I did poke my head in to take a picture… because that is a gym unlike any other! From the dizzying wallpaper to the retro-inspired exercise equipment, even just keeping your balance in there is a workout! I clocked a treadmill, a rowing machine, a balance ball, a weight bench and a rack of dumbbells in a shape I’d never seen before.
The hotel also has a bar and a restaurant (across the street, it’s an actual hot spot for locals, not just for hotel guests – reserve in advance if you’d like to eat there). The menu at the restaurant changes daily so I can’t say what they’ll serve when you’re there, but I can show what they served on the night I stayed in the hotel (but alas, didn’t have a reservation and couldn’t get a table). From what I saw online and when I visited, there is always a vegetarian option on the menu.
Of course the hotel has a reception desk and concierge services for assistance with sightseeing and reservations at local restaurants or attractions.
Breakfast at Hotel Les Deux Gares
The Michelin guide notes that Cafe Les Deux Gares is “a worthy destination in its own right, the sort of place you’d be glad to know about even if you were staying elsewhere”. Lucky for hotel guests, the breakfast menu at the hotel is designed by the restaurant team and features local, fresh and seasonal ingredients. And lucky for me, breakfast was included in my room rate!
I’m a vegetarian so I opted for some fresh bread and three different types of cheeses, cherry tomatoes, plain yogurt, coffee and orange juice. I did see there were also cold cuts available, plus fruits, cereals and sweet pastries (including pain au chocolat and almond croissants).
Other Hotels Near Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord
For me, there were two main draws to Hotel Les Deux Gares in Paris: the location close to Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, and the quirky room design. With that in mind, if you can’t book in at Hotel Les Deux Gares, these could be good alternatives:
- Hotel Esté – Right across the street from Gare de l’Est, you just have to walk across the street (no “handsome stairs”!) to get to the train station. They have a small indoor pool and sauna too!
- Hotel Flanelles – Again, this is right across the street from Gare du Nord (access via two crosswalks). The room design here is also kind of cute, but not as bold as Hotel Les Deux Gares.
- If you were more drawn to the design than the location, I can recommend two other beautiful boutique hotels in Montmartre: Maison Souquet and Hotel Monsieur Aristide.
- Hotel Villa Boheme – It’s fun, it’s funky, it’s colorful and it won’t break the bank. The neighborhood, Pigalle, sits at the base of Montmartre and has easy transportation connections around the city (or you can walk to the Louvre in less than half an hour!).
I had so much fun on my most recent trip to Paris. I went swimming in the Seine, took a custom perfume-making class and went up the Eiffel Tower at my favorite time of day.
You can also check out my favorite Paris experiences, excursions and tours here.
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