We try out a new Parisian neighbourhood
We’ve spent a lot of time in Paris over the years, but have usually stayed on the Right Bank, in the Marais or in the 11th close to where most of the hyped restaurants and wine bars are. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of getting cosy in one place however, so on a recent trip to Paris, we were very happy to find ourselves in Saint Germain-des-Prés at the newly opened Le Grand Hôtel Cayré.
It’s a gorgeous area that we’d been to before but not spent a huge amount of time in, so it was lovely to explore the unfamiliar streets and walk all the way along the river to the Eiffel Tower on our first afternoon. The hotel is also very close to some incredible galleries: The Musee Maillol (literally around the corner) and the grand Musee D’Orsay. Further afield there’s the Luxembourg gardens and Notre Dame still within walking distance, though we had to resort to the Metro to get up to the 11th for our hit list of new restaurants and bars we wanted to check out.
The hotel was the first opening from the new Miiro group (there are also hotels in Barcelona and London now too), and has seen the historic Hôtel Cayré transformed into a design-led boutique beauty, with 123 rooms. Saint Germain was traditionally the haunt of writers and artists, and many lived at the old Cayré for many years. The hotel’s restaurant, Annette, is named for Anette Kolb the French-German writer who lived in the hotel for 17 years from 1944.
Hopefully she would have been pleased with her restaurant, a modern French bistro that was packed even on a Monday lunchtime when we visited. It’s a beautiful dining room, with comfy red leather banquettes, dinky table lamps, and solid wood panelled walls. We loved the prawn cocktail, devilled eggs, and especially the beef tartare, which was accompanied by a huge pile of fries served on a silver platter.
Our room was on the very top floor of the hotel, with a pretty solid view of the Eiffel Tower from our window. Rooms have all been designed by Michaelis Boyd studio, featuring lovely Art Deco style furniture, ribboned glass doors, and quirky light fixtures. Rooms aren’t huge but they pack a lot in and there’s careful attention to detail in the design. Bathrooms are luxe, with rainforest showers and Le Labo products. For a bit of a one-off there is also a special suite the exclusive La Chambre du Collectionneur, designed in partnership with renowned curator Gilbert Kann, featuring custom-made furniture, antiques, and bespoke pieces, all available for purchase.
Elsewhere around the hotel, there’s the Officine Bac cocktail bar which is on the site of a former pharmacy; The Gallery where you can sit and read a book or do some work; a gym; and perhaps most uniquely, The Refresh Room. If your room isn’t ready, or you have a late flight after check out, you can head to the refresh room to have a shower, charge your phone and pick up your valuables from the smart lockers. A nice touch.
If you’re looking for a Left Bank stay that’s big on design, history, and all in the heart of cute neighbourhood, Le Grand Hôtel Cayré nails it.
*We travelled from London St Pancras International to Paris on Eurostar – who right now have fares from £39 for the rest of 2025. Much better than taking a plane*
4 Boulevard Raspail, 75007 Paris
miirohotels.com
