There’s an academic undercurrent to this Belle Époque gem in the Marais, inspired by the world of Marcel Proust. One floor of guest rooms is dedicated to his characters, another to prominent French authors, and another to painters. The rooms, sumptuously decorated by legendary French designer Jacques Garcia, are wrapped in rich jewel-tone toile wallpaper and filled with oil paintings and antique writing desks that make you feel like you’re living inside a bibliothèque.

This hotel gets its name (“of the Queen”) from its former life as the home of Anne of Austria, Queen of France in the 17th century. It feels stately but not stuffy, and the rooms are, naturally, fit for a queen: flooded with natural light, with wood-beamed ceilings, gilded doorways, and period details like 17th-century parquet floors and fireplaces. It’s hard to imagine leaving your room—that is, until you see the hotel’s private, leafy courtyard in the center of the Marais.

Thankfully, the designers preserved the hand-painted ceiling beams and terracotta floors when restoring this historic Marais landmark. And somehow, they made a stainless steel four-poster bed frame look at home beneath slanted wood ceilings that date back to the 16th century. With just 12 suites overlooking one of Paris’s most stunning squares, it’s intimate, equal parts modern and historic, and arguably the best place to sip Champagne in a bathtub while gazing out at the Place des Vosges.

The “lobby” (if we can call it that) of this darling 19-room hotel feels like a salon where your well-read, bohemian aunt hosts candlelit dinner parties. A harp, pianoforte, and card table sit beneath a large crystal chandelier, immediately drawing you into this tres Parisienne fantasy. And it continues upstairs in the tiny, personality-packed guestrooms: picture exposed beams, antique writing desks (with quill pens no less), and Juliet balconies framed by thick floral drapes.

This 17th century townhouse in the 6th has drawn an interesting crowd for centuries—Voltaire, Rousseau, Camus and Sartre were all known to frequent Café Laurent on the ground floor. In summer, the shaded interior courtyard is a lovely place to cool off, but the hotel really shines in cooler weather, when the massive Burgundy stone fireplace in the salon is roaring and you can workshop your own contributions to intellectual discourse, or at least have a drink and scribble a postcard or two.

Hidden behind wrought iron gates, this former convent turned 44-room hotel is one of the best kept secrets in St-Germain-de-Prés. Rooms overlook the quiet interior courtyard and garden, where both guests and in-the-know Parisians head for a morning cafe au lait with the soundtrack of a bubbling fountain. Inside, the classic interiors are swathed in bright fabrics and wallpapers—we especially like the ground-floor suites, which have greenhouse-like sitting areas that open right onto the garden.

While the rooms vary—we’re partial to the more old-school, toile-drenched ones—this three-star charmer in St-Germain-des-Prés is surprisingly affordable. The location is great, and not just because the Treaty of Paris was signed in the building directly next door, but also for its easy access to so many of our favorite cafes, shops and museums, just a short walk away.

This discreet address on the Left Bank was built on the remains of a medieval abbey, and when it was converted into a hotel in the 1970s, original details like beamed ceilings, stone walls and fireplaces were thoughtfully preserved. It feels more like a family home (albeit one with a gym and Guerlain spa) than a hotel—which makes sense given its still owned by the same French family who opened it nearly 50 years ago and are also behind Parisian institutions like Brasserie Lipp and Angelina.

Tassel room keys, matching toile bedspreads and wallpaper, and pistachio-hued carpets are just a few of the details that make this townhouse-turned-hotel perfectly old-school. And if you don’t manage to score one of their coveted terrace rooms, fear not, the silver-topped bar tucked in an old stone cave is just as lovely a place to raise a glass.

This former home of the French writer Stendhal in the 1st is more like a pied-a-terre than a hotel. Behind a quiet courtyard, 20 guest rooms are connected to the lobby via a perfectly creaky spiral staircase. A strong sense of place and warm service—they’re very welcoming to families—are all presided over by a French bulldog named Filou.