Fodor's Expert Review Hôtel Cardinal

This eccentric and slightly threadbare inn in an elegant 18th-century house is the antithesis of slick, which, coupled with the location in the Quartier Mazarin, makes it a favorite with writers, artists, and musicians at festival time—and at any time with guests who appreciate the charm of novel furnishings and the music of the bells of St-Jean-de-Malte. Its large rooms are furnished gracefully enough with secondhand finds; some rooms even have original 18th-century painted door panels. The hotel also has six kitchenette suites; the two across from the Musée Granet and the one on the ground floor with a private garden are the best.