A pool below ground at each, 17 metres at one, 8 at the other. Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris, from about €1,470, nearly three times the rate, if you want a proper pool in a 700 m² spa and the Left Bank at the door; Le Grand Mazarin, from about €525, if you would rather take a dip under a painted vault, sleep under a tapestry canopy and step out into the Marais.
The all-rounderThe Left Bank's only Palace: a 1910 landmark with a 17-metre pool below and Saint-Germain at the door.
€€€€From about €1,470 a night
Choose Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris if
The catch
The entry Grand Superior Room is 33 m² and looks onto the inner courtyard; the balconies start two categories up.
The design oneMartin Brudnizki's maximalist Marais hotel: tapestry canopies over the beds, and a mosaic pool under a painted vault downstairs.
€€From about €525 a night
Choose Le Grand Mazarin if
The catch
The entry Classic Room is 20 m², and the space starts at the Prestige Room.
| Best for | Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris | Le Grand Mazarin |
|---|---|---|
| Best design hotels in Paris | On the list | On the list |
| Best spa hotels in Paris | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best central hotels in Paris | On the list | On the list |
| Best hotels with a view in Paris | On the list | Not on the list |
Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, ParisLe Grand Mazarin
Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris
Le Grand Mazarin
The verdict
A pool below ground at each, 17 metres at one, 8 at the other. Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris, from about €1,470, nearly three times the rate, if you want a proper pool in a 700 m² spa and the Left Bank at the door; Le Grand Mazarin, from about €525, if you would rather take a dip under a painted vault, sleep under a tapestry canopy and step out into the Marais.
Questions people ask
A pool below ground at each, 17 metres at one, 8 at the other. Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris, from about €1,470, nearly three times the rate, if you want a proper pool in a 700 m² spa and the Left Bank at the door; Le Grand Mazarin, from about €525, if you would rather take a dip under a painted vault, sleep under a tapestry canopy and step out into the Marais.
The Left Bank's only Palace, with a 17-metre pool under it, a famous bar inside it and Saint-Germain outside the door. Pay for a balcony and walk everywhere. A heritage palace in the middle of Saint-Germain, built for walking out of the door and coming back to a real pool. Polished rather than quirky, and priced like the palace it is.
It has an indoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
Book Le Grand Mazarin for the rooms themselves, a maximalist set piece made by French workshops, with a mosaic pool beneath them and the Marais at the door. Pay for a Prestige Room, ask for the winter-garden side, and you have the best of it. A 61-room Marais hotel where the decoration is the reason to stay, with a bar and DJ nights that keep it lively. You live in the neighbourhood rather than the hotel, and come back to a small pool and a room that looks like nowhere else.
It has an indoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.