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After our very comfortable stay at the Hotel de Tourville near to Les Invalides on the Left Bank, we felt it time to cross the river to its sister hotel in the 8th district so we could be close to all the wonderful food shops that congregate around the Place de la Madeleine. Of course it's not only food shops that you're near: there's the Champs Elysees and the Place de la Concorde only a few minutes walk away, so many of the most important Paris venues and monuments are within striking distance.

The hotel is well situated on a little side street that crosses the Boulevard Malsherbes about halfway between the Madeleine and the huge and ugly church of Saint Augustin.

The foyer and lounge of this new hotel (it opened last August 1999) are done in the same sharply focussed, reassuring neo-classical appliqué style as the Tourville. My room was again small, but nicely appointed and with excellent bathroom facilities, silent air-conditioning, TV and direct phone line with built-in modem. The hotel was very quiet and the staff friendly and helpful. The manager, Ludovic Peressini is young, enthusiastic and very communicative. He told me that he has four simple rules for good hotelkeeping:

• A warm welcome
• A good comfortable bed
• Clean and tidy at all times
• Good coffee!

I can genuinely say that these norms were all achieved perfectly! Not only is there good coffee in the morning at breakfast (in the usual cellar!) but there is a charming library (complete with antique volumes) where you can help yourself to drinks and make fresh espresso coffee or chocolate. Ludovic takes it for granted that the sort of guests who would stay at the Lavoisier would be the kind who would tell the reception what drinks they had consumed!

There is a helpful folder in the lobby which has all the information about conducted tours, and includes the menus of some nice local restaurants, both grand and more reasonable. I'd recommend crossing the Boulevard Malesherbes to eat at Cafe M where Chef Guillaume Joly offers an unpretentious yet highly sophisticated modern French menu.

The cost of your stay at the Lavoisier:
Standard rooms: 790F-890F
Superior rooms: 1190FF
Room with private terrace: 1290-1490FF
Junior suite: 1890FF
Buffet breakfast: 70FF

Hotel le Lavoisier (****)
21 Rue Lavoisier, 75008 Paris
Tel: (33) 01 53 30 06 06 Fax: (33) 01 53 30 23 00

Email: info@hotellavoisier.com

Website: www.hotellavoiser.com

The Lavoisier belongs to the Grand Heritage Group of hotels

International reservations: +44(0) 171 244 6699 Fax 244 7799
email info@grandheritage.demon.co.uk

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