Hôtel Stella

  In December 1921, Ernest Hemingway and his wife, Hadley, moved into a small apartment in Paris at 74 rue Cardinal Lemoine with no running water and a toilet that was more or less a bucket on a rope. And though the Hemingways could afford a much grander place, it was the perfect living quarters for a bohemian writer. In December 1921, Ernest Hemingway and his wife, Hadley, moved into a small apartment in Paris at 74 rue Cardinal Lemoine with no running water and a toilet that was more or less a bucket on a rope. And though the Hemingways could afford a much grander place, it was the perfect living quarters for a bohemian writer. Nowadays, the starving artist community in Paris is much changed. The café Les Deux Magots St.-Germain-des-Prés, once a club for ancient French philosophers, welcomes a modern community that is one of PC’s and Palm Pilots. Where friends used to meet to disagree over a cheap coffee, the upper class break for lunch after a morning stuffing shopping bags with designer labels.Monpartnesse was once a community comprised of impressionists. This month, a Starbucks expects to open. So where can the writers, artists and expats of today find a glimpse of the beauty and a certain “je ne sais quoi” that is so indigenous to that old Paris known so well by Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and Déscartes? In the 6th arrondissement at 41 rue Monsieur le Prince, artists take refuge in the unaltered Hôtel Stella, located in the heart of Odéon, within short walking distance from the Pantheon and the Luxembourg Gardens. Originally built in 1390, the Hôtel Stella has been owned and run by the same family since 1827. In the 1800s Hôtel Stella provided writers and artists with a comfortable bed overlooking the courtyard of a much nicer Hôtel that dealt with a far wealthier clientele. Hôtel Stella is where the students stayed, because they could afford it. The 1900s brought many well-known musicians to the Hôtel. Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis were only two who found inspiration at one of Hôtel Stella’s pianos, which at that time were provided in each room. Today, only four of the original pianos remain in the rooms of the Hôtel. Today Hôtel Stella, relatively unchanged, caters to the same type of clientele who were drawn there since it opened, providing an inexpensive place to stay for writers, artists, and students. Although the living conditions are not as primitive as Hemingway’s first apartment in Paris– each room is equipped with a working toilet (no bucket on a rope) and shower–you’ll find no television, radio, or phone; no coffee machine in the room or hairdryer (there are outlets in the rooms if you have a computer or any other electrical devices that you simply cannot leave home without, but try, try, try). Each night you’ll get your exercise by climbing the wooden steps to your room: there is no elevator. Not to worry, though, there will be someone to help you carry your bags to your room when you arrive. Four types of rooms are available for rent at Hôtel Stella. Basically rooms come in four sizes-you book a room for one person, for two people and so on. The prices start at 45 euros for one person and then just add ten euros for each additional guest. The rent must be paid in cash or in traveler’s checks (francs). Surprisingly, the rooms are not small. All of the rooms have high ceilings supported by the original exposed beams whose placement was determined by whether a man could barely fit between two of the beams. The rooms are clean and the décor is minimal and simple and all of the furniture is antique, dating back to the 1800s. In the rooms that sleep four persons you‘ll find a piano. In the morning you can order a petit déjeuner, which consists of coffee and a croissant. If you are hungry for more, just make your request, though the hotel is surrounded by some of the most charming cafés in Paris. When you arrive at Hôtel Stella you’ll walk through a small entrance hallway lined with an Oriental rug. You’ll approach a counter where you’ll turn a key that rings a bell for service. You will hear a call to come upstairs to the reception. But caution: there are a few birds that will share your home in Paris; that reside in the room to the left of the reception counter. One of the birds has an affinity for whisky. When you reach the top of the stairs, surrounded by a dial radio, a tall blue wooden lamp that leans to the right, and several tired chairs lost about the room, you will travel back in history. For more information:http://site.voila.fr/hotel_stella[email protected]Tel: +33 1 40 51 00 25