Who is in need of a staycation right about now???
One silver lining of the current travel restrictions is that we have more of a reason to be a tourist in our own cities. Before I never would have considered staying in a hotel in Paris - but let me tell you, it was so fun, and just what we needed to get out of our rut of feeling stuck!
My husband and son share a birthday (International Women’s Day, no less!) and I wanted to surprise Pascal with something in advance, since shockingly, he is often overshadowed on the actual day. I booked a hotel room, called the nanny, packed my purse with only the essentials, and made up a fake errand that I needed help running! Pascal was so surprised when we pulled up in front of the hotel!
After much reflection, I chose to book our night out at The Hoxton Hotel, specifically because it is NOT what I would consider a kids’ friendly hotel :) Located in the central 2nd arrondissement, the hotel occupies a 18th century hotel particulier, and oozes Parisian charm with its original staircases, Hungarian point wood floors and crown molding. The rooms are generally tiny, but the comfy bedding and charming décor makes up for any lack of space.
Another plus for The Hoxton is that there’s an in-house restaurant – critical in this period in France where restaurants are closed and there’s a 6PM curfew! In normal times, The Hoxton restaurant and bar are swanky and hopping - perfect for a semi-fancy night out. We were limited to ordering room service cocktails and dinner, but it was kind of fun in that it is something we would never do normally.
My favorite part of booking a hotel in your home city is waking up in a new neighborhood. No matter how hard I try, it is usually impossible to make it to another part of town early enough to see the morning buzz. Since we were in the 2nd, we were able to stroll out the door and head over to the iconic Rue Montorgueil, where we wandered kids-free, pastries and coffee in hand. It was a little throwback to pre-kids life and very refreshing!
If you are interested in trying out a staycation, know that lately there are some great deals to be had.With a lack of travelers, hotels are trying to attract locals, and are throwing in lots of fun perks, like private reservations for hotel pools, room service vouchers, or spa treatments.
One more reason to treat yourself to a little vacation in your hometown!