Le Grand Hôtel de Clermont

Une certaine idée du romantisme.
L’Hôtel de Clermont n’est pas seulement un hôtel composé de 16 chambres, c’est aussi un merveilleux caboulot situé loin du tumulte des bars tendance et pourtant au milieu de tout. On né sait pas vraiment si on est à Pigalle ou Montmartre mais le comptoir d’Ammad respire la poésie, le temps passé et la quiétude conviviale conjuguée au présent, pas incompatible avec un bon before finalement.
On a aimé s’y asseoir sur les 4 seules chaises en trottoir les soirs d’été, refaire le monde; autour d’une pression, d’une suze, d’un ricard ou plus singulièrement au détour d’un couscous le jeudi midi (exclusivement) et bavarder avec tout plein de gens.
Un petit coin où le temps s’est arrêté dans les années 50, figeant les pas de Piaf et Cerdan qu’on imagine sur la mosaïque à chaque instant, en toute saison. Et même seul, le temps d’une attente sur le bord d’une des banquettes vynile, d’une devinette de comptoir, ce rade vaut le dédale.
— Côté prix: moins cher que trop.
— Côté bruit: Tsf Jazz et bavardages.

I’m a bit torn about this place.
One the one hand, I love it: The owner is incredibly nice and cares that you like your room. The room is clean and the price is reasonable for June in Paris (about $ 120 USD). There is fast, free Wifi. And the little bar that fronts the place has turned out to be one of my favorites that I’ve been to in Europe since we got here a few weeks ago. The location is great for access to lots of things: there’s a metro station about a block away, Sacre Coeur is a short walk up the hill, tons of great shops (boutiques) litter the side streets on both sides of Pigale. Having stayed in nice hotels here and elsewhere in neighborhoods that are much more chill and upscale, I’m surprised how much I have taken to the craziness around here. There really is so much good to be found (and some crap, but more good).
On the other hand, this is not a Bobo or upscale hotel in any way, the kind where you feel transported in luxury and comfort to a beautiful Parisian dream vacation. It’s a little rough around the edges, smells just a little musty, and (though I am travelling with another woman and we do feel safe around here) the hotel is a block and a half off of Pigale, which has a notorious sex shop scene at night. The rooms are, in fact, surprisingly quiet and shielded from the street noise, but it’s not serene outside the hotel or inside really. The bathroom is super tiny, there isn’t much room to put clothes or suitcase out (or any place to put them away) in the double room we have. The courtyard we walk through to get to the staircase for our room doubles as the entrance for the bathrooms for the bar and is not quaint or nice at all.
All in all, I’m glad we found a place to stay for several nights that is clean, safe, near much that is colorful and vibrant about Paris, and is relatively inexpensive (the place we stayed the last time we were here was nice but more than twice as much). If you don’t want to spend lots of time in your room and find Ibis-​type rooms depressing and/​or want to be near to cool stuff, this is a great place to stay.
If you stay here, make sure to get a drink or two (or more) at the great little bohemian bar out front. The people are super nice in there, the drinks are actually great and reasonably priced (2.50÷3 Euro for a cold beer) and people seem to love hanging out there.

Le meilleur bar du Monde, tout simplement :-)