Les Dames Du Panthéon

Not many hotels, in Paris or anywhere else, take a stance on anything overtly political, unless “more conveniently placed power outlets please, and light switches that make sense” is your idea of a revolutionary rallying cry. (Now that you mention it….) But for a woman who owns a boutique hotel which faces onto the Pantheon, that famous monument to the French history’s great men — and only men, aside from Marie Curie — it would have been difficult to remain silent. The result is Les Dames du Pantheon, which Corinne Moncelli has dedicated to the “free, independent women” who’d be in the Pantheon if she were doing the choosing.

So each floor of Les Dames pays tribute to a different woman or group, from Edith Piaf and Marguerite Duras to les Cocottes, the courtesans of the 19th century. A commendable gesture, to be sure, and one which adds immeasurably to the hotel’s personality — but arguably one which doesn’t, all by itself, necessarily make Les Dames a great hotel.

Not to worry. Corinne Moncelli has a bit of experience in that line. Here the rooms are exceedingly stylish, plenty eclectic, and they’re not without luxury, especially the higher-end rooms with their big bathtubs and charming little terraces. It may not be quite the grand edifice that the Pantheon itself might lead you to expect, but for a boutique hotel in a unique location, with style and character to spare, you could hardly ask for more.