The neighbourhood of the hotel is full of history. Dating back to the gallo-roman era, its urban fabric has been transformed by several major projects such as:

The construction of the “Palais du Luxembourg” between 1615 and 1625, by the Queen of France, Marie de Médicis: in 1610, because of the murder of her husband, Henry IV, Marie de Médicis decided to leave Le Louvre and build a new palace that would remind her of childhood in Florence. Thus, the original architecture of “Palais du Luxembourg” borrows from the Palais Pitti. The property, already extensive, was extended further in 1790, during the French Revolution, by the addition of the gardens of the Cartusian Abbey. Since the 18th Century, the gardens have contained a tree nursery and a vegetable garden both considered the most beautiful in Paris. These days, the Palace also contains the “Sénat”, around which you will find the largest park in the left bank of Paris.

La Sorbonne, the first site for the University of Paris since its creation by Robert de Sorbonne in 1253, during the reign of Saint-Louis; the construction of La Sorbonne’s first buildings was initiated by Cardinal de Richelieu, Chancellor of La Sorbonne at the time. Most notably, between 1635 and 1642, he oversaw the construction of the La Sorbonne church, a model of Jesuit architecture.

The Panthéon was built between 1744 and 1789, as a replacement for the old Sainte-Geneviève Abbey. In 1744, King of France Louis XV fell seriously ill in Metz, and swore that if he should recover, he would erect a beautiful church in the place of the old dilapidated abbey. Soufflot, the appointed architect, linked the Jardins du Luxembourd to the Panthéon with a large avenue. During the French Revolution, the church was closed, renamed the Panthéon, and dedicated to “Great Men” who had fought for “liberty”.

Several large avenues, such as Saint-Michel Boulevard and Gay-Lussac Street, were built under the orders of Baron Haussmann during the reign of Napoléon III (1852-1870). These avenues are bordered by splendid buildings characteristic of the Haussmannian style.