NEWS

Hotel Bleu de Grenelle

All about the Motte-Picquet Grenelle district

Categories : Discover Paris, published on : 12/5/22

Located in Paris 15, a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower and the capital's greatest monuments, the Motte-Picquet Grenelle district is very dynamic. The Hotel Bleu de Grenelle invites you to stroll through this typically Parisian district.

 

The origins of the Grenelle district

Not so long ago, Grenelle was still just a vast sandy plain. The name of the district comes from the Latin "garanella", which means "little warren", in reference to the many rabbits of Garenne who wandered there freely. The inhabitants of the district are then craftsmen, farmers, winegrowers, or workers who worked in the nearby stone quarries.

In 1824, Léonard Violet, real estate developer and municipal councilor of Vaugirard (a neighboring town), bought its worthless plains and had modest dwellings, opulent bourgeois houses, a town hall, a church, and even a theater built there. For a time, the district was even called "Beaugrenelle", before the inhabitants of Vaugirard disputed and demanded that the "beautiful" be removed.

And although the neighborhood is rather reluctant to this new district which overshadows them, the Grenelle district is booming, and many industries are settling there. However, the success was not as great as Léonard Violet had hoped, and many events would slow down the growth of the Grenelle district, such as the economic crisis of 1830, or the opening of the Saint-Denis and Saint-Martin canals. , which led to the port of Grenelle being abandoned.

In the end, the Grenelle district ends up having a bad reputation, and many consider it unhealthy and disreputable.

 

The La Motte-Picquet Grenelle district today

Today, the past of the Grenelle district has left few traces. It is recognized today for its new shopping center, Beaugrenelle Paris, and for its large apartment towers. There are also very few vestiges of ancient times in this district where tourists pass quickly to get to the Eiffel Tower, the Hôtel des Invalides, or the Champ-de-Mars.

 

Walk in the district of La Motte-Picquet Grenelle

If the vestiges of the past are not numerous in the Grenelle district, a short stroll in the streets with the spirit of a village is enough to find the origins of this district of Paris 15.

Métro Dupleix: former Paris checkpoint

Let's start our visit at the Dupleix metro station, line 6 of the Paris metro. Here, in the 19th century, there was one of the 54 checkpoints on the walls of Paris, the one called the "wall of the farmers general". This is where the Compagnie des Fermiers Généraux levied the goods tax on anyone wishing to enter Paris. Needless to say, this barrier was not very popular, it was also one of the first to be destroyed during the French Revolution.

Before its destruction, underground passages were dug under the enclosure, making it possible to escape the tax. Among all the underground passages listed, we note the one that started at 1, rue Violet, and which led to 8, place Dupleix.

The old Place du Commerce

Let's continue our walk to the Place du Commerce. This place was previously an important area of ​​commerce in the district. There were all kinds of merchants there: bakers, butchers, dairymen, hardware stores...

Today, we no longer find any of these merchant activities of yesteryear, and only a few brands remain, as well as large ready-to-eat brands. -carry.

On this same square, we also find theformer town hall of Grenelle, which is today the house of the associations of the arrondissement.

The former Grenelle theater

Let's stop now at 55 rue Croix-Nivert. It is here that Léonard Violet built the Théâtre de Grenelle in 1828. If this performance space with a capacity of 800 seats was a great success, with 3 shows a week, it is now only a facade of an apartment building.

The Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Grenelle church

Not far from the Place du Commerce, theSaint-Jean-Baptiste de Grenelle church, built by Léonard Violet in 1828, always opens its doors and displays a modest architecture, with a medieval spirit Neo-gothic.

Léonard Violet's private mansion

A little further on, in the heart of the district, Square Violet is home to the private mansion of the founder of the Grenelle district. Unfortunately, he did not live there for long, and was quickly forced to sell it to cope with his financial difficulties. The mansion has since served as a boarding school for young girls and then as a fire station.

The Bleu de Grenelle hotel: in the heart of the Motte-Picquet Grenelle district

Appreciated both for its location close to the major monuments of Paris, and for its calm, the Grenelle district is the ideal base for many visitors. . TheHotel Bleu de Grenelle then welcomes you at 140, boulevard de Grenelle, Paris 15. You will stay in a hotel room, a suite or an apartment where comfort and calm will ensure you peaceful nights.

Ideally located between the 7thand 15thand arrondissements of Parisvery well served by public transport, your Bleu de Grenelle hotel allows you to visit the capital without constraint, and to reach the most beautiful sites quickly:

  • 1 minute by foot of Commerce Street;
  • 5 minutes on foot from the Champ-de-Mars and the Grand Palais Éphémère;
  • 15 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower ;
  • 10 minutes by metro from the Opera and the department stores...

 

The Bleu de Grenelle hotel is ideally located in the Motte-Picquet Grenelle district. A historically rich district, a stone's throw from the most beautiful sites in Paris.

More about our boutique hotel in Paris / FAQ

  • Rooms are available from 3pm

  • When is check-out time?

    Rooms must be liberated at 12pm at the latest

  • Is there a parking in the hotel?

    The hotel does not have a private parking, but there parkings are available around the hotel and underneath the metro line situated across from the hotel. 

    The closest and best value-for-money parking is:

    Interparking Cambronne - 26 villa Croix Nivert - 75015 Paris (5 min by foot)

     

  • What are the sizes of the rooms?

    Room sizes vary according to capacity. Single rooms are approximately 13 m2, double rooms 14 to 17 m2 and triple rooms 21 m2. The apartment with its two rooms and small kitchen 32 m2.

  • Does the hotel have connecting rooms?

    The hotel Bleu de Grenelle offers adjacent rooms, using of two private double rooms with a common entrance. They are perfect for family stays!

  • Does the hotel offer babysitting services?

    Our front office team will be delighted to recommend top-quality babysitting services.

  • Is there a restaurant in our Parisian boutique hotel?

    The hotel does not have its own restaurant (besides the breakfast service), but our team will be happy to recommend some of the best addresses in Paris according to your taste and desire.

  • Is the hotel open to people without a room reservation?

    The hotel Bleu de Grenelle is opened to everyone! If you don’t have a reservation, you still are welcome any time during the day to enjoy the co-working area and the bar.

  • Is there an elevator in the hotel?

    There are two elevators in the hotel. However, they are not suitable for wheelchairs.

  • Does the hotel have a free WIFI internet connection?

    The wi-fi is available for free in the rooms and the common areas of the hotel

  • May we ask for a baby cot?

    We will be happy to put a baby bed in your room on a simple advance request.

  • Does the hotel have a temperature control system?

    All our rooms are equipped with heating and air-conditioning depending on the season (heating when outside temperatures are below 17 Celsius degrees and air-conditioning when temperatures are above 17 Celsius degrees)

  • Is the hotel accessible to PRMs (Persons of Reduced Mobility)?

    Our boutique hotel in Paris offers access to PRMs on the first floor and in two rooms especially equipped for their needs.

  • Can an additional bed be installed in a room?

    Besides baby beds, the hotel does not install additional adults beds, but suggests booking one of the triple rooms that will offer optimal comfort to all occupants.

  • How to modify/ cancel a reservation?

    If conditions to modify or cancel are still current, you simply need to address your request by phone + 33 1 45 75 26 54 or by email: info@hotelbleudegrenelle.com

  • Is it possible to obtain a detailed bill with TVA (value-added tax) included?

    A bill with TVA will be printed at check-out and/or sent by email on simple request.

  • Does the hotel allow domestic animals?

    Le Bleu de Grenelle, Parisian boutique hotel, has some rooms adapted for customers with traditional domestic animals (we do not have vivariums or delphinariums).

    An additional 10 euros per night is required to have the room specially cleaned. Thank you for mentioning that you are traveling with your pet at the time of reservation to confirm the availability of these rooms.

  • Is breakfast included in the price of the room?

    According to the selected offer, rooms are sold with or without breakfast. Refer back to the description of your offer. 
    Please note that even if breakfast is not booked at the time of reservation, it can be added at the last minute.

  • What is the city tax "taxe de séjour"?

    The « taxe de séjour » is a French tax that may be asked of vacationers by towns in touristic areas. This tax aims at helping municipal councils finance projects related to touristic frequency and to the protection of natural spaces used by tourists.

    In reality, the « taxe de séjour » is paid by the clients to the hotel, in relation to the number of nights spent and the category of the rented room. The total sum of the collected taxes is then returned to the municipality at the end of a period called, period of perception.   

  • Does the hotel offer ironing services?

    Steamers are available at the reception on simple request.

  • Does the hotel offer laundry services?

    The hotel offers an external laundry service with a classic formula (drop off before noon and pick up the next day) and an express formula (drop off before noon and pick up after 8pm on the day)

  • What is a boutique-hotel?

    A boutique-hotel in its current definition represents a type of hotel, small to medium in size, with an environment (personnel, concept, decoration) of its own and customized. It offers marked differences from the standard great hotel chains.