There’s a special kind of tired that comes after a Moulin Rouge show. You’ve just watched people do things with their legs that yours will never do, and the last thing you want is a long ride back across Paris.
Tin, Dimple’s best friend, had thought of that. She booked us into the R. Kipling Hotel by Happyculture, so after the show all we had to do was walk. That’s what a best friend does. She doesn’t just get you to Paris, she gets you to bed.
Missed the show itself? Read Moulin Rouge Show Review: Our First Night in Paris.
Where it is: Pigalle, near the Moulin Rouge
The R. Kipling is a 4-star hotel at 65 Rue Blanche in the 9th arrondissement, which the hotel calls “the heart of Pigalle.” The Moulin Rouge is about a 5-minute walk away. Blanche metro (Line 2) is around the corner, and Place de Clichy (Lines 2 and 13) is a short walk further. If you’re catching a train, Saint-Lazare is about 12 minutes on foot.
The room
The hotel describes its style as a “stylish British environment,” named after Rudyard Kipling, the author of The Jungle Book. Our room had bamboo wallpaper and mustard curtains, which felt a little like Mowgli had hired an interior designer. It’s bold, and it works.
The library lounge
Downstairs, the lounge is the hotel’s showpiece: orange toile walls, Chesterfield sofas and shelves of books. It looks like the kind of room where someone in a novel would announce who did it.
Happyculture hotels offer free tea and coffee all day, so the lounge is a nice spot to slow down before heading out again.
Good to know
- Check-in and check-out: check-in is from 3 PM and check-out is by 11 AM. The front desk is open 24 hours, which matters when your evening ends after a show.
- Free extras: tea and coffee all day, and Wi-Fi. You can borrow an iron, a tablet or a sewing kit, and there’s luggage storage and a concierge.
- Breakfast: breakfast is optional (not included in the room rate). The buffet is €14 (€7 for kids aged 4 to 11), served 7 AM to 10 AM on weekdays and 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM at weekends. We skipped it, but it’s there if you want it.
- Tourist tax: Paris charges €8.45 per person per night, on top of the room rate.
- Pets: allowed, for €15 a day.
- Booking: the official site advertises its best rate when you book direct.
- Price: roughly US$110 to $300 a night depending on the season, according to KAYAK.
- Size: about 40 rooms, so it feels small and personal.
Pros and cons
Pros
- About a 5-minute walk to the Moulin Rouge
- A metro station around the corner
- Rooms and a lounge with real personality
- Very clean, and genuinely cozy
- Free tea and coffee all day, and a 24-hour front desk
Cons
- The bold decor won’t be for everyone
- The tourist tax is extra
Our verdict
Rating: 4.5/5
The R. Kipling was good and cozy, and the cleanliness was very good. After a long night out, that’s exactly what you want: a clean, comfortable room a short walk from the show, in a hotel with enough personality that it doesn’t feel like just a place to sleep. Tin chose well.
FAQ
Yes, about a 5-minute walk.
Blanche, on Line 2. Place de Clichy, on Lines 2 and 13, is also close.
No. Breakfast is optional and not included in the room rate. The buffet is €14 for adults, and we skipped it.
Check-in is from 3 PM and check-out is by 11 AM. The front desk is open 24 hours.
Yes. It’s a 4-star hotel in Pigalle, in the 9th arrondissement.