Hôtel Du Jeu De Paume

At No. 54 rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, on the island between the two arms of the Seine, a discreet doorway at the end of a cobblestone courtyard opens onto something unexpected. Three centuries ago this courtyard carried the sound of racket play. The hotel takes its name from what stood here: the last royal jeu de paume court in the capital, built in 1634 at the wish of Louis XIII…At No. 54 rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, on the island between the two arms of the Seine, a discreet doorway at the end of a cobblestone courtyard opens onto something unexpected. Three centuries ago this courtyard carried the sound of racket play. The hotel takes its name from what stood here: the last royal jeu de paume court in the capital, built in 1634 at the wish of Louis XIII, who loved the game. Matches ran until 1747, after which the sport fell out of fashion and the hall was given over to trade. In 1987 the architect Guy Prache was struck by the great beams and exposed stone, and turned the listed hall into a hotel of thirty rooms while keeping the spirit of the original space intact. Central Paris is roughly six minutes' drive.