Caulaincourt Montmartre by Hiphophostels

Caulaincourt Square has been a hostel in the same 1920s residential building since 2004 and is the oldest in the Hiphophostels chain. It sits on a tiny square named for Napoleon's équerry Caulaincourt, on the north slope of Montmartre hill — lower traffic than the Rue Lepic tourist stretch, but equally close to the Sacré-Coeur and Place du Tertre.

Rooms are basic and the fit-out is old-school hostel: single, double, triple, quad and dorm rooms (6 and 8 beds), all with bedding included, a TV and free WiFi. Dorms share hallway bathrooms with separate toilet and shower cubicles; privates have ensuite bathrooms. The shared kitchen is open 24/7 and actually gets used by guests, with a microwave, stove, oven, toaster and kettle all free to use. A small garden patio at the back is surprisingly quiet given the location.

There's no in-house bar but Montmartre has more bars per square meter than almost anywhere in Paris: Le Très Particulier (hidden cocktail bar on Avenue Junot) is a 4-minute walk, Le Relais Gascon (Rue des Abbesses) does the best Montmartre salads, and La Maison Rose (painted by Utrillo) is 6 minutes up the hill. Staff will hand you a map with their honest picks.

Transport: Métro Lamarck-Caulaincourt (Line 12) is 3 minutes walk, Abbesses (Line 12, the deepest metro in Paris) is 7 minutes. From Lamarck to Saint-Germain-des-Prés is 15 minutes, to Gare Saint-Lazare 8 minutes. Bus 80 passes the door and goes directly to Gare d'Austerlitz.