In the 18th century, Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais—author of “The Barber of Seville” and “The Marriage of Figaro”—lived near here, and this small hotel celebrates both the playwright and the magnificent century he lived in. The walls are covered in high-quality reproductions of period fabrics; rooms are furnished with authentic antique writing tables and chandeliers; and period paintings and first-edition pages of “The Barber of Seville” hang on the walls. You half expect Pierre-Augustin himself to come prancing through the door. The rooms are smallish, but the high ceilings (with exposed beams) and tall windows let in lots of light, making them feel spacious. Unlike other parts of the Marais, food stores, buses, and Métro stops are close by, and it’s a short walk to the Seine.