ENCORE PARIS : It is the gracious hospitality, intimate atmosphere, and central location and attention to detail that brings back year after year to stay at some of the ‘little’ hotels in the City of Light.

A small hotel. . . .

Several years having slipped by since our last visit to Paris, today we are updating our rating of the city’s little hotels--several of which remain old favorites, along with a number of first-timers.

None that come to mind is more genuinely appealing than the little 21-room Hotel St. Louis at 75 Rue St.-en-Isle (75004 Paris). Only a whisper from Notre Dame, the St. Louis has risen to stardom since our earlier survey, this due to a fortune in francs that its owners have poured into its renovation--from lobby to loft.

New carpeting has been laid. Double windowpanes deaden street noise. Private baths are a feature of each room. And of particular joy to the St. Louis’ older clientele, an elevator has been installed (although air conditioning remains a minus).

Once considered a trifle shabby, the St. Louis simply shines.

What has always made this little hotel particularly appealing are its affable proprietors, Guy and Renee Record. Both speak English. And, alors , they love Americans. Says big, boyish-appearing Guy Record: “We think of the St. Louis as a home for friends rather than a hotel for strangers.”

And it is.

Guests return year after year primarily because of this gracious couple. The St. Louis is worthy of four stars: ****.

On this small island behind Notre Dame, the flavor of Paris surfaces like the fragrance of the flower stalls lining the Seine. From the upper floors of the St. Louis, one peers down on shops on either side of Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile. The boulangerie. The boucherie. Original paintings grace the windows of an art gallery. Flower peddlers continue to prowl this narrow and ancient street, and crowds still line the doorways of those landmark ice cream parlors, Berthillon and La Flore en l’Isle.

In the same neighborhood, candles flicker in a number of pleasant restaurants: La Castafiore and No Ancestres Les Gaufois (both inexpensive) and Le Monde des Chimeres, as well as L’Orangerie (the latter owned by French actor Jean-Clark Brialy).

Only doors from Hotel St. Louis, the newest rage among Paris’ small hotels--the Jeu de Paume (54 Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, 75004 Paris)--occupies a former private home dating from the 15th Century. With exposed beams supporting its soaring ceiling and ancient stone walls, the scene is a contrast to the modern glass lift that delivers guests to the Jeu de Paume’s 32 rooms.

Without question, the Jeu de Paume is unlike any other hotel in all of Paris. A historic monument, the building was scrupulously preserved by architect Guy Prache, whose former wife, Elayne, does the honors as manager-greeter. The Seine flows nearby. Impatiens bloom in the garden. Roman columns rise beyond the reception desk, and a mini-mezzanine provides a hideaway for guests at the cocktail hour.

What with 11 million francs spent on its development, the Jeu de Paume is one of Paris’ more expensive hotels (and breakfast is another handful of francs). We give the Jeu de Paume four stars: ****.

Not far from Ile Saint Louis, the 40-room Hotel Le Colbert (7 Rue de l’Hotel Colbert, 75005 Paris) got a sprucing up recently. Only moments from Notre Dame and a short walk from Boulevard St. Michel, Le Colbert is popular with those visitors wishing to be near the Seine. Our rating: ***.

On our list of old favorites, Hotel Duc de St. Simon at 14 Rue de St.-Simon (75007 Paris) is a combination of three former private residences. With 29 rooms and five suites, the 19th-Century St. Simon is a Paris gem that’s favored by a number of celebrities. It is also expensive.

When in residence, actress Lauren Bacall occupies a suite just off the lobby with its museum-quality antiques. A grandfather clock ticks away the hours. Antique mirrors grace one wall and a small bar does business in an ancient coal cellar. At the St. Simon, no two rooms are alike. Each provides comfort, style and quiet, with several facing private terraces. In our survey the St. Simon is a five-star property: *****.

Still taking top honors in our little hotel lineup is Hotel de l’Abbaye near the Luxembourg Gardens at 10 Rue Casette (75006 Paris). Ivy climbs its ancient walls, and a small pond appears in the center of an attractive garden. Guests lounge before a fireplace in this former 17th-Century monastery and meet for drinks in an intimate little bar. With its carriage entrance and immaculate rooms, Hotel de l’Abbaye provides a feeling of well-being, and so we give it four stars: ****.

While less pretentious, the 29-room Hotel du College de France at 7 Rue Thenard (75005 Paris) is a bargain in a day of soaring prices. It is clean, with rooms that feature private baths, direct-dial telephones and color TV. Rising in the heart of the Latin Quarter, this small hotel is near the Sorbonne and the College de France, and within easy access of Saint Germain des Pres, Notre Dame, the Pantheon and the Cluny Museum. Our rating: two stars: **.

New to our list is Le Sainte-Beuve (9 Rue Sainte-Beuve, 75006 Paris), a charming 22-room hotel near Montparnasse and quite near the Luxembourg Gardens. Guests peer from little balconies across Rue Sainte-Beuve. The breakfast pastries are from “the best bakery in Paris,” the manager insists.

It is difficult to fault this small hotel. It is impeccably clean with a charm that makes one feel perfectly at home. Bowls of fresh flowers grace the mantel above the fireplace, and a little three-stool bar draws guests who exchange tips concerning sightseeing jaunts around Paris. Hotel Le Sainte-Beuve, a three-star gem: ***.

We found the lobby of another new listing, Hotel de St. Germaine at 50 Rue du Four (75006 Paris), a bit cluttered with luggage at check-out time, but a friendliness prevails that makes up for this minor inconvenience. A spiral staircase leads to rooms swathed in Laura Ashley wallpaper, and 24-hour room service is a plus along with the cheeriness of animated Cecile Siraut, the hotel’s general manager who sings praises of the St. Germaine’s “cute and cozy” rooms equipped with their mini-bars, direct-dial telephones and TV. The St. Germaine is a trifle heavy on commercialism, light on charm. Our rating: two stars: **.

In lively St. Germain-des-Pres, the Hotel des Saints Peres is a new discovery in an ancient neighborhood. Occupying a 17th-Century building at 65 Rue des Saints Peres (75006 Paris), this 40-room shelter deserves special praise, what with its charming dining room, gardens and immaculate rooms. Proprietor Victor Lingrand greets his guests, making certain no request goes unanswered. The distinguished, white-haired Lingrand is particularly proud of a citation presented to the staff by the American Legion: “In recognition of the friendly and generous hospitality accorded members at their ninth annual convention in Paris in 1927.” The Saints Peres has been serving travelers since 1840. It deserves four stars: ****.

On our list once again is Hotel du Pas-de-Calais at 59 Rue des Saints Peres (75006 Paris). Near Boulevard St.-Germain and just around the corner from the Church of St. Germain des Peres, this small hotel is distinguished as the one-time residence of Jean-Paul Sartre, who found solace in Room No. 41. As noted in our earlier report, the better view, however, is from No. 52, which opens onto a balcony with the Paris skyline in excellent focus. The Hotel du Pas-de-Calais is prim, neat and quiet, with a pretty patio displaying a fountain, flowers and chairs for weary sightseers. Our rating, three stars: ***.

We returned to Residence Latour-Maubourg near the Invalides at 150 Rue de Grenelle (75007 Paris). Built during the reign of Napoleon III, this fine old home is the ideal choice of guests wishing to visit the Eiffel Tower, Rodin Museum and Napoleon’s Tomb. For well over a century, Residence Latour-Maubourg has remained in the family of Rene Klein, its dozen rooms offering the atmosphere of a private home.

While the carpets are a bit frayed and the stairs squeak, the little hotel offers a warmth that is missing in many other Paris hotels. The parlor with its picture windows and potted plants is a pleasant spot to nap or read. Particularly on one of those chilly Paris afternoons. Lulu the family cat continues to prowl the house, and the front door remains securely locked, so that outsiders must ring for admittance. Residence Latour-Maubourg is worthy of two stars: **.

Once again we include Hotel Montana Tuileries at 12 Rue Saint-Roch (75001 Paris) for its proximity to the Opera, the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, and because it succeeds in keeping its rates within reason. It is cheery, it is clean. We give it three stars: ***.

Another small Right Bank hotel, the Etoile (3 Rue de l’Etoile, 75017 Paris) does business only a moment off the Champs-Elysees and only steps from the Arc de Triomphe. A small two-stool bar is tucked away in one corner; the hotel’s 25 guest rooms are neat and quiet. The Etoile features mini-bars, TVs, telephones and a friendly staff that seems bent on making one’s stay enjoyable. The Etoile earns three stars: ***.

Once again we found the Hotel Bretonnerie at 22 Rue St. Croix de la Bretonnerie (75004 Paris) possessing a special warmth, along with 31 spotless rooms. The Bretonnerie is both reasonable and within reach of the popular Pompidou Center, resting as it does smack in the ancient Marais district.

Manager Pierre Sagot tells how no two rooms are alike in this charming 17th-Century shelter with its exposed beams, period furniture and modern baths. Certainly it ranks as one of Paris’ friendliest little hotels and is only a short stroll from Notre Dame. The neighborhood is old, the atmosphere contagious. The Bretonnerie is worthy of four stars: ****.

Starting rates:

Hotel St. Louis, 410 francs.

Hotel Jeu de Paume, 720 francs.

Hotel Le Colbert, 570 francs.

Hotel Duc de St. Simone, 650 francs.

Hotel de l’Abbaye, 580 francs.

Hotel du College de France, 390 francs.

Hotel Le Sainte-Beuve, 550 francs.

Hotel de St. Germaine, 520 francs.

Hotel des Saints Peres, 400 francs.

Hotel du Pas-de-Calais, 430 francs.

Residence Latour-Maubourg, 350 francs.

Hotel Montana Tuileries, 520 francs.

Hotel L’Etoile, 500 francs.

Hotel Bretonnerie, 400 francs.

Others:

Hotel de Letuce, 65 Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, 75004 Paris, 550 francs.

Hotel des Deux-Isles, 59 Rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, 75004 Paris: 550 francs.

Hotel Saint Romaine, 5, 7 Rue Saint Roche, 75001 Paris: 520 francs.

Hotel Saint Roche, 25 Rue Saint Roche, 75001 Paris (a bit shopworn but inexpensive, friendly): 270 francs.

Hotel de Londres et de Stockholm, 300 Rue Saint-Honore, 75001 Paris is near the opera and Tuileries: 360 francs.

Note: Due to the instability of the dollar and with a threatened rise in hotel prices, rates in this survey cannot be guaranteed. Contact your travel agent, the hotel of your choice or Paris Hotels International, 11260 Overland Ave., Building 21, Suite B, Culver City 90230. Call (213) 837-3890. (In addition to Paris hotels, this company represents several properties in the South of France.)

Other information is available from the French Government Tourist Office, 9454 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 303, Beverly Hills 90212. Telephone (213) 271-6665 or (213) 272-2661.