Flavio

I AM LOST HERE! HELP, FOLKS! Would you take any of these? Would you suggest something better for the same price?<BR><BR><BR>Madrid<BR>&gt; &gt;<BR>Hotel Moncloa *** = USD 92.00<BR>Hotel Los Condes*** = USD 92.00<BR>Hotel Gran Versalles*** = USD 100.00<BR><BR>Barcelona<BR>Hotel Century Park*** = USD 100.00<BR>Hotel Glories *** = USD 125.00<BR><BR>Paris<BR>&gt;&gt;<BR>Hotel L`Avenir*** = USD 130.00<BR>Hotel Montreal*** = USD 115.00<BR>Hotel Timhotel Opera Madaleine ***=USD 101.00<BR>Hotel D'Espagne ** siperior = USD 94.00<BR>

AAA

Why do you think a travel agent would trick you?<BR>It's their job to help you.....<BR>Seems like someone went out of their way to try to give you what you wanted.<BR><BR>If you need a critique on the hotels,ask the agent-she/he should have a book giving their "star" status etc.<BR><BR>I see nothing wrong with the list- the agent gave you more options than most.<BR>Ask the agent for their advice on which is better-Isn't that why you used a travel agent?

xxx

All the hotels you listed in Paris are located in the 9th district. I assume you want to stay in the Madeline/Opera district. If so, then judging by the pictures on the web of these hotels, they look allright. The rates look okay if these are double rooms. If you want to see an actual photograph of the hotels go to www.pagesjaunes.fr and list the address for each.

pv

Jeeesssss............<BR>Your TA gives you a whole heap of hotels for YOU to check out and you think you are being tricked!!!!!!<BR>Go check these hotels on the internet.<BR>Ask other travelers what their thoughts are on the hotels that INTEREST YOU..<BR>After doing that, go back to your TA, with YOUR DECISIONS.<BR>TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

elaine

Flavio<BR>I find it a better practice to do my own research on hotels, and then if I'm using a travel agent (I rarely do), give specific directions about my choices<BR>e.g, Hotel A I'd like a room for two with one bed, room facing the courtyard<BR>If I can't get that then I want Hotel B, a room for two but on an upper floor, etc<BR><BR>Your agent is not likely to have enough personal knowledge of each hotel to know which has the best location regarding restaurants, which is closest to a useful metro stop, which offers the better breakfast, which has larger rooms, etc<BR><BR>You can check elsewhere on this Fodor's website for both Fodor's hotel listings as well as "Rants and Raves" comments from previous hotel guests. Also check for comments at frommers.com, timeout.com, and www.paris.org<BR><BR><BR>

Jacko

The prices for the Paris hotels seem pretty normal to me. What's your problem?

AAA

Elaine- the agent has ALL the info to get your exactly what you are looking for: LOCATION,how close to the metro,the hotel rating, and a critique for each specific hotel.<BR><BR>There is a special book that agent ONLY HAVE- it is called the star report-<BR>Just about every hotel has been critiqued independently ( not paid by the hotels they are critiquing) and has a write-up for any client to read.<BR>My agent usually does a print out for me on the hotels and lets me decide for myself where I want to stay.....<BR>

elaine

AAA<BR>Agents may have a book, but in my experience one book rarely tells me everything I want to know. And I've known too many agents who offer only recommendations from hotel chains that pay them commissions,or only the hotels that are mentioned in hotel package brochures associated with airlines and tour groups. Perhaps I just haven't met the right agents, but too many seem to know much less than I do (or than I can find out) even about whether or not the hotel is down at the docks, or out near the 'burbs, areas I don't want to stay in. I agree that agents can be very helpful when it comes to airfares.<BR><BR>I read lots of guidebooks and know which ones I think are more reliable than others. I don't see that any ONE book can be the sole source of info. That assumes that the author (or the travel agent) and I have the same impressions, the same priorities, the same values, the same tastes. What I trust most of all are MULTIPLE comments from people who have stayed there, which is why message boards like this one are such a great resource.

Kidtfox

If anyone can claim that Agents don't "trick" "scam" or deceive in order to get a better sale....you're either a new jack, just straight, got tons of money to waste or a combination of all three. <BR><BR>Travel Agents/Websites are businesses, and will only be forthcoming with booking that are feasible to them. Nothing's wrong with that at all, is just that this might not be in the best interest for the traveller.<BR><BR>So I would advise anyone travelling, to do some extensive research before going to an agent to book anything,..they can sell you chalk for cheese, if you aren't quick on your toes.<BR><BR>

tips & input

I'm with the do-it-yourself crowd! My philosophy is I care about the success of my vacation more than any business person/agent ever would. I don't know if your travel agent is "tricking" you but they often have less actual personal experience then posters on various internet BB's.<BR><BR>I would take your list and research it using: several guidebooks at bookstore, books specific to hotel listings (i.e., Charming Hotels of Paris or something like that), travel magazines, www.ricksteves.com...<BR><BR>AND rewording your initial post - separate the cities, so people here on Fodors BB can tell their experiences. The way you worded your question, many folks probably wouldn't take the time to read it, compared to if you asked "have you stayed at these four Paris hotels in the 9th?" for example.

yyy

Maybe the reader thought the hotels were too expensive!!! Ya know, everything in Europe is supposed to be CHEAP...<BR>I guess they thought the TA was taking too big a cut...<BR><BR>Get real!<BR>

Christina

Don't know about the Spanish hotels, but the list for Paris is just sort of peculiar, to me. However, if there is something special about them that suits your requirements, there may be a reason for this list (such as Spanish-speaking?). Two of them I've never heard of (Montreal and d'Espagne). <BR><BR>There are several Hotel Avenir's in Paris and I've been by the one in St-Germain which is a nice area and I think it is a decent, modestly-priced hotel in a quiet but convenient area just south of Luxembourg Gardens. I think that could be a good choice. If it is the Hotel Avenir on bd Rouchechourt in the 9th, no, that is a bad suggestion and a crummy area and hotel and I would begin to question this agent (unless there is a special reason for this suggestion, as I said). <BR><BR>Timhotels are a large chain catering more to business-people, it seems to me, and I think they can be overpriced for what you get, although a couple of their hotels are okay. Most are extremely charmless, but if you want a bland, modern room, that might suit you. That is a decent price for a 3-star hotel in that area, however. I can't really comment or recommend anything to you in Paris without knowing your criteria, though. Paris has hundreds of hotels, I believe, in all areas. So what area did you want to stay in and what criteria did you give this agent?

Gretchen

I think he is lucky to have a travel agent that will recommend hotels at the $100 level. My experience is that they usually do not handle or recommend hotels at that price.

cova

Well, the spanish list also looks peculiar. The hotels location is kind of peculiar (Moncloa, too far away from everything, Los Condes, near the Gran Via going to Plaza de Espa&ntilde;a, Gran Versalles, near Plaza Colon. The hotels in Barcelona are both in th Eixample, near the University and the Gran Via).<BR>They look like places you book when going on a business trip, really. I would go for the Gran Versalles and the Glories, if I only could choose between these ones.

ask why?

For Flavio, Taking into consideration the posted replies so far, I'd consider starting over on your own...<BR><BR>OR at least asking your travel agent how/why these particular hotels are being recommended. There has to be some reason or benefit that the agent picks these??? And since your original post implied distrust of the travel agent. I'd do a quick back-pedal right now and start fresh. No harm done.<BR>