For that amount of time you are better off renting an apartment..

take a look at this website to give you an idea.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rentals/france/6th-arrondissement-st-germain-des-pres/r18939

If it's your first visit to Paris, consider that renting an apartment (which will, probably be cheaper than 8 nights in a hotel) won't afford you a front desk where you can ask questions, and may require you to learn or speak some French.

You can find hotels and apartments all over Paris for your budget or under. The 6ème is an expensive arrondissement, in general, but consider that almost anywhere in Paris you are within a very few blocks of a métro station. May is beginning the high season, so yes, prices will be higher.

There is nothing that says you have to be in "central Paris," though of course if it's your first time I imagine that's where you want to be - but there really isn't an animal called "central Paris" anyway, because the city was built over centuries and not designed to make things easy or central for modern tourists. Look around in places farther out than the 6th.

Really funny I usually spend under 150 euros a night , and its not that hard.
could you tell us your dates, wonder if they fall on french holidays( several in May).. Also sorry, rooms really are going to be small, so hubby is just going to have to handle it. Its only for sleeping anyways right?
I will go and check a few of my faves and see what rates are like for random may dates.

Well entered dummy dates ranging from May 6-19th and found doubles for 145-150 at Hotel Eugenie. Booking a three night minimum for best deals.
This hotel is very central, right on border of 5/6th and 1/2 block from Seine, very good location. Rooms are small and clean. Get room with shower only as shower /tub bathrooms seem smaller. Bathroom is clean modern and to me decent shower stall size, but if hubby is really really big, might be an issue, over 250-275 might feel tight, over 300 forget it.

Hotel Diana, its not in 6th but 5th, on quiet street but only a block away from bustling busy area of Latin Quarter, decent sized rooms. We got a triple this summer for two of us( they had given away all the doubles and upgraded up to the triple) and I would say that is a large room for paris, included a mini fridge and a coffe making set up , so good deal . If you can get that room you would be pretty set.

Even if it is your first time in Paris, I'd still vote in favor of renting an apartment. My husband is 6'7", and after a day or so feels like a caged animal in most European hotel rooms. We like being able to enjoy our coffee in the morning whenever we'd like and without having it delivered to our room; likewise, it's especially nice to return to the apartment in the late afternoon for a small glass of wine and some cheese before heading out for the evening. Of course, you can do all of this for 8 nights in a single room of a hotel, but you know your travel preferences best.

Yes with an apartment you make your own bed, do dishes, and use the same towels everyday till you wash them. I have rented an apartment, and its a trade off sometimes. I still have wine cheese , yogurts in my hotel room, mini fridge, and at hotel diana they have coffee service(make your own, not room service!) in the room, at least we did!

We have been to Paris numerous times and I still opt for a hotel. I can "live like a Parisian" even in a hotel room--bring back some bread, cheese, etc. And there have been times when the hotel desk has been of HUGE help and import. For a first timer, it seems like you can plan every little thing using help from these boards, but when you arrive on the scene, it is sometimes a bit more problematic.

Thanks, all. I'm off to work but am going to look into those hotel and apt. suggestions tonite.

Yes, we've gone back and forth on the hotel v. apt. question, and had decided to be open to either - since we see pros/cons either way, we'll go with whatever we find that works for us, first. I hadn't mentioned tho' that I'm looking for accomodations for two couples (separate places, tho, not one apt. for both couples), and that might make finding a hotel easier.

I don't speak French but have started already to learn by cd during my work commute, and am going to look for an adult ed class in Jan. too. I fortunately pick up languages fairly quickly (tho' not as quickly as when I was younger!).

Oh, and our Paris dates are May 10-18. We've decided to start our trip with 5 nights in Provence, first.

I checked the place where we stayed in the 6th, the Hotel Clement and you could do it for this price. It is very well located, 1 block off the main boulevard, and within 5 min walk of 3 different metro stations. This is not a luxury hotel by any means, a good 2 star, but very clean and gets very good reviews.

If you decide to take this, the breakfast is not included and the hotel restaurant is kind of expensive. BUT, it is directly across the street from the Marche, 5 min walk to a Paul cafe, and a wonderful boulangerie, Fabien LeDoux is kitty corner from there.

The front desk was very helpful to us when my husband's VISA card was stolen, and they acted like a tour guide helping us with transportation.

http://www.hotelclementparis.com/

Having now consulted with two out of the three others, we're going to add areas a little further out from "Central Paris" to our possibilities, leaning a little more toward a hotel, ideally one that does include breakfast. (tho if we see a couple great studio apts. near each other that will save us significant dollars we might still go for it).

If we can easily travel by metro to sites and different neighborhoods to explore, we're fine with that, although it would be nice if it were a pretty quick metro ride back to the hotel if one of us did feel the need for a quick nap mid day!

Which arrondissements would you suggest we add to our looking?

ps one of the men is around 240# and the other is over 6 ft tall, not sure how much over.

Laura -

Please don't make breakfast included in your hotel price a priority. If you can find something cheaper without breakfast, I'd do that in a heartbeat. Chances are good that the breakfast on offer won't be. Take the money you'll save and go have your breakfast in a local café each morning. That'll give you at least a hint of the oft-sought-after-but-rarely-spotted true Parisian experience !!

- Kevin

I agree, breakfast included is a waste if you're looking to save $$. Pick a place in the 11th or 10th or 18th or 20th or 13th and just get to the local café for breakfast or the local boulangerie for breakfast stuff the night before.

I second the comments about breakfasts. The last time I stayed in a hotel in Paris (a pleasant enough but nothing special 2-3 star), they charged €13 for breakfast, where the local restaurant on the corner charged €9 and a slightly rough-and-ready bar up on the main boulevard charged €5.50 (probably just for a coffee and croissant).

Thanks for that good feedback. I wasn't the one who cared at all about brkfst in the hotel, actually prefer it not, and I will pass on your unanimous opinions to our friends!

150 euro in peak rate season, which is what May is, is difficult for a nicer hotel. It's not difficult for just any hotel, sure, it just depends on your standards and what you expect. It is difficult to get large rooms in a cheaper hotel, that's the big problem. Most 2* hotels would be in that range, I think, in the central areas (meaning many 3*s will not, at least not in May). I often stay in Montparnasse and hotels are a bit cheaper there than in the 4th-6th arrondisements but the nicer ones are now a bit more than 150 euro in peak season.

Here's one I like a lot and the room I had was absolutely huge, no problems there (it was literally a suite or triple, even though I paid for a double--a very large bedroom, plus an anteroom with a closet and a small day bed which I guess a child could have used, then a large bathroom. The rooms are kind of Art Deco-y which I like for a change. I didn't even have the top rate, I think it was a comfort double. http://www.hotelraspailmontparnasse.com/
They have double deluxes in May for 156 euro, I'd book that to make sure as maybe I got lucky and got some fluky super huge room as the comfort double (it was the top floor).

oh, I agree that 8 days in a hotel can be a lot, especially if you aren't crazy about it once there. Same for an apt., of course.

Whether breakfast is included or not should be irrelevant, just compare prices. I don't like eating in most hotels anyway, at least not in big cities. I do in the country or some place like that.