When Paris gets warm it can also become uncomfortably humid. Having A/C allows you to keep the windows of your room closed at night and have quiet for sleep. I'd want accommodations that had A/C unless you want to take a chance on the weather.

We have stayed both on Ile St-Louis and in the Madeleine and much prefer Ile St-Louis. In fact, we checked out of our hotel in the Madeleine district and moved to the Left Bank on our first trip to Paris.
We have stayed in Parisian apts w/o a/c during warm weather. The old stone walls kept them cool enough for us.
Is this your first trip to Paris? On a first visit it is helpful to have a ront desk give your directions, make reservations; perhaps the apt. owner can do that for you as well since it says she lives in Paris.

This is my 1st trip to Paris. However, I think I am comfortable with not having a front desk clerk because by June I will have done so much research. (thanks to Fodors!)I am just really worried about the AC. I don't want to miss out on a great apartment at a wonderful price on Saint Louis. Do you feel this apartment is so great (at 100 Euros) a night, that is warrants a risk of no AC? Don't worry, I won't hold you accountable if a heat wave comes through.

Have you already booked the VRBO apartment? When I pulled it up it looks to be booked during the time you will be in Paris. Anyhow, it is lovely, good price, looks to be super. That said, I've rented approximately 7 apartments all over Paris but don't go in the summer so no AC might be a deal breaker. Whichever you choose have a wonderful trip.
Susan

Sorry Jill, had a brain bubble there, I see it is available, please excuse my case of "the blondes".
Susan

I would much prefer the apartment's location. Maybe it's a bit of an exaggeration, but the ile is like a small village within Paris.

I've stayed in an apartment in Paris without AC in a warm Sept., but it cooled down at night. The apt. had a fairly large rotating fan on a floor stand, which is all I usually need to be able to sleep.

It's so hard to know what the weather will be and heat tolerance is subjective. I'd ask the owner if she provides fans. I would think as it's a ground floor apt, it would be cooler.

Have a good trip whatever you choose.

It depends on how well you cope with heat & humidity. It does sound as if a/c might trump location in your decision-making.

Have you done a search for apartments with a/c in the 4th arr?

I stay in Paris for work quite often and would not stay anywhere there in May through September without A/C.You are not going to be in the apartment that much so go with the A/C so you can be well rested to run around!

Cathinjoetown - thanks for your response. I think it might be worth the risk, but I am a little nervous. The location is so darn adorable! The price is so awesome too.

2010 - Well, I am from Florida so I am definitely used to the heat and humidity. I just want to make sure that I can sleep comfortably after a long day.

I have done a search for apts. with AC in the 4th and there are not many available. (well, in my price range anyway. I am trying to stay at around 130 Euros.) I can spend a little more if need be.

Duty - I usually keep my home here in Florida at 75 degrees. At the end of June/July, will it get higher than that at night time?

I think the A/C is a personal matter. I have been to Paris in July and it was stifling enough to affect sleeping for me both times.

I think the relevant parameters are the value you place on the location, the A/C, the negative impact of the road noise if you (can) leave the windows open. The others can share their equilibrium points, but in the end none of these matter except yours.

I stayed in Paris pretty much those exact dates in 2006. It was between 28-30 C during the day, and fairly humid. I don't how hot it was at night as we were (happily) in a hotel with AC. If you are lucky you may not need it, but what if it turns out to be in the middle of a heatwave. Are you still okay with no AC then?

Yes, I know what you mean! It is such a hard decision. A safe decision would be to just stay in the Madeleine district with my AC but I am torn!

For me it's not about temperature as much as it is about noise trying to sleep in a busy city. I use the AC at night so I can shut the windows, to make it more quiet so I can sleep. Otherwise with windows open often it's too noisy for me.

Why not look for something in the 4th w/AC? I know you're doing a lot of research from seeing all your posts, but why limit yourself to these 2 choices?

Good question Suze. I have actually researched all day today and could not find anything that I liked (have kind of picky taste) in the 4th arrondisement with AC for around 130 Euros. I know my budget is not that high, so that is the struggle. I don't think I will give up quite yet though. So I will still search. I just love that darn apt! I wonder if that street is noisy or quiet enough to open the windows????

Well it says it "opens onto courtyards", which I would assume means it is on the ground floor. I'm not sure how I'd feel about sleeping with windows wide open in the city on the ground floor.

Sorry should have put a (?) after ground floor

Sure I think it appears to be a cute (small) place. But for 130 euro ($177usd!) I think you should be able to get AC if that's important to you.

I wish it wasn't so hard to find an apt. with AC in the Marais/Saint Louis area! Perhaps I am destined to stay at Hotel Queen Mary.

I'm no Paris expert but the 8th isn't a district I often see recommended to stay. 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th... yes.

I'll quit now because I feel like I'm sounding argumentative but I can't believe there's not a nice hotel room or apartment in the Marais in that price range with AC to be found. bon chance!

I'd stay in the 4th and hope for good weather.

No worries Suze. You are not being argumentative at all! I have seen much worse. haha. I was in shock too when I couldn't find a place in my price range that I liked for around 130 Euros. Perhaps sometimes I am just too picky for my own good.

On our last trip to Paris in mid May we needed AC. If I'm not rested I don't enjoy my trip.

Jill,

I really can't advise you on the a/c issue but from the photos of the apartment, it looks as though it is on the ground floor and it looks as though the one window on the courtyard has vertical bars on it.

So it seems unlikely that there will be any issues from street noise or safety to prevent you from keeping the window open at night.

Why don't you ask the owner if the apartment stays cool and if there is a fan available.

Have you looked at the apartments at www.parisbestlodge.com?

I have been in Paris at that time of year several times. Once it was in the 70's, once in the 80's and several times we had at least one day over 90. You may get 70's and rain - but if it were me (and I can;t sleep if it;s hot al all) I would never consider a place without AC - no mater what else it offered.

Caveat: I sleep only if it's 72 or lower - and use use AC here in NYC from May through October (but our whole apartment faces south and is hot all year). If you know you don;t mind heat - and some people don't - then don;t worry about AC.

Jill, I'm a left bank person, but I also love Ile St. Louis; so charming and central. On my last trip to Paris in late May, I booked a hotel in the 5th(my favorite), with air conditioning, but it broke down. It wasn't impossible to sleep, but it was somewhat uncomfortable. If I were planning the trip, I'd either settle on the apartment on Ile St. Louis, or look for something there, or in the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th with air conditioning. I agree with cw; why don't you ask if there's a fan you could use. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Ellen

I just emailed the owner to see if there is a fan, however I think of reading through all your emails that I don't want to risk it. CW - I emailed to find out about some of the places on the website you recommended. Let's hope they are still available and in my price range.

NY and Ellen - can you give me some recommendations for places? I would love to check them out.

We stayed in the Latin Quarter...real close to the Seine and Ile de la Cite called Hotel Europe St. Severin. It does have air conditioning because that is something we look for. It is very central to everything and gets consistently good reviews on TripAdvisor. http://www.hoteleurope.net/

We stayed in a room with a balcony. Most of the rooms have been recently renovated.

It is another option for you.

Air conditioning wins over charm and location for me when it's hot enough to need A/C. I'm sure you can find a hotel with A/C in your budget and near your preferred location, though.

As long as the apartment has a good cross breeze, June should be no problem. That is our favorite time to go and we've never needed a/c in our apartment. If the apartment, doesn't have a good cross breeze (windows on both sides) or faces due south, then a/c would be needed. A fan is also good to ask for...

ps. ask the owners for someone who has stayed there in june the previous years and chat with them.

Have you looked at the Hotel des Deux-Ils? I've walked past many times, but have never stayed there. The Lutece is also right there. Both appear to be air-conditioned from their descriptions.

One thing I do which may be helpful to you is to look at venere.com. Click on Paris hotels and they'll give you a map by arrondissements. Click on the arrondissement and you'll get a list of hotels. You can click on individual hotels, too. I've never booked through venere, but I always use it when I start my search. They have lots of reviews also.

Not in the exact area you want, but the Hotel St. Paul is a lovely little hotel in the 6th, just off Bl. St. Michel. It's a 5-10 minute walk to the Seine, and a minute or two from the Luxembourg Gardens. The Trianon Rive Gauche in the same area is a little larger, but nice, too.

Having said that, I wouldn't give up on the apartment quite yet...

Jill, another thought. When your husband says he wants a central location, is there a particular reason he suggests the 4th? It's a great location, but the 5th, 6th and 7th, for example, are also considered very central. Paris is just about the most walking-friendly city on earth, and while each arrondissement has its own feel, I don't think you could go wrong choosing any of them.

You should be able to find accommodations in the 5th, (right across the Seine from Ile St Louis), either an apartment or hotel with A/C.

Have you checked the Hotel Lutece and Hotel Deux Iles on Ile St Louis? The rate might be higher than 130 euros, but the euro has been going down, so might be within your budget.

There are recent threads that list hotels on the left bank.

I think I may have found a hotel in my price range that I love! Hotel Saint Jacques in the 5th! It is close to the Seine, 125 Euros, air conditioning, and the rooms/lobby look so charming and elegant for the price. I didn't think I wanted the Latin Quarter, but I can't go wrong with this hotel. Is the neighborhood as well kept, clean, and pretty as St. Louis?

The apartment is a gem! And you will not find a better location - Ile St. Louis is much quieter than any other neighbourhood in Paris.

Do not worry about A/C. It is not a tiny hotel room with a large window, it is an apartment with a much better microclimate. 99% of Parisian apartments do not have A/C, because it is not necessary. And June is not the hottest month, usually the nights are fairly cool and the stone walls will not have warmed by June.

Echnaton - I don't think I want to take the risk. Also, I am going at the end of June into July (June 29th-July 3rd.) It is a cute apartment, isn't it?? Only 100 Euros a night. I have picky taste and for that price with how cute it is! When I come back to Paris in a colder month perhaps I will stay here.

The Latin Quarter is nothing like the Ile St-Louis, which is very upscale. I've always found the Latin Quarter to be noisy and crowded.

The site states a minimum stay of 1 week. Did they agree to a nightly for you? Yes, it is a cute place.

The Latin Quarter is nothing like the Ile St-Louis, which is very upscale.

True, but her accommodation budget is 130 euros, too low for Ile St Louis. And it's a short walk from the 5th so they can spend plenty of time there.

<<I think I may have found a hotel in my price range that I love! Hotel Saint Jacques in the 5th!>>

The Hotel St Jacques was charming enough to be the setting for Charade, the movie with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

Try to rent the movie.

Scatcat - yes, they agreed to do a nightly rate for me. (min 5 nights so for $100 euros a night, I will just pay the extra night even though I am only staying four nights.

When I did the google maps, the street that the apt. was on looked average. (even though I know the island itself is more upscale), so that played a factor. The facade of the exterior of the apt. looked plain and the facade of Hotel Saint Jacques looked so pretty.

Okay, so here are two options for me. The Hotel Saint Louis is in my budget. $140 Euros a night. They told me that the hotel is getting completely renovated by June 2010. However, the exterior facade still looks a little plain to me. (compared to the Hotel Saint Jacques)

I don't care too much about the noise and crowds, but to me it is how well kept the neighborhood looks. I love nice architecture, clean/pretty store fronts, and a "charming" atmosphere. Cleaniness is important to me. I don't want to see graffiti (I know some of it is inevitable since Paris is a big city), but I think you get a sense of my taste.

Personally, yes, I would pick a hotels in the 5th with AC. I've only been to Paris once, but we stayed in the Latin Quarter and it was perfect. It's incredibly central for walking to places.

Any comments on staying in the 2nd arrondisement near the theatre district? We are looking at an apartment on rue de Marsollier. I am also curious about a beautiful apartment I've seem shown that is on the Rue Jean Mermoz in the 8th. It is near the round point of the Champs Elysees and the Franklin Roosevelt metro station. The views look beautiful but it seems like it might not be in a neighbourhood that is very affordable! (I am stuck on staying in the 6th or the 3rd and I'm not sure if I'm just being too fussy. I would like to be able to visit bakeries, cafes, monoprix, etc in the neighbourhood I'm staying in (two weeks in July, starting on the 10th) Comments?

< visit bakeries, cafes, monoprix, etc in the neighbourhood I'm staying >

I think you can do that pretty much any part of Paris. That really doesn't limit your choice.

I really think you are spending too much time on worrying about a hotel room for a few nights in Paris on a first visit. I wouldn't rent an apt. for just a few nights in Paris when you've never been there before. Ile St Louis is certainly just as crowded and full of tourists as the Latin Qtr, anyway. I would never trade AC during a time when it could be very hot for an unknown apt. you've seen on the web. I would never rent a ground floor apt., either, but some people obvioulsy don't care about those issues.

I don't even know what HOtel St Louis is, and I don't see why the exterior of the hotel matters that much. I think you may be over-romanticizing a lot of these places (ie, how quaint and charming they will be). Apartments almost always look bigger and nicer online than they are. Being able to sleep at night comfortably is very important to me on a short vacation when you are spending so much time and money on it.

I have been in Paris one year at that time and is was a heat wave, about 90-100 degrees, although it isn't usually. But it can be very stifling and hot and difficult to sleep in some places as they won't have much cross-ventilation (not many city apts do, and a bedroom onto a courtyard won't have any, and you wouldn't want a bedroom on the ground floor with open windows, would you? ). Of course it could be perfectly moderate, but the noise in many places in Paris can make sleep difficult if you can't close your windows.

I agree with everything Christina said.
I also think a hotel is a more "sure thing" than an apartment, especially for a few nights only and a 1st trip to Paris. Hotels are more likely to be closer to as portrayed on a website & if something is wrong, it gets fixed, or you can move rooms. If something goes wrong or doesn't work about an apartment it's a much bigger hassle (contacting the owner, etc.).

Yes, that is the overplanner in me. haha. But, I do have to say this time that I am completely satisfied with my decision and I am glad I decided to do more research because Saint Jacques is by far the most charming, elegant, best location for the money! I actually got the last double room for my time period. It is amazing how full circle things have come. At first I wanted the 7th (Eiffel Tower), then the 8th (glitz of the Champs), then the 4th (which I may stay in on my 2nd trip to Paris) and now I am okay with the 5th because of the excellent location with this amazing hotel for the price. Thanks to all my Fodorite friends, I have gathered the research and formed my own opinions but I couldn't have done it without the help of all your comments. It goes to show you that many tourists would probably think the 7th is a great arrondisement because of the Eiffel Tower, when actually it is not even that central.

Seriously, I cannot thank everyone enough. Overplanning can be a flaw I must admit, but in this case it has been a blessing. I may not have been happy at Queen Mary. Yes, I do have picky taste but I guess that is the one thing that I can't change. My husband says that when we are old and gray, I will be planning every detail of my funeral and how I want every detail perfect. HAHA.

We were in Paris for the 1st time at the end of June 2009. We stayed at the Champs du Mars Hotel. We had a courtyard room on the bottom floor without AC. It was such a good price, and we have been without AC before, so thought it would be fine as long as we had a fan. Unfortunately, the weather was unusually warm (high 90's) and since we had a courtyard room, there was NO airflow. With the windows open, we could hear/see people right outside our window. At some point, we just didn't care. I think it really changed our whole time in Paris. We never had a place to cool off and revive. Paris just ate us up. I think it was all related to the heat and never getting relief. A year ago, I would have had a very different recommendation regarding AC. Now I say "go for it". Adding insult to injury, steak tar tar did not agree with DH and so 36 of our hours in Paris were spent in a small, sweltering hotel room with him very sick.

Hotel St. Jacques is in a great location. I just read some Trip Advisor reviews which are very good. Go for it!

For what it's worth, I love planning a trip and in the process, I drive my husband crazy, so I completely understand, Jill!

And you can easily walk to Ile St-Louis.

You will be much more comfortable with AC at that time of year. It gets muggy/damp and you'll sleep better (and then be ready to tackle all those museums) with air conditioning!

I'm glad you didn't take that apartment. It may have had a cute factor, but it was very small, with no cross ventilation, and that quasi-shower would have driven me mad. Ditto for the semi-sink in the bathroom. Some of that stuff can look charming in photos, but can be totally unlivable.

Jill,
Don't apologize for being picky. This is a vacation of a lifetime and I don't blame you for wanting a charming hotel in a fantastic location. I know a lot of people don't care about their accommodations (after all - it's just a place to sleep!) but to me it makes a huge difference. I absolutely love staying in small boutique type hotels that ooze charm - it is part of the vacation experience for me!

That said, I agree with the above posters who recommend staying somewhere with AC. I've been to Paris a few times in the summer and it has always been very hot. I don't think I would consider anywhere without AC.

Another factor to consider is proximity to a Metro stop. It is so nice to have a Metro stop close by your hotel/apartment. You can zip home to change clothes for dinner, drop off shopping bags, grab a raincoat, etc. . . That is another important factor for me.

I know from your other threads you are traveling throughout Europe. Are you planning to visit Provence this trip? If so, I have the absolute perfect hotel for you in Arles, France. It is called Hotel Particulieur and it is one of my favorite places on earth. (http://www.hotel-particulier.com/v2/en/).

Have a wonderful trip!

Attnymom - thank you so much for your response. I think I am really happy with my decision. I am staying at the Hotel Jacques (where they filmed Charade with Carey Grant) and it just looks so nice for the price. What do you think of the Latin Quarter? We will be right by the metro.

Unfortunately, we are not visiting Provence but I do know that we will be planning another trip to Europe and will consider Provence, so I will definitely refer to this post. Thank you.

We passed by the Hotel St Jacques several times on our visit last month. It's a great location. We've stayed a couple times in the Latin Quarter and it's easy to get just about anywhere from there either by walking or hopping on a bus or the metro. I think you'll be fine there for your first visit. U will have a chance to explore the other areas and know what u prefer when u return. My favorite over the years has been the 4th, right across the river from the 5th. Have a great trip!

Yes, when I go to Paris I definitely want to check out Le Marais and Ile Saint Louis to scope out if that is where I want to stay next time??? Or perhaps I will want to stay in Latin Quarter again? The fun part is finding this out for your own, I guess.

Absolutely -- each neighborhood has its own personality and it's fun to discover it. My daughter lived in Paris and had said the Marais would be what we like and she was right. But every arrondisment has its own charm and interests for sure. Each trip I say let's try another arrondisement, but we seem to end up back in the Marais.

"True, but her accommodation budget is 130 euros, too low for Ile St Louis. And it's a short walk from the 5th so they can spend plenty of time there."

Didn't mean to mislead. I was just answering the OP's question: "Is the neighborhood as well kept, clean, and pretty as St. Louis?"

Mare - I am waiting with suspense on your answer to my question.

There is Hotel Saint Louis that is in my budget on the island, but the hotel itself didn't look nearly as nice as Hotel Saint Jacques. When looking at the area (google maps) around Saint Jacques in the Latin Quarter, it looked very nice and well kept so I am hoping that will be the case. It looked very lively with adorable outdoor cafes and whatnot. Can't wait to explore!

Paris is a clean city, and the central arrondisements are all "well kept." These are all areas that are very expensive to live in, historic, and heavily touristed. Not a lot of tattoo parlors or trash on the streets.

Jill, I don't mean to confuse things further. Someone had quoted me earlier in your post, and I was responding to that. I don't see the two areas as being that similar, but at the same time, but I think you'll have a wonderful time no matter where you stay. It looks like a great hotel choice.