travel52

I know, I know...another Paris hotel question. Just do a search, you say. I have searched Fodors, read Trip Advisor, but I still have some questions, so be patient with me please.

We will be making our 1st trip to Paris the beginning of July 2009. We have been in Europe during the Summer (when they had the heat wave), so know how hot it can be. We were able to get by with a fan, although AC is preferred. Because I have arthritis, an elevator is necessary, plus a good location for cafes, restaurants and transportation. We wwill be traveling with friends, who would love to be close to or have a view of, the Eiffel Tower. I have read the reviews in trip advisor and of course there is always someone unhappy everywhere. I would like to keep the price at or under 135E per night. Based on what I have said, please give me your opinion. Any other suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks !

Here are the choices I have it narrowed down to.

Hotel Champ du Mars in the 7th would be my 1st choice because of the price and location, but I don’t think it has AC. If there are fans in the rooms, that would probably be okay.

Hotel Bonaparte in Latin Quarter: It has an elevator and AC and from reviews (Ira) it is close to transportation. Trip advisor reviews say they don’t recommend it for disabled. Any idea why?

Hotel Muguet in 7th: I love the look of this hotel from the web site, but have learned this can be deceiving from other hotel experiences.

Hotel Valadon in 7th: This has good reviews, but I can’t tell if it has AC or elevator.

So...inexpensive, AC, elevator, view of ET, and close to cafes, restaurants. The impossible dream?

susanna

The Mugeut has a few rooms with a small view, ac, it was recently remodeled so it does indeed look like the pictures. I am not sure if they will guarantee you a ET view room. I have stayed here a few times and it very nice for the price.

Travelnut

Hotel Valadon's website clearly states it has an elevator. Under the room descriptions it says there is an 'air fan', so no A/C. The location and price is right. I think they said their breakfast is included so this might be a plus over the other hotels.

Hotel Muguet has A/C and elevator, and about the same room rate for a double/twin, but breakfast (as usual) is extra. The 'view' rooms will cost a lot more. Location is right.

Hotel du Champ de Mars may be difficult to book - I've heard they limit bookings to some specified 'window' of opportunity. A couple of Tripadvisor reviews mention lost or cancelled reservations. I don't think there is A/C there. Cheaper room rates, good location.

Hotel Bonaparte is not close to the Eiffel, it's in St Germain area, and is more expensive than your other choices. I don't know about not being ok for disabled guests, maybe there are some steps in addition to the elevator, or maybe the bathrooms are too small for a chair, or...?

ira

Hi T,

Re the Bonaparte.

>Trip advisor reviews say they don’t recommend it for disabled. Any idea why?

The only reason I can think of for not recommending the hotel to people with disabilities is that the elevator is very small, and there could be a problem with motorized wheelchairs.

travel52

That's probably it Ira, thanks !

Christina

I've stayed in the Muguet and it's fine as long as you aren't expecting anything grand. You won't get any of their view rooms at 135 euro, they are a lot more expensive. I think you won't get a special Eiffel Tower view room in any hotel with your budget, although you can certainly be in a hotel close to it, as you've found. The Muguet is two building cobbled together, I think, and it might not be a good idea for anyone disabled unless you can be guaranteed a room in the building where the elevator goes. I had a room in the attached building, and while the elevator goes to the same floor, you walk down the hall a little and then there are some rather narrow and steep stairs to get to the section where some rooms are on the same floor (I can't remember how many there were -- around four, I think). YOu see this in a lot of older hotels when they attach two buildings together. If that sounds bothersome, you'd just have to make sure you specify a room in the part of the hotel where you don't have to go down steps to reach your room.

You aren't going to find many hotels in that budget with AC in the areas you want, most likely.

travel52

I am aware that I can't have EVERYTHING I want for my price range, but you never know when there is that clever fodorite that has one up their sleeve. There may be more of an advantage to giving up one thing for another, such as: I am assuming, and perhaps incorrectly, that the 7th arr is not a far walk from ET and has cafes, restaurants close by with a neighborhood feel. The Latin quarter has a wider range of inexpensive restaurant choices, but you can get where you need to by metro. I'm a Paris "newbie", so just trying to get my bearings.

That's my story

Ronda

I have stayed at Hotel Champ du Mars at least 3 times. It is almost across the street from a Cafe and if you have a room on the street side it can be very noisy until late especially in summer and you want to open a window. When it was first remodeled, it was lovely and rated very highly and in all the magazines. The last time I stayed there the bedspreads were becoming used looking, and the bathrooms were in need of a good scrubbing. The elevator is the size of a small closet.

Madame is lovely but her husband can be a grouch.

I have also stayed at Hotel Muguet just before it was remodeled. It was absolutely fine then and the AC was wonderful. The elevator is larger than the Champ du Mars. The Muguet breakfast area is not as nice as the Champ du Mars but then we always went to a bakery or cafe on Rue Cler anyway. I did not notice any cobbling together of the buildings so if this is so, it didn't stick out in my mind.

We had a triple room on the front of the building and my sister was thrilled that she could lean out the window and see the Eiffel Tower twinkling. The rooms at the Muguet are larger than the Champ du Mars. My other sister and her friend had a room that faced an inner courtyard and they could hear someone practicing piano in the morning which they found very "enchanting".

Both of these hotels book up early and I believe that they both take reservations 1 year in advance but you might check with them. Of the two, I would pick Muguet especially if AC is important to you.

Champ du Mars did have a small TV but I don't think we had one at the Muguet. There was a computer in the reception area at Muguet which you could use for a fee.

I haven't stayed in the other hotels so can't help you there.

My boss always used to stay at Champ du Mars but switched to Hotel Duquesne Eiffel.

http://www.duquesneeiffel.com/rates.htm

Ronda

In looking at the Muguet website, it appears they do have tv's in the rooms. I should tell you that our rooms were on the 5th floor. If you stay at the Muguet, you should print yourself up a better map than the one on the website because it is actually on a little sidestreet. This also makes it quieter. We did have a triple room and the bathroom was quite large. My sister and her friend had a double room and the bathroom was a smaller.

I always get confused when I come up out of the metro, so if this is your first time in Paris, map out the hotel and check the signs at the intersection before heading off in the wrong direction. Take a taxi from the airport to the hotel no matter where you stay. You will have a lovely time!

Leburta

You should be also be aware that the metro has many steps -- some many more than others, depending on which station you use. Also the walk between transfer points can be quite long. You may find taking buses and taxis more to your liking if walking and taking stairs is a problem.

djkbooks

Usually, you will have to pay a lot extra for a view of the Eiffel Tower from your room. Next best is a hotel where it's in full view as soon as you're on the sidewalk each morning or it's the last thing you see before heading inside to your room for the night. The 7th is full of moderately priced hotels. Although not as convenient, the 15th has hotels nearby and the rates tend to be lower.

Have a look at Hotel Eber Mars in the 7th. It does not have a/c, but some rooms have views of the Eiffel Tower. It's a bit late to be booking a room with a view, but you could get lucky.

Another moderately priced place in the 7th that does have a/c is Hotel Prince. Reviews on TripAdvisor are mixed, but a friend of mine stayed there last year (I saw his room) and liked it just fine. There's a terrific moderately priced restaurant right next door.

Both of these hotels are just steps from Place de l'Ecole Militaire with a metro station (with escalator out) and bus routes to all over, a some really nice cafes.

Michel_Paris

Hi travel52,

Have you made up an itinerary? I'd also take that into consideration when picking a hotel. Yes, the Metro system is great, but you would probably want to limit the number of transfers needed to get where you want to be. Some stations, Chatelet comes to mind, could have a bit of a hike to get from one line to another.

Being near La Motte Picquet station in the 7th would get you Metro access to Arc de Triomphe, Invalides, Louvre, boulevard St Germain, and nearish to Notre Dame, without having to change lines. The Marais (Place des Vosges...) would require a transfer.

There are some good posts here on the bus system. The RATP site is also really good for picking how to get from one location to another.

JeanneB

Let me put in a word for the Bonaparte. First, I think Ira's right. The only limitation might be the small elevator, but most Paris elevators are small.

If walking is a consideration, one of the main bus areas is right around the corner from the hotel (at St Sulpice), probably no more than 50 ft. I haven't stayed at the others, but I can tell you that ease of transportation is one of the things we love about the Bonaparte. We didn't use the bus on our first two trips. But the staff helped us learn the system and now we know it's the best way to get around Paris. Try it...there are threads here that are very helpful.

Wonderful shops there. Lots of cafes, restaurants just a skip away. We just love it.

sunny101

I know you will enjoy your trip and love Paris.

Just a word of caution. A few years ago, I booked a hotel for my mother and myself because it said it had an elevator. It did, but the elevator only came down to the first floor (second floor in US terms). So be sure to ask if the elevator is available from the ground floor/street entrance (rez de chaussee (sp?)).

When I am in Paris, I go to the BHV and buy a fan for my room or apartment -- if one is not already available. For the cost of a 20 euro fan, I have saved on the cost of my room. I take it with me to any other hotels during my trip, then leave it when I return to the US.

Have a wonderful time. Sunny

travel52

Thanks so much for all of these suggestions. Since we will not be going until June 2009, I have plenty of time to research and then make reservations. I have narrowed it down to Hotel Valadon, Hotel Muguet or Hotel Bonaparte. They seem fairly close in price, but different pros and cons. Since we will be with another couple, I wonder if taking a taxi would be eaiser, and not much more expensive than taking the metro places. What do you think? I know when we travelled to New York City, this was the case.

Again, thanks to all !

djkbooks

Hotel Muguet is halfway between Ecole Militaire and LaTour/Maubourg metro stations (both have escalators out), and there are convenient bus routes all around.

The air conditioning at Hotel Muguet is excellent. We stayed in a room with a Tour Eiffel view and loved it.

The problem with two couples and taxis is that the taxis are small. Three adults in the back seat would be a squeeze. And, the front passenger seat is usually not available, as that's where the driver keeps his "stuff".

But, at Hotel Muguet, the front desk can phone for a taxi for four, if you need one.

Viajero2

No hotel will be perfect if you are going to Paris in July, have a list of 6 requirements, and are willing to pay a max of 135 Euros.

You need to prioritize criteria, check which hotels meet what and decide from there which is one is the better option.

I would prioritize as follows:

1. Hotel shall have elevators.
2. Hotel shall have A/C.
3. Price/night <135 Euros.
4. Close to Eiffel Tower.
5. Close to Cafes/restaurants.
6. Room w/view of Eiffel Tower.

Based on this, your choice is Hotel Muguet.

JeanneB

T52:
Paris is not like NYC...you can't count on waving down a taxi any time you want. (Most people line up at a taxi stand.) If you're only going a few blocks the taxi may even refuse the fare.

We use bus/metro all day (it's fun!) but take a taxi to the hotel after dinner. Sometimes we have to wait 20 or 30 min, but I've seen people wait even longer for hotel calls in the middle of the day. If you're concerned about physical barriers on metro/buses, you may want to check the hotels for proximity to a cab stand.


Bonaparte is about 3 1/2 blocks to the cab stand on Blvd St Germain. There may even be one at St Sulpice...I can't remember.

Mambo_

Have you considered the Hotel de la Bourdonnais? It has everything you want. Here are my notes from our stay there, three years ago:

"Stayed at Hotel la Bourdonnais, in the 7th and liked it very much. Nice-sized quad room for our family, with A/C and a lift.

"GREAT view of the Eiffel Tower from our little balconies (room 503). Friendly front desk, too. Offered a simple breakfast buffet, but we chose to visit Rue Cler in the mornings, for coffee, croissants, crepes and fresh fruit.

"A nice market next door to the hotel was handy, too. Metro stop on the corner, Batobus stop close by, too, at the Eiffel Tower. Even an ATM machine at the corner bank.

"Loved the location and the upscale neighborhood. An easy walk through the Champs de Mars to the Eiffel Tower."

We paid $225/night through Expedia back then, but it was for the quad room. I can recommend this hotel highly. It is charming, and on a beautiful tree-lined boulevard.
>-

djkbooks

One huge advantage of Hotel Muguet is that you'll be able to book now for next year. Many hotels will not accept bookings more than a few months out or this year for next.

Also, Hotel Muguet only recently promises the "view" rooms. Previously, they would tell you they'd do their best. Now, you pay extra, but you can specifically reserve rooms with a view.

Most hotels in the area have some rooms with views (others are obstructed by trees or buildings) on that side of the hotel. But, nearly none will commit to a room with a view.