My husband and I are taking our 3 children (ages 13, 11, 7) to Paris this August. We are looking for a nice hotel with A/C that can accomodate 3 in one room. We don't want to get more than 2 rooms. We would prefer to be in the 1st or 2nd District. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I don't have any specific recommendations for you, but have you considered renting an apartment?

Isn't it difficult to find an apartment with A/C?

Just wondering, also, do apartments generally offer rate promotions for late July-August, the way hotels do?

Hi jn,

Many hotels have triples.

Are their particular reasons for limiting it to the 1 and 2?

What is your budget?

Both of these have A/C and are in the 1st/2nd...

Hotel Louvre Marsollier (2nd)
located between Metros: Opera, Pyramides, Quatre Septembre
SPECIALS:
Double / Twins - 109-125€
Triple - 150€
Suite / 5 - 260€
Breakfast included for 'websurfers'
http://www.hotellouvremarsollier.com/default.htm

Relais du Louvre (1st) - (this one gets the best reviews on TripAdvisor.com)
150-190 for doubles/twins/triples
'email for special promotions'
http://www.relaisdulouvre.com/tarifs-va.html

I see that you are brand new here (how do I know that? click on your own name - - it's a valuable tip that Fodors fails to tell you when they send you that initial e-mail confirming your registration)...

... but anyway - - I'd rather offer you help with your next post. This is not my "rule" or finger-wagging - - it's what Fodors itself asks you to do - - quoting from item 6 on their "HELP" webpage...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/faqs.cfm#Q6

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&quot;Finally, create a title - make sure it is concise and clearly describes your message (<b>and destination</b>, if applicable)...&quot;

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(my own added emphasis)

Thus, when you re-post this question, and you really <b>should</b> - - mention <b>Paris</b>... please? for the benefit of all on this board...

Best wishes,

Rex

You're right, travelnut, I forgot about the AC thing. Although, I glanced at vrbo.com and there's a series of apartments across from the Louvre (17751) that say

&quot;We have installed a high level forced air ventilation system (AC like, a natural system) to provide fresh air with a suitable level of humidity (coming from the courtyard and not from the street), at any time.&quot;

What is that?

Jocelyn, I'm going to take a guess:

As you probably know, air conditioners act in part as dehumidifiers, that is, they remove water vapour from incoming outside air, while at the same time exhausting warm room air. (You've probably seen the drips coming from window mounted AC units.) A simple fan on the other hand doesn't use outside air (unless it's mounted in an open window) and it doesn't dehumidify, it just circulates interior room air.

This sounds like they have installed a fancy version of a fan mounted in an outside window. Air from the courtyard is used as the incoming air source; presumably the courtyard is shaded and so the air is cooler and somewhat drier (the lower temperature means some vapour condenses out naturally.) The system likely uses one fan, and one set of ducts to pull in the outside courtyard air and a second fan, and second set of ducts to exhaust interior room air, so it's a bit more efficient than your fan-in-the-window scenario.

Frankly, I'd rather have this in a hotel than AC, since the lower operational cost means the hotel will likely turn it on more frequently than AC, which is extremely expensive even in NA to operate. (Their view is also that the air isn't artificially dehumidified, which apparently is a selling point with some Europeans.)

I forget if we had AC because I was there in Late June and didn't need it last year, but we stayed at the Hotel De Champaigne in the 1st and rented a suite that accomodated all 5 of us - about the same as your family. It was a 3 star hotel and was nice. The location was great. Check it out on Tripadvisor. Not real cheap or too expensive either.

Ira posted a new thread that gives an apartment with A/C - I think it has 'vactioninparis.com' in the title.

One time in the past we have stayed in a triple at the Best Western Folkestone Opera, website: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwest...ertyCode=93203
It had a double bed, &amp; single bed. It was a small room, &amp; also had a small bathroom &amp; shower in the room, &amp; TV, but was comfortable enough to relax in between bouts of touring. And it is one that we would use again. But one of the best things about it was, even though we weren't expecting it - there was A/C &amp; that really helped. Not sure if it is where you want it, but is located near La Madeleine.

Maybe it is just a fan, wouldn't surprise me. Actually, I prize the dehumidifying function of AC more than the temperature, that makes a big difference in my house. I sometimes turn it on just because of the humidity, whereas the temps might be tolerable (I live in a very humid city). I think I've heard of some kind of fancy ventilation system that isn't really AC in Paris, it is probably cheaper to run and easier to install.

The point about hotel discounts in August is a very good one. Apts. won't offer that because they mainly appeal to tourists and August is not low season. Hotels do offer it because much of their clientele is business-related, not just tourists, and bookings are down in July-Aug.

What's the budget? The Hotel Britannique is supposed to be pretty nice in that area 3* with AC.
http://www.hotel-britannique.fr/
They have a 15 pct discount in August which makes a double reasonable, but I don't know about the triple thing. Two hotel rooms should be more expensive than an apt., but apts with AC are rare and there are other considerations in booking them, of course.