Hi, i would like to find out the best accomodation in paris is to stay in a hotel or an apartment for a family of five, 3 adults and 2 children.

I have heard good things about an agency called chezvous.com, which friends of mine use twice a year to come and stay here. It's not cheap, though.

Karen, <BR>scroll down for postings on this same subject from yesterday

Advice from a native parisian: <BR> <BR>Rent an apartment, definitely, it will be cheaper and more comfortable for you and your family! Paris budget hotels tend to have tiny rooms and baths, if any. In a flat, you'll have space to spread out, enjoy family life and unwind after your daily excursions. You'll stiull be able to eat at any bistro/restaurant yet have the option to eat "at home" (pletny of daily markets/groceries stores throughout the city where you can buy wonderful food, fresh or prepared). <BR> <BR> <BR>I did an extensive search/screening of rental companies and would recommend the following: www.psrparis.com (large selection but a clearing house feel), www.rentvillas.com (limited selection but great personalized advice), www.locaflat.fr (good selection but Paris-based). <BR> <BR>Contact them to "check them out" and see how they treat you, it will be a good indicator. Check the rates, too, as some agencies are a total rip-off in commissions. Assuming you want 3 bedrooms (or 2 + 1 person on a sofa bed), you should be able to stay within a $800-$1,500 max budget per week. <BR> <BR>Central Paris is divided into 20 districts ("arrondissements") and the city is sufficiently compact that you can walk it throughout. I'd recommend that you stay in any of the 1st to 8th districts, with a special favour for the 4th to 6th, close to everything and full of charm! Let me know if you need more info.

Chez vous is the way to go! Nothing beats having your own apartment in Paris. They give great discounts in the winter months (25%) and they have a great selection of apartments. I don't find them to be expensive at all. it is at least comparable price-wise to a 2 Star Hotel.

Amanda, what apt prices are you referring to by Chez Vous that you think are equal to a two-star hotel? I was looking at their Web site as I was thinking of renting an apartment in Paris also, perhaps next May. Unless I am looking in the wrong place, their one-bedrooms seem to range from $150-225 a night, and two-bedrooms from $300 a night and up. The two-star hotels I have been researching in Paris seem to be only $80-100 a night for a double. Does Chez Vous have some better deals that aren't on their web site?

Stayed at a chezvous this summer: 1 1/2 <BR>bedrooms. Great but about $325 per night. <BR>Its more like a 3-4 star but they do have <BR>cheaper places. PS the apt wa 900 sq ft <BR>v. a typical 250 sq ft hotel room. <BR>I guess from that standpoint--sq ftage--it was equal to 3 hotel rms!?? <BR>Try paris-sleep.com or sleeps? apts arent a bargain anywhere if you are ccomparing them to a hotel room. That is not their advantage.PS you often get what you pay for. If an apt is too cheap to be true it is probably on the lower fl or basement & on a noisy street.

I always rent a flat in London, but after years of researching, I have yet to rent one in Paris. I just don't get it. I'm not about to cook in Paris --even breakfast is an experience with great fresh orange juice and a superb croissant at a corner cafe -- why cook in?? And the above posts are right about the prices. The price of even a small apartment is like that of a four star hotel or better in Paris. But you don't get the daily maid service. And so far I have been unable to find anything at a reasonable price that doesn't look like thrift store decorating. If you don't care at all about decor and you absolutely must have a kitchen, then I guess it makes sense to rent an apartment, but with the spectacularly charming hotels at reasonable prices all over Paris, I just don't get it.

Try www.locaflat.com <BR>Their apartments are on a par with a 2* hotel - not upscale, but certainly not seedy. Descriptions and videos of the apartments. Be sure to get one with a washing machine; take my word on this.