Jayneann

Upon further investigation, I just realized Familia Hotel includes breakfast and has A/C, while Hotel Balcons has no A/C and an expensive breakfast. Both hotels cost exactly the same! Has anyone stayed in both and could compare and contrast for me? I've already booked Hotel Balcons, but could cancel it without penalty! Thanks for any input!!

Nikki

I have stayed at both hotels, but it was several years ago. As I mentioned above, our room was smaller and more basic at the Familia, with a smaller bathroom. I believe if you do not eat breakfast, you are not charged the same rate, even though the rate you were told includes breakfast. You can call and check this out. We were given a rate that included breakfast, but the days we did not have breakfast we were charged less.

At the Familia I tended to get croissants from the excellent nearby bakeries and strawberries from the street market at Place Maubert for breakfast.

I only got the breakfast once at the Hotel des Grand Balcons. It was more substantial than the usual continental breakfast.

I like the location of both hotels. Both are convenient to public transportation. The Hotel des Grands Balcons is very close to the Jardin du Luxembourg, and it is on a very narrow street with little traffic. Our room had a "balcony" but it is really just a narrow ledge outside the window. Not big enough to sit on, for instance.

The Hotel des Grand Balcons is closer to the St. Germain area, which is a bit more upscale than the studenty area around the Familia in the Latin Quarter. My husband was turned off by the upscale St. Germain area and preferred the Latin Quarter. I could go either way, I like both neighborhoods.

Jayneann

Thank you Nikki!! Do you think our sons would prefer the Familia Hotel area more? Did one hotel feel more French? Also, we are taking the Eurostar from London and back again. Which hotel is closer to the train station?

Christina

There are throngs of people in any major capital city that attracts tourists (London, Paris, etc.). Bd St Germain is just one of the main thoroughfares, so there will be more on them, of course. There are actually more on bd St Germain in St Germain, not the Latin Qtr (at least not except for a couple blocks near bd St Michel), and in the location of Hotel des Grand Balcons, compared to where the Familia is (which isn't on bd St Germain.

If you don't like throngs of tourists, don't stay in central Paris.

Nikki

Neither hotel felt more French than the other. Most people staying in these hotels were not French. I don't think either is particularly nearer to the Gare du Nord, where the train from London will arrive.

I don't know your sons but I think you would all probably enjoy both areas. And you can visit several different areas of Paris during your stay.

tod

Jayneanne- Go for the breakfast option otherwise your boys will starve or cost you a fortune in roadside snacks!
At least they can knaw their way through several baguettes/croissants/ maybe even yoghurt & fruit? When I stayed at the Hotel Clement we had boiled eggs thrown in. At the Hotel Duquesne we had bacon & scrambled eggs!!
Sigh.....my DH is not a breakfast fan so we don't include this in the tariff unless its a special offer, then I get a good feed up- he gets tea!

HImom

Much depends on when breakfast is served & whether your youngsters are even conscious at that hour. Ours are very late risers & I don't generally expect them until lunch, so for the most part, I would feel that breakfast would be wasted on them. We get them snacks to have in the room, in case they are hungry before we get somewhere they can have something to eat. In college, similarly, they are never much for breakfast but lunch, dinner and late night eating are quite typical.

annhig

Hi Jayneann, we just got back from a weekend in Paris, staying just outside the Latin quarter proper [though still in the 5th] just off the Boulevard st. Michel at the Hotel des jardins du Luxembourg. it was €131 per night for a double [or twin] room with full bath, and quiet as it's up an "impasse" or not through road. the breakfast [not bad, with lots of options including a hot dish] was €11 which is quite cheap for Paris. AND we had a balcony, though it was pretty small.

they answered my queries virtually straight away and the reception staff when we were there were very polite and helpful.

the studenty bit that would most interest your kids was about 2 blocks away, down towards the centre of Paris, but there were loads of bars and restaurants near-by too.

let us know what you decide and how you get on!

have a great trip,

regards, ann

Jayneann

I would never be able to plan this trip without all of your insight so THANK YOU all once again!

Ann, I just checked the price and for our dates the Hotel des jardins du Luxembourg is 164 Euros per night. Looks really nice though!

Himom, yes, usually that's true, but we only have 3 nights and days in Paris, so I think they'll be good about getting up early enough to take advantage of the little breakfast.

Nikki, do you remember if both hotels have free wifi?? Or does anyone know??

Tod, my DH agrees with you, lol!!!

Christina, we're now excited to stay in this area, thanks to all the feedback I've received here on Fodors!!

Nikki

Back when I stayed at both those hotels, wi-fi was not common in hotel rooms. I don't know whether they have it now.

HImom

My kids said they'd TRY, but I think it's more realistic to plan on them rising a bit on the later side, since that's the clock they've been on for years and years now. We plan to have some pastries & snacks in the room but go out once they're ready to face the world. Hopefully, the delicious aromas from some of the places we're staying will rouse them from their slumbers earlier, but otherwise H & I will have to eat for them and perhaps our kind hotels will allow us to make a small plate for when they awaken.

Don't know whether either of my kids plan on bringing anything that needs wifi, since neither have mentioned it yet.

Jayneann

Well, I think I've finally got all my answers!! Hopefully, this will help others out too!

La Familia: In the 5th, breakfast included, although very basic, free wifi, A/C, on a main street.

Grand des Balcons: In the 6th, many people prefer this location a little more than where Familia is, but both hotels are only about 10 minutes away from each other. Breakfast is very good, lots of choices for a cost of 12 euros pp. Wifi access for 5 euros per day, no A/C, on a narrow side street.

Both hotels cost exactly the same for one double balcony room and one twin room! This means La Familia is more economical overall for us, so I'm going to cancel our Balcons booking and reserve Familia!!!

Thank you all for your feedback and if I've incorrectly posted anything, please let me know.

annhig

Hi Jayne,

that was the price that the hotel...luxembourg was quoting when we went. When I saw that venere etc. were quoting €131, I e-mailed them, asked for their best rate, and they matched the €131. i assume you've done this with your choice, La Famigilia?

Jayneann

Hi Ann,

Unfortunately, Familia isn't listed on Venere. Good for you to have found a great rate! Loved reading your report!

HImom

I'd suggest you book the new hotel BEFORE you cancel, just to be sure you aren't left without any hotel. That's been my procedure because they hotels DO fill up, especially during the busier times and more popular locations.

Some hotels will provide an additional discount if you pay in cash. Two of the places we are staying in provide a discount of 5-10% for cash payment, so we're paying in cash for those two locations. You might ask your hotel as well. Over several nights, it does add up, especially when you have several rooms booked.

cls2paris

Jayneann - there are other booking sites that you could check pricing if it isn't on Venere.

Here are a few that I can think of. I haven't used any of them for booking but they will probably help with research.

France-hotel-guide.com
hotels-paris.fr
parishotels.com

annhig

Thanks, Jayne.

I also looked at Hotels de Charms @ www.guides-de-charmes-com.

i agree with HImom that it's a good idea to keep a back-up hotel literally in reserve while you're negotiating with other hotels.

Jayneann

Thanks again everyone!!! We have not cancelled either booking yet, because I'm still hoping to hear from Familia. At least Grand des Balcons is nonsmoking, so even though there's no A/C, or free wifi or breakfast, it's a better choice than a smoke smell (for us)! And I'm still looking so thanks for the other links. I wasn't familiar with any of them. Also, is there another Paris forum besides this, Tripadvisor and Frommers? I think I remember someone talking about another Paris forum a while ago!

cls2paris

Jayneann - the breakfast at Balcons is quite substantial, there were bacon and eggs when I was there. Most hotels, you get a roll, a croissant and juice. It is still more than you'd pay somewhere else but I looked at it as brunch and skipped lunch on the days I ate at the hotel. If you sons eat a lot, it might pay for itself.

Raykids

We gone to Paris and young adults end up finding many things they like to do - my teen/young adults turned going to the Louvre into a find and seek - free guide maps show pics of interesting/best items in each area of the Louvre and since the building is a maze on many levels, it took strategic military style planning you get from video gaming to actually find the items and get a picture to prove you found them. The D'Orsay was a train station with comfy leather couches on the top floor behind the clock face and some of the art/painting are in various SciFi movies/shows so that worked too. Take a trip to a Hypermarket CarreFour in the suburb of St. Denis easy access by metro to the North of Paris - you can see the famed basilica where all the kings and queens rest (including Louis 16 & Marie-Antonette and then later go into a store so large it's like a mega walmart on steroids. Buy goodies like chocolates cheaper than in the duty free at the airport. Latin Quarter has the Rue Mouffetard which is a great place to wander and eat a meal later in the day. Between the Luxemberg Gardens and the Pantheon is a wide large street where great art suppliers are sold, mine loved the variety and rare items there. Hope that helps! Oh, and they have to walk up Notre Dame to the roof, but go very early, the lines are long!!!!