Best Paris Hotel in the $400 - $500 per night range???
 

I will likely run the Paris Marathon and celebrate my 33rd Birthday in Paris next April and looking for a great hotel but don't want to pay more than $500 per night. While that may sound like a ridiculous sum to some, Paris is really tres expensive and I don't want to compromise quality too much by going under $400 per night.

Thanks.

Are you looking to spend the night or buy the place? ((b))

you don't want to compromise quality by spending less than $400 a night for a hotel after you run 26 miles in what is essentially your underwear?

this is a joke, right?

I know many, if not most of us here find quality for far, far less than your proposed budget.

But if you type "paris AND luxury AND hotel" into the text box at the top of this page, you'll find plenty of recommendations (which still may be below your $400/night threshold!) Here's a thread to get you started:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34431168

Check out the fancy/pricey big names; Costes, Crillion, Ritz, etc.

No, Roccco just has elegant taste. Wouldn't we all like to live in luxury in Paris if we could? I wouldn't think twice about it if my wallet could bear it. Especially in Paris!

Hotel Balzac
6 Rue Balzac

Junior Suite King Bed 410E per night.You will no t be dissapointed.

Christina,

When you can run around in your underwear for 26.2 miles without stopping let me know. Maybe it is that same drive and committment that leads me to the financial freedom to consider an exclusive hotel in Paris.

I do find your reaction odd. I have never been criticized for wanting to stay in a very nice place before on Fodors, but then again, I spend most my time on the Africa boards, so this must be a Europe Board thing.

Trust me, Paris is a cakewalk. So you spend a lot on lodges but from LAX I can fly to Paris direct and not spend a fortune on airfare (or anything at all if I choose to use my AMEX points).

For those that did respond without criticism, thank you for the suggestions. I will be staying at the Plaza Athenee Hotel in New York and I noticed on the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List that they also have a hotel in Paris (hence the french name of the hotel).

From what I have read, the Four Seasons Hotel George V is the nicest hotel but their bed and breakfast rates START at about $700 USD per night!

The Hotel De Crillon is about the same price, but if you get a standard room you can get your foot in the door for about $650 USD per night. I doubt that the standard rooms at the Hotel De Crillon would be as big as those at a Four Seasons Hotel.

The Hotel De Vigny seems like the most logical choice so far. It is "only" about $465 USD per night, a member of the prestigous Relais & Chateaux chain and close to the Champs-Elysees near the marathon finish. After all, the last thing that I want to be subjected to is a long walk back to my hotel in my underwear after I have just run for 26.2 miles in the same underwear. Yech! ;)

Roccco, Good luck running the Marathon and Happy Birthday if we don't see youi til then.

I think that sometimes people just like to be critical, if you had said I would like to find the best hotel they would be saying don't be so cheap, spend more.

Anyways, don't worry what people say, just enjoy the marathon. I stopped doing them after 33 of them, and never thought I was running in my underwear.

While it would seem that for $500 you would get a great luxury hotel, in Paris it actually is not a lot, as you have learned. The Marriott for instance starts at about $500; a perfectly nice hotel in a good location, but more than you would think you would pay for a Marriott, and more than the New York rate for the same size of room and amenities.

Take a look at The Leading Hotels of the World (lhw.com) and Small Luxury Hotels (slh.com). This is an association of independent luxury hotels throughout the world. I have stayed at about half a dozen of these, and have always been happy. Some of them will be in your price range.

The de Vingy is not listed in either group. The Plaza Athenee is listed in lhw.com (as is the New York hotel), their price listings start at about $800. The New York hotel, as you probably know, starts at about $350. You can begin to see why Paris is so expensive.

While I don't know the de Vigny, IMO, some of the Relais and Chateaux in Europe are very average hotels; very few of them make it onto slh.com or lhw.com.

I myself am looking for a small luxury hotel in Paris for later this year. I have stayed at the Marriott twice and am looking for a different experience. I went to the two sites above and made a shortlist, which I then posted on this board. I have topped the responses I have so far. (See "Small Luxury Hotel in Paris?") Based on comments I received, right now I am leaning toward the L'Hotel or the Hotel Le Bristol.

I cannot counsel you on which hotel to use, however I did run the Paris marathon and have some thoughts:

- The size of this race makes it difficult to find any public transport to the start, or at the finish. Choose a hotel near the Etoile. YOU WILL HAVE TO WALK BACK.

- choose a hotel that can provide for your breakfast needs at 6 or 7 am. Some hotels do not serve this early on weekends. I bring my own Instant oatmeal from the states as I can not find it in Europe.

- This race has a medical evaluation requirement, to be completed by a doctor. Ahhh, liability...

- Beware of the downhill start. The cobblestones on the Champs Elysee coupled with 25,000 other runners jockeying for position is difficult. And if rainy, quite slippery. And if rainy or cold, loaded with slippery, ankle clinging discarded plastic ponchos.

- Europeans, in my opinion, tend to overdress when they race (long leggings or long sleeves). Don?t question your American clothing choice.

- Food on the course was scarce. This could have changed, but don?t plan on it.

- If you haven?t bought your own chip yet this is probably the place to do it! Nothing worse than having to bend over or squat after having run 26 miles.

- Buy a newspaper the following morning. Your name and race time should be in it.

This was one of my favorite marathons - so much to see you will not be bored at all. Take these comments with a grain of salt. You are a veteran marathoner, and probably know all this anyway.

And yes Roccco I agree, critism is very much a Europe Board thing.

Rocco, best of luck with the marathon! Queenie gives some excellent advice. I suggest you look into the Saint James, which is within walking distance of Etoile. Rooms run from 300 to 500 euros per night, which seems right in keeping with your budget. Their web site is www.saint-james-paris.com
One other suggestion: the Hash House Harriers has a very active Paris chapter and they would love to meet up with visiting Marathoners--they can probably give you loads of tips about the run and fun spots in Paris.
BTilke (Brussels)

Well, my opinion is if you can make you way to the Place des Vosges the Pavillion de la Reine is definitely a possibility..peace, quiet, elegance, and perhaps less than $500/night unless you book one of the bi-level rooms. Good luck on the sprint!

I know zip about hotels in your specific range but you may want to consider the following question when making your choice: Would you prefer to be in the lower-priced room of a higher-rated hotel, or in the higher-priced room of a lower-rated one? "Not compromising on quality" might for some mean, not compromising on size (they'll take the junior suite in the lower-rated hotel) but for others mean, not compromising on room appointments or services (they'll take the smaller room in the higher rated hotel.) Since you are traveling solo (?), perhaps that means you are in the latter category?

In any case, it sounds like you are shooting for a four star hotel or higher, if that helps your search.

By the way, what is the "chip" that Queenie refers to? (now that I'm learning about marathons, I might as well learn the lingo.)

Roccco, you might want to look at the Hotel Raphael. It is in the 8th not far from L'Etoile. Very good sized rooms, French antiques. Some bathrooms only have tubs with hand held shower, others have a hook on the wall for the shower. In a recent string, someone claimed to have visited recently & said it was looking tired. All I know is it was very elegant & comfortable. John Malkevich was staying there when I was there. It's often used for movie shoots.

Thanks for all the great replies. I will definitely need to do my homework on this one and will see if I can find any good packages through www.luxurylink.com, www.slh.com and www.lhw.com.

This will be my first time in Paris since I was 18 and I was really too young to appreciate it back then. It will be my wife's first time and after our last three trips have been to Southern Africa, Chile and Southern Africa again, I think she will really love Paris.

Thanks again.

Roccco,

Check out Hotel de la Tremoille. It's in the 8th and is featured in both Resorts and Great Hotels and the Conde Nast Traveler 2003 New Hotel List (can't think of actual name of article). I think it has been around awhile, but was totally renovated. It looks lovely on the website.

I haven't stayed there yet, but we are planning to in August. I will report back after my stay.

Good luck!!

SRS,

Now that looks like a great hotel. It is in the right area and it is reasonable price, about $450 USD per night. Their pics on their website look great. I'll definitely move that one near the top of the list.

Thanks.

Rocco,
I would check out Expedia and Hotels.com sometimes they have special for the George V & other luxury properties in Paris.
I can speak for the hotel Plaza Athenee, in both Paris and N.Y. I usually stay in a Jr. Suite, and the rooms are beautiful, although still on the small side compared to American standars.
I'm not sure how much they are anymore,the suite I had in N.Y. was close to $400 a few years ago, I am sure the same room in Paris will be much more, espically with the decline in the $ but again I would check Expedia, I have often seen very nice luxury properties listed, it helps to have 3 or 4 places in mind and then check out the consolodaters.
Viva la France
Fluffy
p.s One of my favorie hotels in Paris is le Madison, it's a 3 star, but I love it a suite would be about $300-$350 here's the web site www.madson-hotel.com

Good for you! I applaud your goal to run the marathon and to treat yourself on your birthday. I have stayed at the George V (George sank!) and can attest to it being a true splurge, so go ahead, treat yourself, you deserve it!