We will be staying in Paris for 3 or 4 nights on our way to the south of France. It will be our first time and have narrowed locations to stay in either the St Germain area , the Latin Quarther, or the Marais. We are also considering one of the islands, most likely St Louis. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

What time of the year will this be happening? I prefer the left bank, but the right bank has its own appeal.

We will be there late September.

My only thought is any of those places you named would be fine. So there isn't really any reason to choose one over the other except personal preference, which is very individual in terms of likes/dislikes/wants, etc.

My only advice is September is a very busy hotel season in Paris with the upstart of business and lots of trade shows, so to get the best choice, you need to book pretty soon. And rates are high in September because it is busy, so don't expect discounts. You can often get better rates on many hotel websites if you book at least 3 nights, though.

one final generalization of your areas -- the Latin Qtr has the cheapest hotels, in general, and I think the choice is worst in the Marais (meaning not as many hotel choices there).

oh, well, of course there aren't many hotels on the island, either, only a few but that's to be expected

I've had a fabulous time every place I've stayed in Paris, thus keep going back. I almost think any of these places is equal if you pick the right streets within those area, and pleasing accommodations.

I enjoy the Marais but it does have its own atmosphere. St Germaine is more elegant.

to get the most out of your 3-4 nights, IMO you want to stay as close to the main sights that you will want to see as possible, which means the 1st arrondissement [just across the river from the latin Quarter] or the latin quarter [the 5th] itself. people will tell you how easy it is to use the metro, which is true, but on a first visit what you will probably want to do is to walk to soak up the atmosphere and the unique ambiance of Paris.

you don't say how much you want to pay, but both of these hotels are very nice, close to both the ordinary metro [the RATP] and the faster service [the RER], and very convenient for most of what you will want to see:

http://www.hotel-britannique.fr/en/

[at present they are offering standard doubles for €229/night in September with a 5% discount for stays of longer than 2 nights, which is pretty good I think but you'd need to get in quick]

http://www.hoteleuropesaintseverin.com/

they are showing varying rates for September from U$172 upwards; i suppose it depends what rooms they have available on any particular night.

you could also look at TA or booking.com to see what is available in your price-range for your dates, concentrating on those areas.

As this is your first visit to Paris, I would strongly recommend staying for 4 nights, giving you 3 whole days, which should give you a good first taste of this wonderful city.

Thanks for the insight! We are looking at airbnb , prices seem reasonable and there are spots everywhere. I heard the Isle St. Louis is quite romantic and it looks central to everything. Is this an area you would recommend?
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I've never stayed on the isle st Louis but it strikes me as being quite quiet especially at night.

I've never used airbnb either so I'm afraid that I'm not much use there either.

We also stayed at the Hotel Britannique and it was a good choice. Nice, quiet rooms in a great location.
The Isle St. Louis was wonderful, we did not stay there, but we went there for dinner one evening and it was beautiful, romantic and quiet.

Just in case the OP has not used Airbnb before, make sure to read the descriptions very carefully and take nothing for granted. For example, if it is on the 5th floor (American 6th floor) and it does not indicate there is an elevator, then there is not an elevator, and the price probably will be reflect that. Generally, prices on the islands are higher unless there is a reason the place is a little less desirable.

Île Saint-Louis IS a great location but keep in mind that you'll pay an additional €50-€100/night premium (than a comparable sized/amenities apt. a 10 minute walk from it) for the privilege. If you're OK with that, then go for it.

Bottom line, you'll have a magical time in any of these neighborhoods. Keep looking at AirB&B places anywhere Rue de Rivoli and Blvd. Saint-Germain (and Île Saint-Louis). No worries at this point.

...AirB&B places anywhere BETWEEN...