LNWC

Hi all,

I've been reading a lot of past threads on where to stay in Paris and it seems like the 5th is a pretty good fit. From what I can gather it's central (which I would assume is good for first-time visitors), has a lot of personality, and is very walkable. I'm still sort of looking in other areas, but the amount of information is a touch overwhelming.

We found a hotel (Hotel La Demeure) that offers a very good rate when booked early, but it strikes me as almost at the edge of the 5th (it's at the Les Gobelins metro stop). I like the location of Hotel Familia (which seems to be highly recommended here) a little better, but when I look at the map, I wonder if it's really that big of a deal to be a little further out in order to save a little money. Then again, it's only about 100 USD that we're saving total, which in the grand scheme of things, may not be worth the gamble. I guess I just figured that's even more money we can spend on good food

Anyone stayed at La Demeure and can recommend it?

Keren

I haven't stayed there but I love the area and much prefer it to the Familia location. I stayed in Gobelins before and will stay there gladly in the future, it's great. A lovely neighbourhood, quiet, residential (that's the main advantage it has on the Familia to me), easy to reach by metro, full of places to eat, a few large, leafy green avenues go through it and you're close to the bottom edge of rue Mouffetard. I say - if they offer great rates, go ahead and stay there. The only thing is the hotel being on a main road, I would worry about street noise since I'm a light sleeper. But I would have the same concern at the Familia.

LNWC

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I'm so glad to hear from someone who stayed in the area and enjoyed it. I think we'll probably go for it and try La Demeure and spend the money somewhere else. Thanks again!

Underhill

Gobelins has the big advantage of being near the wonderful Au Petit Marguery bistro.

LNWC

Thanks for the recommendation Underhill!

StCirq

I love the Gobelins area and concur that it is the better choice. Don't know the hotel, but I do prefer the area to that of La Familia.

LNWC

I haven't had time to write up a full trip report, but I did want to update this in case anyone searches the forum for this hotel as I did.

We ended up going with Hotel La Demeure and we are SO glad we did. Check-in was a breeze, the rooms were clean, and the pillows were so comfy we actually overslept one day! Some rooms have a view of the Eiffel, and we actually could see the top of it even from our 4th floor room, which was pretty special, even if it was quite off a bit in the distance

The hotel is located near the border of the 5th, and very close to a Metro station. This neighborhood is much more residential, as was mentioned by Keren, which I think gave us a better feel for Paris. Plus, there was a fantastic patisserie across the street that had some amazing fruit tarts.

Of course, the rooms were hilariously small, but honestly that just made us feel even more like we were in Paris - ha! Plus everything seemed to be redone recently, and the bathroom was spotless. We had a street-facing room and weren't bothered by the noise at all. We're pretty used to street noise, however, so if you're really worried about it and are a light sleeper, I believe you can request a courtyard room.

Oh, and did I mention the price? We booked in advance and got the early special (I think you have to book 30 or more days before) - we only paid 85 euro a night. With taxes it came to 437 euro for 5 nights.

Overall we would stay here again, absolutely.