HELP! Please help me choose Paris hotel
 

Hi,

All my top choices for hotels in Paris are all fully booked.

Please help me decide between the following hotels:
De Nevers
Du Lys
Royal Phare
Eiffel Rive Gauche
Familia
Hotel Monge

Thank you for the help! Take care.

not knowing what your top choices are, I can only offer a suggestion that is not on your list but near the Familia. We stayed at the Claude Bernard last August. It was a nice, 3-Star with A/C and an elevator. The two 'manager types' we worked with were Turkish and went out of their way to be kind, helpful and very very considerate. We had a family suite on an upper floor. If you go to the claudebernard website, that is the room you'll see pictured. Not elegant like a Hyatt or Westin but nicely done, near two metro stops, the Pantheon, Notre Dame, Sorbonne and Seine River. Easy walk to many restaurants as well (however, virtually every hotel in Paris is like that).

I like the Monge; have thought about trying Hotel du Lys because I like the neighborhood.

Since they're probably going to be comparable, quality-wise, you may want to base your decision on neighborhood. Are any of them located in neighborhoods that you've never seen or that interest you? Where do you usually stay?

Hotel Monge and Familia - very popular
Hotel du Lys - a favorite of a couple of posters
Hotel Eiffel Rive Gauche - might be fine
Royal Phare - mixed reviews
Hotel de Nevers - I'm not familiar with/don't recall comments

Also: try www.tripadvisor for many reviews on Paris hotels.

Sorry for not being more specific, but maybe it will help prioritize your search.

Hi would,

Both the du Lys and the Monge have gotten good reviews on this forum.

I think du Lys is the greatest little place for the $$. The location is super, and the hotel has lots of charm (building dating from 17th century), if not luxury. You get "decent"-sized room, tv, hair dryer, continental breakfast, for 110euro, double room. The only drawback, as I see it is the fact that there is no elevator. They do have someone who will carry your baggage up, though. My last trip there was this past March, and my sister-in-law and I were always grateful to reach our floor, but it is certainly doable, unless you have some infirmity that would make steps a real burden. Ten years from now, I may be looking for another hotel! In the meantime, I love du Lys. I have stayed there several times and have recommended it to many others, who also like it, from young adults to seniors.

www.hoteldulys.com

..when are you off? If you are leaving soon (ie within the next 2 weeks) one of the last minute sites might have a great deal which would allow you to book a 3 plus star for a two star price..then would cross reference to this site and trip advisor.

We really liked Hotel Monge last summer and would stay there again. We requested a room with a balcony overlooking the street, and enjoyed watching all the activity in the evening. We found the hotel to have nice ammenities and the location was good.

Thank you so much for your replies.

We are leaving in September. We have narrowed it down to between the Du Lys and Hotel Monge.

They're about in our price range. It's our first time in Paris so we're not familiar with the neighbourhoods. I've read that quite a lot people prefer the 5,6 and 7th.

Grandmere, did you find the rooms at du Lys relatively quiet for sleeping?
Elle, same question for Monge.

What we're looking for is a clean, nice place to sleep with a good location without having to break the bank.

Thank you so much for the help!

The Monge is very quiet even with a street view which I prefer. The french doors do an excellent job of blocking the noise. The bed is comfortable, the A/C works well, the staff are nice,there is an elevator and a refrigerator. Two metro stops and a street market very close. I think you would be pleased. I have not stayed at the Du Lys but it looks charming in photos. I would say the only drawback of Monge is that is is very clean, bright, and comfortable but low in the charm dept. Monge is an excellent value in my opinion.

You know, I fretted over all the hotel options for my trip to France in May. When I was there, I was amazed at how walkable Paris was and, as long as the hotels were within a few blocks of the Seine, one location was as good as another. I would happily go back and stay in at least a three more areas than I originally thought I wanted to stay in.
I guess I say all that to say this - book a room while you can, sit back and smile and now concentrate on the other parts of your trip. I honestly think if you choose from the most recommended 20-30 hotels, you'll be just fine and happy with your choice.

Whoops, sorry. I didn't realize that this was your first trip. You sounded like an old hand at Paris!

Our room at the Monge was in the back, overlooking the Arenes. It was extremely quiet. There was nothing especially charming about the hotel--it was, as someone stated above--clean, cheerful, and relatively spacious. Location is great--convenient for both metro and walking. Staff is quiet helpful.

The view of the Roman arenes, however, elevated it above the ordinary for us. How cool is it to look out your bedroom window and see an ancient arena?

FWIW, the Monge also has small refrigerators in the rooms.