Higher end Paris hotel for a first timer.
 

I'm looking for an upscale hotel for our first trip to Paris. It should be centrally located with decent size rooms. I'm not much of a fan of boutique hotels. I know if I were willing to pay $500-700/night, this would be easy. However, I only want to pay up to $350/night. Please help.

you might like the madison, in st-germain-des-prés. it's an upper-end 3 star in a great location, and superior rooms are fairly spacious. ask for a corner room facing the blvd.

The difficulty is with the two of your requirements "centrally located" and "decent-sized rooms." (I'm guessing that by decent-size you mean LARGE by Paris standands.) In the "museum" arrondissements of Paris, the 5th and 6th especially, these are hard criteria to fulfill at any price. I believe you should look more toward the area around Etoile, even a bit past it, on the No. 1 line of the Metro, unless you insist on walking wherever you want to go.

A good many centrally located hotels will also be boutique hotels. That is, smallish hotels. This is because in the popular areas of the 6th, the buildings are old, and big-ish hotels just don't fit. Same goes for the 5th and a good part of the 7th.

Maybe try the 16th? It wouldn't be my choice, but you may find a larger hotel, still in a very nice place.

I myself would prefer a hotel such as the Madison, recommended by Underhill, to something in an area not quite so central or charming.

If it were me I'd go for the Hotel Meurice, the Hotel Jolli Lotti, Hotel Regina, Hotel De Louvre. Albany ST Jmes Clairion, or The Concord De Lazare. There is a new Mariott on the Champs Elysee which sounds really good too.

It will be difficult to find an upscale, centrally located hotel for $350 USD, including the Madison, which is hardly upscale.

One that I can recommend is a new hotel in the 6th, opened in August 04, that offers one of their “Classique” rooms starting at 260 euros, including tax. The rooms are large by Paris standards and very comfortable. We discovered the Esprit Saint-Germain**** over the New Years and it is one of the nicest around. There web page has their contact information, but is still under construction (http://www.espritsaintgermain.com/)

Believe it or not, my favorite hotel in Paris is the Park Hyatt Vendome (2nd arr. I believe) one or two blocks from the Ritz. We stayed there last June and were upgraded to a Junior suite with a balcony. The hotel is new and gorgeous-- the restaurant, lobby, bar are beautiful, fresh flowers, fireplaces, etc. Our room was also incredible with a great bathroom, all marble, separate shower and tub.
Location is also great--you can walk just about anywhere.
(www.hyatt.com)

They Hyatt sounds like my kind of hotel, however, it is running well over $350 per night. So how about if I compromise and say that I still want a centrally located hotel, but will settle for a boutique hotel???

Suzanne2, do you mean the Concord St. Lazare? I couldn't find "Du Lazare". The St. Lazare, looks great and very reasonably priced. Any experience with that one?

Here's an example of the kind of hotel I was referring to in my earlier post -- and the kinds of trade-offs involved in Paris lodging:

http://www.lavillamaillot.fr/

We booked a suite in this hotel in November. Fantastic lodging! Not quite the Mayflower or the Waldorf, but close enough. Fresh pleasing decor, free Champagne, loads of space, in a very nice, upscale area. The price was under 300 euros a night. The tradeoff: the hotel is a few minutes west of the Arc de Triumph -- just outside Paris. But it also is a three-minute walk from the Port Maillot Metro station. From there the No. 1 line will take you to central Paris in a few minutes.

The Hotel du Louvre might be a good bet. Check their website (www.hoteldulouvre.com) -- they have a 230 euro/night online rate (not listed under "rates", but comes up when you check rates through the online reservation system). Seems to get pretty decent reveiws on travel sites. It's obviously very centrally located, which is good for a first Paris trip. Our other favorite hotel is the Radisson SAS near Arc de Triomphe/Champs-Elysees...we usu pay 240 eur/night for gorgeous modern rooms (hardwood floors, flatscreen tvs, amazing bathroom, fab service), but it looks like rates have gone up a bit recently.

>So how about if I compromise and say that I still want a centrally located hotel, but will settle for a boutique hotel?<

Stick to your guns, girl. Don't compromise.

See if you like these:

http://www.hoteldesgrandshommes.com/...exsommaire.htm

http://www.paris-hotel-louisdeux.com/index.html


((I))

The Westminster,300 yards from the Park Hyatt,with a michelin starred restaurant called Celadon is just what you are looking for.

check current rates at the D'Aubusson on rue Dauphine in the 6th. The currency exchange rate may have put it over your range, but it is a lovely and very central 4-star hotel. Great comments on it here and at tripadvisor.com

Cheryl: We recently stayed at the Hotel Pont Royal in the 7th and had a great experience. Good location, generous room size, wonderful staff; perhaps a tad more than your stated number but worth it. Check it out and good luck. Gradyghost

I think that with 360 euros breakfast included you can get a classic room at Raphael , a member of the Leading Small Hotels of The World, the rooms is spacious(34m2) and the hotel is one of the best in Paris, very chic, upscale, luxurious decorated with fitness center e.t.c It's located 3 blocks from the C-E and 1 block from the ADT , in an upscale avenue with shops cafes and restaurants, the metro stop Kleber is just outside the hotel!
www.raphael-hotel.com and www.lhw.com/raphael

Other cheaper hotels with big rooms are:

1.Hotel Vernet - deluxe rooms- 40m2 with jacuzzi (300euros) 1 block from the C-E boutique hotel with one of the best restaurants in Paris. www.hotelvernet.com and www.slh.com

2.Le Dokhan's -deluxe rooms- 30m2 decorated by Fred.Mechiche just a few steps from the Trocadero square, shops and restaurants in the immediate vicinity. (320euros with breakfast) www.dokhans.com and www.sofitel.com

3.Hotel Scribe- deluxe rooms- 25-30m2 spacious with new bathrooms and opposite the Opera Garnier. A 4L hotel with 2 restaurants and 1 bar.(250-300euros with breakfast) www.sofitel.com

Some other Sofitels have spacious deluxe rooms and are situated in central Paris form more infos go to www.sofitel.com or you can ask me for further details!!

Have a look at the Hotel Suede Saint Germain, it is a 3 star hotel in the 6th at the metro stop Saint François Xavier.
The hotel is decorated in a typical romantic and French style. I have loved this hotel because of its decoration, you will feel immediately the upscale hotel...
Rates are around the prices you are searching for, even less..There are rooms in the Hotel that a view on the Gardens of Matignon.
http://www.suede-saint-germain.com
have a good trip!