Hotel des Balcons or Saint-Jacques
 

Hi
I've done all the searches, just wondering if any fodorites have stayed at either one of these Paris hotels recently.

Topping, for these are the same two hotels that interest me.

We stayed at the GH Balcons in 2001. Really liked the location, but the room was very simple. almost dorm-like. I think the prices have gone up, too, so not the deal it was in 2001.

Stayed at des Balcons last Oct. Great location, simple, clean room. Did not eat the breakfast as we wanted to just have cafe and pastries at a local patisserie each morning, but the buffet looked pretty good.

I think it's possible that the decor at the Balcons may have changed, the comments at tripadvisor.com from this year indicate a little more charm than "dorm-like", unless I'm reading too much into it. The breakfast gets rave reviews as well.

On the other hand I may lean toward the St-Jacques very slightly just because one of my favorite old movies "Charade" was filmed there, but I'm hoping it has been updated since 1963.

I stayed at the Grand Hotel des Balcons last June, for the second time. I liked the location a lot. The room was small, but had enough space for 2 of us. We had a room with a balcony - but I think the rear (courtside?) rooms would be quieter at night - especially if it is hot and you have to keep the doors open. There is no A/C. The staff was very helpful with any questions. I am in the group that prefers to eat breakfast at the hotel so I ate there most mornings. It was a large breakfast - bacon, sausage, eggs, croissant, fruit, granola, juice, coffee, and more. But then I either skipped or had a really light lunch. The decor was fine, not fancy, I wouldn't have described it as dorm-like.

Elaine, "Charade" is a favourite of mine as well!

A recent (last month or two) post by Lesli, I think, commented about the Hotel Saint-Jacques' recently renovated rooms, especially 31, 32 and 33 if I'm remembering correctly.

My friend and I are booked at the Saint-Jacques but I'm more concerned about the noise of the street and the, perhaps, over-touristy feel of the neighbourhood. The Balcons' rue seems to be much quieter and it is modestly less expensive.

You've been to Paris many times - what is your criteria for this trip's accommodation? What made you pick these two?

Best regards,
Linda

I haven't stayed there, but I do remember a couple prior posts on here about the Balcons which also said the rooms were very simple and basic (maybe Ikea-like or dormlike). I think there can be some confusion at times because they do have a nice Art Nouveau staircase or lobby area and you may see photos of that a lot or mention of the Art Nouveau design, but it's not the rooms, as I understand it.

That hotel was a favorite on here for a while but you don't hear much about it any more for some reason.

Hi elaine..you may be interested to know the I have stayed at both hotels.We had some time in Paris at the balcons then travelled around France and stayed at St Jacques at the end of the trip.Personally I preferred the balcons..very nice area and we had a room with a balcony which I think is preferable.As mentioned above the buffet breakfast is very good although we did not eat there every day.St Jacques was good too and my partner preferred it. My feeling was that the balcons was better and certainly the area was quieter and more interesting. However we were both happy with both hotels.Finally elaine , we were given to understand that it was the balcons where Charade was filmed, specifically the lovely old wrought iron lift.The rooms are certainly better than they appeared in the film!

Hotel St Jacques was the one in Charade - but yes it has been renovated since the movie was filmed and there isn't anything recognizable from the movie. It's very nice. I've posted several comments since I stayed there in march of this year. I just typed Hotel St Jacques, Paris in the search box and got over 50 posts which mention it. So if you would like to read lots of people's opinions I would do that. I definitly recommend it.

great info above, thanks

It was the thought of that wrought iron lift in the film "Charade" that
made me interested in the Saint-Jacques--if it's gone, so is that particular incentive, though the hotel still sounds good. On my 2nd trip to Paris eons ago I stayed in a right bank hotel that had a charming little elevator--not quite the one in Charade, but close--and I smiled every time I used it.
I know, I'm easily amused. I'd rather pass on dorm-style furniture if it can be avoided, a charmless single room can be depressing, I find.

Anyway, the primary criteria on this upcoming trip are budget, charm, and location, I'll be solo, , only going to be there for 4.5 days, and I'd like to spend 80 euro or less (that's how the Bonaparte and others fell out of the mix), I want an elevator (so that eliminated favorites like the de Lys), I want the 1st, 4th, 5th, or 6th as locations, and I'd prefer to be close to the metro. A decent breakfast at under 10 euro is a plus.

As I told somenone recently, I know I want a lot, but I have only myself to please this time. This will be as little, (with adjustments for currency and inflation), as I've ever spent on a hotel in Paris, so I'd like to get the most for my money and then report back here on the bargain.

The Hotel du College de France meets all your requirements, except maybe the charm requirement: it's in the 5th, not far from the Maubert Mutualite metro stop, the rate for a single room is 70€ or 82€, depending on the season (78€ and €92, respectively, for a double, if you want to splurge a bit), breakfast is available for 8€, and there's an elevator (not wrought iron, alas) to all floors but the top (6th).

When I say the hotel doesn't have a lot of charm, I don't mean that it's dorm-like: I'd rate it above that standard, but would just note that it doesn't have any features that I would single out as being particularly charming.

Elaine, here is a short list of 2* hotels that have been mentioned before, have elevators and are in 5th or 6th. You will have to decide if the photos reflect enough 'charm' but the prices are about right, and you can find favorable comments on them.

Hotel de la Sorbonne
6 rue Victor Cousin, Paris, 75005
Subway: between Odeon / Maubert Mutualite, RER-Luxembourg
Single/ 90-ish / brk 5-ish
http://www.hotelsorbonne.com/uk/indexsommaire.htm
http://www.bookings.nl/hotel/fr/sorb...Hotel%20Photos (more photos)
good comments on TripAdvisor

Hôtel des 3 Collèges (or des Trois Colleges)
16, rue Cujas 75005 Paris
Subway: Cluny la Sorbonne
Single/shower 89 / brk 8
http://www.parishotels.com/
Mostly favorable comments on paris.org

Hôtel Michelet Odéon
6, place de l?Odéon 75006 Paris
Subway: Luxembourg - Odéon
Single/shower 80 / brk 9
http://www.parishotels.com/
good comments on paris.org

Hôtel Chaplain Rive Gauche
11 bis, rue Jules-Chaplain 75006 Paris
Subway: Vavin
Single / shower/bath 79 / brk 7
http://www.parishotels.com/
I think there were comments on Venere.com

Hope that helps your search.

We stayed at Balcons in Sept of 2002 and liked it very much. Yes, the rooms are simple, but I wouldn't call them dorm-like. (I stayed in a dorm room last summer at a quilt retreat, and believe me, the Balcons is way, way better than that room!)

We had Room 601 with a balcony, and it is the only room in the hotel that has a view of the top third of the Eiffel Tower. My husband kidded me because every night when we got back to the room, I'd say, "Oh, John...we have a view of the Eiffel Tower!" However, that was a double so probably isn't available at the single price.

And of course, Chez Maitre Paul restaurant is literally right around the corner.

the Michelet Odeon seems like a particularly good one to add to my mix, location is very appealing to me (closer to the Seine than some others) and great reviews here and at tripadvisor.com

thanks again