comedian

Hello, I am torn between these few hotels and as this is the first tour I am taking to France,I want everything to be the best it can be for my budget.I am happy with all the locations, but lets just say if I could afford 4 star I would be happier, so I need the best 2/3 star for the $$!
The Familia so far is hands down the best communicators, friendly answers to my emails and I'm sure they will be nice hosts to my group.They are the cheapest by a little. BUT, are rooms too small and do they look cheap/shabby at all? Des Grandes Ecoles, always my first choice,the women will love the look of it, but it took 3 emails and even then they didn't answer my questions, and have expressed that they dont wish to have 'groups' (at 6 women plus me, its only like a large family! there should be no reason why I cant book 5 rooms) BUT no TV, phone, hairdryer, fridge. Delavigne seems good and replied politely, looks more upmarket than Familia but could just be clever website. The room s offered for single occupancy is 9 m sq, I wonder how that compares to the 3 others? (its a little over my budget but OK)some Trip Advisor comments said not friendly desk staff.Finally Jardin de L'Odeon popped up with 110 euro early bird rate for 'classic' room, also great location but probably this room is worst and smallest in hotel? Anyone used it?
My concerns are that the rooms are not incredibly tiny, that they do not look tired or shabby, that they are not too noisy and that staff will treat my tour participants in a helpful and friendly manner. Trip advisor has reviews that are both pro and con for each hotel. Please let me know your experiences of these and if you were a fit woman around 55 to 65 years of age which place you'd be happiest in?
Can't wait to hear your thoughts, thanks, 'comedian'

Christina

I am a fit woman of 55, so I would choose the Delavigne, probably, or maybe Jardin de l'Odeon. I'm one who generally believe you get what you pay for, so I wouldn't choose the Familia which is only a 2* hotel. I don't like that area very much anyway, so wouldn't choose it for that reason alone. I don't like all those flowers on the walls at the Ecoles, it would drive me nuts, but I want a TV, also.

So that leaves the other two, and they are good locations and 3* hotels. But a 9m2 room is pretty small, I would ask the other hotel what the size of their room is and choose on that. Personally, I don't book single rooms any more in cheap hotels, because I don't like them. I pay for a double, even if not deluxe.

That is the minimum square size allowable for a room in a 3* hotel (9m2), so it's right at the limit. A 2* hotel can have a single room only 8 m2 though. The Delavigne charges 20 euro more a night for a double room over the single and it would be worth it to me, but if you folks are on a tighter budget, I guess you can't do that. So I'd find out the room size of the others myself, but I go nuts in a real small room.

lincasanova

i stayed at the hotel sully st. germain and enjoyed it and would go back. location is great, bathrooms are very small, but the hoel was very good value for money.
and the desk staff were pleasant.

rbnwdln

We've stayed at Grandes Ecoles and although it is a good location and the rooms can be charming, if overdone, the owners are a bit chilly and old fashioned with their reservation policies. Also, no TV is a dealbreaker. What would I do without "Inside Africa"????

comedian

Thanks for those swift replies, particularly Christina, very helpful. I will see how much more for bigger room at Delavigne as it looks a bit more flash than others,I think Sully is a bit pricey. Yes, the floral is a bit overwhelming at G Ecoles and I'm sure we'd all like to use a fridge to chill our wine. Lack of TV can be a bonus really..no noise from next door! Anyone else stayed in these?

JeanneB

I love the area around the Odeon theater. Would go for one of those if it were my choice.

kismetchimera

comedian, last year I stayed at the Hotel Des Grandes Ecoles, I was there with my daughter and grandaughter. We enjoyed our stay there and it was so nice to have our breakfast in the small flowery garden.

The location is super, close to the metro and the famous Rue and Place Mouffetat,famous for his outdoor market, were just around the corner.

Travelnut

I don't think Delavigne has minibars..

nini

We stayed at Grandes Ecoles last fall. The garden courtyard is their biggest asset IMO and the rooms that open to cy with French doors appeared to be the most desirable. We were on second level, large room with two windows, with walls and window treatments in green toile. We specifically asked for twins/large bed. We got a double bed for our 5 nt stay which was less than comfortable for DH who is 6'2". I have to agree that the staff can be chilly. They were not especially happy to make dinner reservations for us. We were OK with no TV. I guess the decor of the rooms follows a garden theme.

Mimar

We stayed at the Grand Ecoles also. Got a room in the very back overlooking the garden. It was very quiet, more than I would have thought possible in the middle of Paris. The rooms are a bit spartan, though I seem to remember we had a larger (than double) bed. And the room was quite big. Loved the neighborhood. We didn't miss the TV, plenty to keep one busy in Paris.

This hotel is pretty popular. I don't think they have to bend over backwards to provide customer service. But I found that formal, slightly frosty manner all over France.

Travelnut

These moderately-priced hotels have A/C and minibars:
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Hotel Louvre Forum
25 rue du Bouloi 75001
http://www.paris-hotel-louvre-forum.com/

Hotel Bastille Speria
1, rue de la Bastille 75004
http://www.hotel-bastille-speria.com/en/

Hotel Monge
55, rue Monge 75005
http://www.hotelmonge.com/

Hotel Jardins de Paris Saint Germain
28 rue St Benoit 75006
http://www.hotelsjardinsdeparis.com/...n/en/hotel.asp

Hotel du Palais Bourbon
49 rue de Bourgogne 75007
http://www.bourbon-paris-hotel.com/

Hotel Muguet
11 rue Chevert 75007
http://www.paris-hotel-muguet.com/

LynnieD

Lincasanova, you reminded me of a trip to Paris in 2000 with my then 12 year old and my husband. We stayed at the Sully St. Germain and every night at about 2 am there came from a room above us some what can only be described as "plaintive wail" from a couple engaged in, how shall I put this?, marital activity.

We had to choose between explaining this to your son, so after the 2nd night we checked out and found a wonderful room at Hotel St. Michel.

crckwc

We just returned from a 5-night stay at Hotel Familia. We had a fairly small twin room with balcony and the room was very nicely decorated with fresh, attractive bedspreads -- not cheap/shabby at all. It was well-insulated both for sound and for heat. The biggest down-side to the room was the lack of storage space -- no drawers at all and a small closet, the kind with hangers that face out rather than to the side. The closet would accommodate only about 6 items of hanging clothing. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. We especially appreciated the Yellow Van service they recommended and reserved for us to get to the airport. We will most likely stay there on a return trip. Incidentally, we are older than your group -- if that matters.

luvparee

I (and my sister and brother in law) stayed at the Familia in 2002. As you state, they are extremely helpful, prompt in their responses, and VERY friendly. We both had rooms with balconies that we could actually sit on. I think we were on the top floor. The location is not bad. I think it was perhaps a 10 minute walk from St. Germain. With your group of 7, I wouldn't hesitate to be out at night. We didn't use the Metro so don't know if that's a factor. However, as you say, the price is right! I loved the rooms with the painting of various Parisian scenes on the walls (I slept under the Eiffel Tower!!). I have no knowledge of the other two hotels. I love the 6th and this was so close, it felt like part of the 6th even though the 5th.

Enjoy whatever you choose. Decide your priorities, make the decision, and go for it!

joy/luvparee

LoriNY1

DH and I have stayed at the Familia many times and it suited our purposes just fine. The rooms are a bit on the small side, as is the lobby. you may want to try the Minerve next door, run by the same family and a bit larger.

lincasanova

lynnieD.. oh my!

Travelnut

Of course, lynnieD's story could apply to any hotel, since it is the fault of the fellow customers, not the fault of the hotel. Hotels sometimes have interior 'soundproofing' but not always and sometimes it isn't effective.

comedian

Its the op back again..regarding Grandes Ecoles. If we are there 1st week May, is the courtyard such a drawcard,it may not be warm enough to sit in! Otherwise it seems the rooms could be as small, basic as Familia(and no fridge) The 9 m sq room at Delavigne sounds small but the others wont say how big/small they are (I have asked and wont bother them again) Has anyone stayed in the 'classic' room at Jardin De L'Odeon? Great rate for pre booking but it must be their smallest/most basic Finally those fans of Familia, I feel I owe Marc to stay there..he replies to emails, has promised a certain style /size of room, but is it noticeably 2 star compared to the other 3 stars I am considering? Certainly by first impressions not for service! I just dont want my little tour gp to think I am scrimping on accomm! or that it looks cheap. More thoughts as I will need to secure soon..I will be in Paris 1 mth before others, wish I could wait/risk booking till then and have a clser look at them all

WillTravel

I haven't any experience with any of those hotels personally, but if I were going to take a group of 7 women, I would choose a hotel more like Holiday Inn Paris-St. Germain Des Pres rather than a small 2* hotel. The reason is that you are likely to have some women in the group who would prefer the certainty of such a hotel, to the sort of potluck you might get at a budget 2* hotel, particularly for those women who are getting single rooms. This is just sort of a general comment, based on my knowledge of European hotels. You would certainly get the phone, TV, and hairdryer, although a fridge is less likely. (I know at least one of your options is a 3*, so these comments may not be entirely applicable.)

nancy1652

We have stayed at the Familia, Grandes Ecoles, and Delavigne. Of the three, the Delavigne is my favorite because the location is unbeatable...minutes to the Luxemburg Gardens and on a very quiet street. We got a triple last year (for 2 of us)and it was very comfortable. We thought the front desk people were quite pleasant and helpful. However, I would suggest you look at Grand Hotel des Balcons, which is right next door to the Delavigne. and I believe the rooms are bigger. We tried to book there before we got the Delavigne. The rooms are quite attractive, and I think they are a bit cheaper than Delavigne: www.balcons.com