Thank you to all that helped me on a place to stay in Lake Como. We are planning on staying at the Grand Hotel Victoria in Mennagio, if availability allows!!
I needed some help on where to stay in Paris. We wanted to be close to everything in center of town, of course!! Any ideas?
Thanks

Paris always struck me as a town without a center. It has many centers. The Champs d'Elysee is one, but Montparnasse, the area called the Latin Quarter in the 5th, , and some others like St. Germaine in the 6th, even the 14th around Place d'Italie absolutely throb at night.

The chief attractioins are strung out along the river, some of them well away from it. So I have found a comfortable hotel near transportation so I can go where I want.

There are over 500 good small hotels in Paris, far more than you might think from reading this board. The variety is as great as the locations are varied. Many areas of Paris have their own distinct flavor and charm.
I think you need to become much more familiar with Paris and then you can begin to consider seriously where you want to stay.

I understand that Paris is very big and has many districts. I just want some help with a decent 3 star hotel, maybe close to transportation, or river, The Louvre.....
Thanks

<<We wanted to be close to everything in center of town, of course>>

Paris hasn't evolved in such a way that everything you want to see is in the "center" of town, and unless you consider the major shopping district in the 1re arrondissement to to be the center, Paris doesn't really have one. No matter where you are in Paris, you are near many things of tremendous interest, and no matter where you choose a hotel you will need to travel to see some of the "main sites." I suggest you do some reading up on what's where in Paris and what the various arrondissements are like before you settle on what neighborhood would best suit you.

It is true that one can walk to almost any neigborhood in Paris if desired. I agree with the previous posters' suggestions that you need to decide first on what district you would like to stay. Pretty much each district has its own character and sights. The most popular areas are St. Germain and the Latin Qtr.

The problem is that Paris is big enough that there are many districts in the center and hundreds of hotels in those areas. So, it would be hard for someone to give good advice just on those criteria. Of course some people may have one favorite hotel they'd recommend that fit that, but I wouldn't risk suggesting something.

I think most people would consider arrondisements 1, and 4-8 to be central for hotel stays, though -- you can't go wrong staying in one of them (8 is more expensive, though).

You need to narrow in a little for best advice, and especially on criteria for the hotel which you haven't stated at all -- most importantly, PRICE RANGE, style you prefer (modern vs old, size of hotel), amenities, what size of room (ie, availability of quads is a lot different than doubles), etc.

I agree with all of the above and hasten to add that getting around in Paris, especially by Metro, is convenient and easy from almost anywhere since you are never more than a few minutes walk from a Metro stop no matter where you plan to stay.