Hi,

For the answer to this question I'm sure I will get almost as many different answers as there are poster, but here goes. I am going to Paris for the first time, and am not sure where to stay. I am planning on visiting the normal attractions (Notre Dame, Louvre, Eifel tower, Orsay, Versaille, etc) plus shopping. I am looking for a hotel that is conveniently located near a metro, shopping, and restuarants. So Fodorites, tell me, what is your favorite hotel and why? As far as price goes I don't want to spend 500 euros per night, but price isn't a big concern for me.

Hi kt,

If you enter "Paris AND Hotel" in the "search this forum" box you will get lot's of suggestions.

Hi ktyson,
I think if you do a search on this forum for "Paris Hotel" you will a ton of questions and answers to them. That being said, many people like the Latin Quarter and St Germain areas, which are also know by their arrondissements (district) numbers, 5 and 6. This is also know as the Left Bank area. Good restuarants, fine shopping, cafes, universities...a nice happening area. In terms of what you want to see, most (except Orsay/Eiffel) are on the Right Bank side of Paris. Another popular area is the 7th arr., particularly the Rue Cler area. This has been popularised by TV travel personality Rick Steeves. This area is a bit further from the heart of Paris, near Eiffel Tower and is a more residential. The Marais, on the Right Bank, is a neat neighbourhood of restaurants, old mansions,bars,etc..If I had to make an easy, broad recommendation, arr. 1 to 7 are fine. I would choose the 5th personally. Also nice are hotels on Ile St Louis, which is an island linked to Notre Dame Island and the left/right banks, one of my favorite areas.
You will find that the Metro is everywhere. I once heard that you are never more than 500m from a stop. So anything in the "downtown" area will be close to public transport (including buses and RER trains). Hotels: Bonaparte, Lutece, Deux Iles, Bretonnerie, de Notre Dame...
Hope this helps,
Mike

500e per night can get you an amazing hotel.
For less than that you can stay at a lovely 4-star such as the d'Aubusson, Pavillion de la Reine, Relais Christine, etc.
These are not in the 4-star L (luxury) class like the Ritz or George V, but they are lovely hotels in great neighborhoods, and the hotels do offer a range of amenities.

If you click at the top of this screen on Hotels and then go to the Paris section, you can scan some of Fodors's suggestions.

I have a file on Paris; if you'd like to see it, email me at
[email protected]

Dear Ktyson...

It is really fine for you to have not too important financial barriers for visiting Paris. With such a budget, I can advice on an hotel located in the Latin Quarter because it is one of the most beautiful and charming area in Paris. Maybe you can have a look on an hotel called the Hotel Left Bank Saint Germain: www.leftbankstgermain.com!
Enjoy your trip in Paris...!!!!

Will be in Paris soon! My wife and I will stay at the Pas des Calais which is right off blvd St Germain and in area you will like. We have stayed at this hotel twice and are very pleased- cost around $160-200
USD)... have also stayed at Le Sainte Beuve. Try this website: <www.parisby.com/accommod/arr_6_paris.htm> for more hotels in the 6th. Have fun! It's a great city!

Hi,
I just returned from a wonderful visit to London and Paris (early Sept). If price is not a problem for you, I recommend the Hotel L'montelambert on rue du montelambert(we were on a business account). This was our first visit to Paris and the hotel was recommended by our travel agent. It's on a very short side street off the rue du Bac and one block from rue St. Germain in the 7th and within walking distance of the Museum D'Orsay, The Lourve, the Bon Marche and rue St. Germain and the full length of the Siene, etc. It has a wonderful restaurant and great staff. The rooms were modern and very, very clean. Check out the room before hand because some are larger than others. The church St. Thomas Aguin (sp)is behind it and the bells rang but we thought it was "charming". Just be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes because you will walk everywhere. The nights were warm and balmy so we stayed out on the streets until 1:30 -2pm every night. I was a bit concerned about what to wear but everyone female was in short skirts (knee length) and tank tops or sundresses and flip-flop styles of sandals because of the warm/hot weather. I will wear tennis shoes on my next visit. The French were friendly and although I tried out my high school french, they spoke English everywhere I went. Never had a problem with the language barrier. Metros are everywhere as far as I recall. Didn't use one once though because we walked everywhere for the week we were in Paris. You will love Paris; I am back planning another trip for May '05!

There was a good thread just yesterday on this very topic. Dacia Luxembourg in the Latin Quarter was one I talked about there. But it is a 3-star more like 150 per night, so maybe you are seeking something a bit more upscale?

topping for *cewing*

I would go with Elaine's hotel recommendations if you can spend up to 500 euros per night. If you are looking for something a little less (265 euro for deluxe), I would recommend the Hotel Saint Germain des Pres. We stayed there in August (got a great summer rate) in a standard room. The rooms were fairly small but I did see the deluxe rooms and they looked nice. Our bathroom didn't look like the one on their website but was good sized and had shelf space.

The best thing about this hotel is the location on Rue Bonaparte (there are several hotels with very similiar names on other streets). This hotel was next to the cafes Les Deux Magot, Cafe de Flore. Cafe Bonaparte was steps away. The metro stop was two very short blocks away as was Blvd Saint Germain. The best thing for me was that Ludaree (macaroons) was right
down the street. It took about 10 min to walk to the Seine, Notre Dame and the Louvre-I am a fast walker.
Rue de Bucci was about a five minute walk with Paul's, great shops and market and even better gelato.

The staff at the hotel was outstanding. Dominque and Florence were so delightful and helpful. The gentlemen at the night shift was wonderful, I feel bad I can't recall his name right now. Rue Bonaparte is a busy street mostly with some bus traffic but the rooms are climate controlled so you don't have to sleep with the window open. We had a room on the street, never heard a sound and I am a very light sleeper. If you look at the website, you will see the decor is very flowery but it wasn't overpowering. They do have a complimentary breakfast. I actually made a deal without the breakfast because I knew I would be trying out the different bakeries in the morning, so I can't comment on how good their breakfast is. The website is:
www.hotel-paris-saint-germain.com.

Good luck with your hotel search. I was very overwhelmed, too and had a hard time making a decision. The people on this board were very helpful but in the end if you go with a recommended hotel from this forum, you can't go wrong.

We had a wonderful stay 2 yr ago at Hotel Tourville in the 7th. It is in a more quiet area but has excellent access to the metro and is walking distance to many sites, including the Eiffel Tower and Rue Cler, a wonderful neighborhood. We stayed in the jr suite, which had a king bed, 2 twin beds for our children, and a huge, newly renovated bathroom with jacuzzi. The staff were polite and helpful but not imposing.

My wife and I just returned and stayed, for the second time, at the Pas de Calais. Very nice, friendly desk and right around the corner from blvd St Germain. Check it out on line.

I have two favorite hotels. On the Left Bank it's the Madison, on the Blvd. St-Germain and just two blocks from the Seine and near any number of sightseeing attractions and good places to eat. On the Right Bank it's the Mansart, right off the Place Vendôme and well located for shopping, restaurants, the Louvre, the Tuileries gardens. Take your pick. The Madison is around 260 Euros for a superior room with a nice view; the Mansart runs a bit less, and for a bit more you can get the very large Mansart room, which overlooks the Place Vendôme and snuggles up to the Ritz.