Margie

Hello, if anyone can stand another Paris hotel question I would welcome your comments on the following: I am researching hotels for an upcoming trip, (we will need 2 double rooms) and I am considering Hotel St-Jacques in the 5th, and Grand Hotel Jeanne d'Arc in the 4th. I have read "Beatchick's" experiences regarding GHJA (loved her trip report!) and welcome additional comments/thoughts on that property as well as the St-Jacques. We are not "high maintenance" hotel people, last time we stayed at very basic hotel, this time I don't want to spend a fortune (as we will be there 9 nights) but I'll admit, I'd like a little charm!

If you can recommend a hotel near the Place de Voges besides the GHJA, please do.

Tried the apartment route, but a true 2-bedroom (not a 1 bdrm. with a sofa in the other room) was more expensive than 2 hotel rooms.

Also, is there a reliable website that I can plug dates into to see when these hotels are available? I want to coordinate availability of the hotel with the best times for lower airfares, etc. I do not want to call the hotel directly and waste their time asking them for availability/pricing for all the time frames I "think" I might want to reserve. I would like to "play around" with dates etc. before telephoning.

Thanks in advance!

Christina

I think those are both good choices from what I've read, but one problem is that the Marais is not a low cost area so there aren't very many good budget hotels around there. The only other thing I'd suggest are ones I've read recommended in sources I trust: Grand Hotel Malher
see Travel & Leisure article, it's also reviewed well in Cheap Sleeps by Gustafson
http://www.travelandleisure.com/invo...method=display


and Hotel de la Place des Vosges

these are both discussed in Jack Travel which I think has great Paris budget hotel info:
http://www.jack-travel.com/Paris/Par..._p.htm#3rd/4th arrondissement (Marais-Ile de la Cite-Ile Saint Louis)

YOu can also see some info on www.tripadvisor.com for them both. I don't think either has a web site but Place des Vosges has an email address (see www.paris-touristoffice.com for basic info and addresses, email)

I don't think any web site will give you accurate real-time availability of rooms for those budget hotels. The only one I've seen do a pretty good job of that is a site run directly by a hotel itself (Relais Bosquet has one). It could change anyway by the time you buy tickets. If I were you, I'd buy the tickets on the dates and for the fares that were best, and get the hotel later. YOu don't say when you are going, but good value Paris hotels get booked up pretty far ahead of time. If you are looking Fall or later, I would assume you could probably get a room, or in August perhaps.

Margie

Christina, thanks so much for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate your comments/suggestions and thanks for including some helpful web addresses!

kt_tak

Can't comment on the two you mention, but if charm at a moderate cost is what you're after I can give offer a very good, recent experience at Hotel de Nice which is on Rue de Rivoli between St. Paul and Hotel de Ville.

100 euros for a double, 120 for a triple. Ask for a room overlooking the place rather than the street (when you arrive--they won't confirm in advance) to cut down on noise.

Enjoy Paris.

mclaurie

Some notes I've taken for msyelf from previous posts here

Hotel Lutece, Hotel des deux Iles, Hotel St. Louis (all on Isle St. Louis)

try Caron de Beaumarchais rooms small but elegant

Residence des Arts on rue git le coeur 6th south of notre dame big rooms

Beatchick

Hi Margie,

If you have any more specific questions re: GHJD please feel free to ask. I really enjoyed my stay there. Rates were very reasonable, staff was very friendly and I loved the area as it was convenient to so many things. There's a L'Occitance around the corner, other specialty clothing shops, a Boulangerie Paul & a Miss Manon (bakery) about 3-4 minutes walk away. St. Paul Metro is about 5 mintues walk away on the #1 line, which I thought convenient to other lines, meaning I didn't usually have to do too many transfers.

Prices for a double for 1 person is 67/78 Euro, for 2 people 78 Euro. A room with 2 beds is 92 Euro, a triple is 108 Euro, & a quad is 125 Euro. The hotel is very reasonable but I would honestly book ahead 2 months at least. I booked mine in advance by 8 months and Stephan told me he already had a reservation for Summer 2004!

I can't give you any other advice on your other choice - sorry. And Christina is right, there aren't too many other inexpensive options in this area. The Hotel Castex used to be very reasonable but they've recently renovated & the prices increased accordingly.

Hope you have a great time in Paris!!

fluffy

Margie-if you need 2 double rooms for 9 nights, you might consider renting an apartment: check out these websites:
www.parisperfect.com & www.parisainflat.com
Viva la France
Fluffy

Margie

Thanks to all who responded. Fluffy, I thought the apartment was a great idea - I checked several websites but; I found that usually a 2 bedroom apt. was actually a 1 bedroom with a sofa bed in the living room (for this long of a stay I think each couple would like their own room) and it could be inconvenient for 4 people sharing the bath for 10 days (we try to get up and out early each day and waiting while 4 people shower etc,. . . .) Most properties that I looked at that were a true 2 bedroom were in an area that was a little further out than I wanted to be and for the same price we could get 2 separate hotel rooms in the 4th or 5th. I do appreciate your suggestion, and if there is something out there that I have missed, please feel free to make a suggestion. Thanks!

Christina

Margie, you are right that a 2 BR apt will usually run $300+ per night. For 9 nights, I really think you'd do fine in a hotel and will get more for your money that way. Vacation apt rental just can't compete with the price of a budget hotel for anything in the central area that is decent, from what I've viewed (hundreds, I'll bet). I assume you want to spend about $200 total per night, is that right? (or maybe less)

I didn't even mention Castex because I thought it could be in your range but from everything I've heard it couldn't be called charming at all, although a good value perhaps.

From all of the apts I've viewed, I do actually know of a couple 2 BR that could be around $200 a day or slightly over. Only a couple, but here they are:

www.rentinparis.com
This web site has very reasonable rates and some nice apts. They have several 2 BR on rue Victor Cousin (near the Sorbonne) that look very nice. no. 107 is a split level at $200 and #103 a 2BR at $250 per night.

The other one is actually one of the apts I liked the most and has a great location (where I like, you might not) near Vavin metro in Montparnasse. I love this place and it is a true 2 BR (double bed in one, twins in other) for only $1600 per week. That is, surprisingly, on Barclayweb which even though a big wellknown company (which I like) has very good apt rates and very low deposits:

see apt. labeled VC-montp

http://www.barclayweb.com/DESTINAT/F...PS/vcmontp.htm

They also have a 2 BR at only $1339/week in the Latin Qtr on rue Descartes which I wanted also because it had a piano, but I couldn't justify spending that amount myself for just me in comparison to a hotel or other apartments I viewed. Actually, I should warn you that even though it is a 2 BR it is rather small (630 sf) and the one double bed is only 130 cm (which is smaller than an American double bed which is 140 cm).

Those are the only decent true 2 BRs I found at around $200 a day.