<<I think I may have found a hotel in my price range that I love! Hotel Saint Jacques in the 5th!>>

The Hotel St Jacques was charming enough to be the setting for Charade, the movie with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.

Try to rent the movie.

Scatcat - yes, they agreed to do a nightly rate for me. (min 5 nights so for $100 euros a night, I will just pay the extra night even though I am only staying four nights.

When I did the google maps, the street that the apt. was on looked average. (even though I know the island itself is more upscale), so that played a factor. The facade of the exterior of the apt. looked plain and the facade of Hotel Saint Jacques looked so pretty.

Okay, so here are two options for me. The Hotel Saint Louis is in my budget. $140 Euros a night. They told me that the hotel is getting completely renovated by June 2010. However, the exterior facade still looks a little plain to me. (compared to the Hotel Saint Jacques)

I don't care too much about the noise and crowds, but to me it is how well kept the neighborhood looks. I love nice architecture, clean/pretty store fronts, and a "charming" atmosphere. Cleaniness is important to me. I don't want to see graffiti (I know some of it is inevitable since Paris is a big city), but I think you get a sense of my taste.

Personally, yes, I would pick a hotels in the 5th with AC. I've only been to Paris once, but we stayed in the Latin Quarter and it was perfect. It's incredibly central for walking to places.

Any comments on staying in the 2nd arrondisement near the theatre district? We are looking at an apartment on rue de Marsollier. I am also curious about a beautiful apartment I've seem shown that is on the Rue Jean Mermoz in the 8th. It is near the round point of the Champs Elysees and the Franklin Roosevelt metro station. The views look beautiful but it seems like it might not be in a neighbourhood that is very affordable! (I am stuck on staying in the 6th or the 3rd and I'm not sure if I'm just being too fussy. I would like to be able to visit bakeries, cafes, monoprix, etc in the neighbourhood I'm staying in (two weeks in July, starting on the 10th) Comments?

< visit bakeries, cafes, monoprix, etc in the neighbourhood I'm staying >

I think you can do that pretty much any part of Paris. That really doesn't limit your choice.

I really think you are spending too much time on worrying about a hotel room for a few nights in Paris on a first visit. I wouldn't rent an apt. for just a few nights in Paris when you've never been there before. Ile St Louis is certainly just as crowded and full of tourists as the Latin Qtr, anyway. I would never trade AC during a time when it could be very hot for an unknown apt. you've seen on the web. I would never rent a ground floor apt., either, but some people obvioulsy don't care about those issues.

I don't even know what HOtel St Louis is, and I don't see why the exterior of the hotel matters that much. I think you may be over-romanticizing a lot of these places (ie, how quaint and charming they will be). Apartments almost always look bigger and nicer online than they are. Being able to sleep at night comfortably is very important to me on a short vacation when you are spending so much time and money on it.

I have been in Paris one year at that time and is was a heat wave, about 90-100 degrees, although it isn't usually. But it can be very stifling and hot and difficult to sleep in some places as they won't have much cross-ventilation (not many city apts do, and a bedroom onto a courtyard won't have any, and you wouldn't want a bedroom on the ground floor with open windows, would you? ). Of course it could be perfectly moderate, but the noise in many places in Paris can make sleep difficult if you can't close your windows.

I agree with everything Christina said.
I also think a hotel is a more "sure thing" than an apartment, especially for a few nights only and a 1st trip to Paris. Hotels are more likely to be closer to as portrayed on a website & if something is wrong, it gets fixed, or you can move rooms. If something goes wrong or doesn't work about an apartment it's a much bigger hassle (contacting the owner, etc.).

Yes, that is the overplanner in me. haha. But, I do have to say this time that I am completely satisfied with my decision and I am glad I decided to do more research because Saint Jacques is by far the most charming, elegant, best location for the money! I actually got the last double room for my time period. It is amazing how full circle things have come. At first I wanted the 7th (Eiffel Tower), then the 8th (glitz of the Champs), then the 4th (which I may stay in on my 2nd trip to Paris) and now I am okay with the 5th because of the excellent location with this amazing hotel for the price. Thanks to all my Fodorite friends, I have gathered the research and formed my own opinions but I couldn't have done it without the help of all your comments. It goes to show you that many tourists would probably think the 7th is a great arrondisement because of the Eiffel Tower, when actually it is not even that central.

Seriously, I cannot thank everyone enough. Overplanning can be a flaw I must admit, but in this case it has been a blessing. I may not have been happy at Queen Mary. Yes, I do have picky taste but I guess that is the one thing that I can't change. My husband says that when we are old and gray, I will be planning every detail of my funeral and how I want every detail perfect. HAHA.

We were in Paris for the 1st time at the end of June 2009. We stayed at the Champs du Mars Hotel. We had a courtyard room on the bottom floor without AC. It was such a good price, and we have been without AC before, so thought it would be fine as long as we had a fan. Unfortunately, the weather was unusually warm (high 90's) and since we had a courtyard room, there was NO airflow. With the windows open, we could hear/see people right outside our window. At some point, we just didn't care. I think it really changed our whole time in Paris. We never had a place to cool off and revive. Paris just ate us up. I think it was all related to the heat and never getting relief. A year ago, I would have had a very different recommendation regarding AC. Now I say "go for it". Adding insult to injury, steak tar tar did not agree with DH and so 36 of our hours in Paris were spent in a small, sweltering hotel room with him very sick.

Hotel St. Jacques is in a great location. I just read some Trip Advisor reviews which are very good. Go for it!

For what it's worth, I love planning a trip and in the process, I drive my husband crazy, so I completely understand, Jill!

And you can easily walk to Ile St-Louis.

You will be much more comfortable with AC at that time of year. It gets muggy/damp and you'll sleep better (and then be ready to tackle all those museums) with air conditioning!

I'm glad you didn't take that apartment. It may have had a cute factor, but it was very small, with no cross ventilation, and that quasi-shower would have driven me mad. Ditto for the semi-sink in the bathroom. Some of that stuff can look charming in photos, but can be totally unlivable.

Jill,
Don't apologize for being picky. This is a vacation of a lifetime and I don't blame you for wanting a charming hotel in a fantastic location. I know a lot of people don't care about their accommodations (after all - it's just a place to sleep!) but to me it makes a huge difference. I absolutely love staying in small boutique type hotels that ooze charm - it is part of the vacation experience for me!

That said, I agree with the above posters who recommend staying somewhere with AC. I've been to Paris a few times in the summer and it has always been very hot. I don't think I would consider anywhere without AC.

Another factor to consider is proximity to a Metro stop. It is so nice to have a Metro stop close by your hotel/apartment. You can zip home to change clothes for dinner, drop off shopping bags, grab a raincoat, etc. . . That is another important factor for me.

I know from your other threads you are traveling throughout Europe. Are you planning to visit Provence this trip? If so, I have the absolute perfect hotel for you in Arles, France. It is called Hotel Particulieur and it is one of my favorite places on earth. (http://www.hotel-particulier.com/v2/en/).

Have a wonderful trip!

Attnymom - thank you so much for your response. I think I am really happy with my decision. I am staying at the Hotel Jacques (where they filmed Charade with Carey Grant) and it just looks so nice for the price. What do you think of the Latin Quarter? We will be right by the metro.

Unfortunately, we are not visiting Provence but I do know that we will be planning another trip to Europe and will consider Provence, so I will definitely refer to this post. Thank you.

We passed by the Hotel St Jacques several times on our visit last month. It's a great location. We've stayed a couple times in the Latin Quarter and it's easy to get just about anywhere from there either by walking or hopping on a bus or the metro. I think you'll be fine there for your first visit. U will have a chance to explore the other areas and know what u prefer when u return. My favorite over the years has been the 4th, right across the river from the 5th. Have a great trip!

Yes, when I go to Paris I definitely want to check out Le Marais and Ile Saint Louis to scope out if that is where I want to stay next time??? Or perhaps I will want to stay in Latin Quarter again? The fun part is finding this out for your own, I guess.

Absolutely -- each neighborhood has its own personality and it's fun to discover it. My daughter lived in Paris and had said the Marais would be what we like and she was right. But every arrondisment has its own charm and interests for sure. Each trip I say let's try another arrondisement, but we seem to end up back in the Marais.

"True, but her accommodation budget is 130 euros, too low for Ile St Louis. And it's a short walk from the 5th so they can spend plenty of time there."

Didn't mean to mislead. I was just answering the OP's question: "Is the neighborhood as well kept, clean, and pretty as St. Louis?"

Mare - I am waiting with suspense on your answer to my question. :)

There is Hotel Saint Louis that is in my budget on the island, but the hotel itself didn't look nearly as nice as Hotel Saint Jacques. When looking at the area (google maps) around Saint Jacques in the Latin Quarter, it looked very nice and well kept so I am hoping that will be the case. It looked very lively with adorable outdoor cafes and whatnot. Can't wait to explore!