I've read through the recommendations quickly but I hope carefully--lots of good ones. I don't think the Hotel de Seine was mentioned--their doubles start at 140 euros, closer to $220 than $200. Web site www.hotel-de-seine.com I think it's attractive and in a great central area for a 3-day trip. I have stayed there myself. For 140 euros I would expect you would get one of the smaller rooms but might be worth an inquiry. Another in the 6th is the Hotel des Marronniers (www.hotel-marronniers.com) which has rooms overlooking its courtyard or its garden. Doubles start at 145 euros--both rates are internet specials. Good luck, let us know where you book and how you liked it.

Have a look http://www.perfectlyparis.com/

There are some really nice places very well located in Montmartre available for minimum three night stays, and you can pay with PayPal. Agency is highly recommended on TA forum.

We stayed at TimHotel (the Palais-Royal-Louvre location) and LOVED it. It was just blocks from a Metro Station (Bourse), five minutes from Les Halls and we had a view of the Opera House from our room. They have locations all over town and some as cheap as 125 euro a night (that one was across from the Louvre). www.Timhotel.com
have fun!

You asked about Familia--I was just there a month ago. I believe that that top floors have views on Notre Dame. I was with several family members who had doubles--nice size rooms that faced the street. Big windows and flower boxes. Very pretty. Plus, each room has a little refrigerator which is great for storing your own drinks, snacks, etc. And the a/c worked great as well. It's more "charming" than your average Holiday Inn, but less so than other, more expensive places. But really, how much time will you spend in your room?

Read more about my trip at www.hereinfranklin.wordpress.com

We really liked our stay at the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles. It's in the 5th, very simple and very quiet, around a courtyard, where you can eat breakfast in warm weather. And the neighborhood is great: small, residential, but with a variety of restaurants and the market street the Rue Mouffetard.

Mimar - do you know if all of the rooms at the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles have a decent view? My boyfriend is pushing to stay there, which is great if we get a view of that beautiful courtyard. But I can just see getting stuffed into a small room in the back, with a view of another building.

Not all the rooms have a view.
I made reservations exactly 3 months in advance (they won't accept any earlier) and was told they had no garden view rooms available at that time. They told me the view was of a "small quiet private alley" which honestly did not sound great to me. However, after looking at some photos on trip advisor, I realized the "alley" is a walkway/ courtyard between buildings. They said they would put us in a garden view room if one is available. You might email them to check what they have available for your dates.

Hmm... that's what I thought. I did actually email them a few days ago, but I haven't heard anything back. It's so hard to know where that line is between following up and being a "pushy American."

Have you checked your email SPAM? Their replies to me always went there. If you still hear nothing, I would email again.

Well, I did sort of hear back. I got a confirmation of our reservation, but no answer to my question about the garden view room.

I'm so afraid to bug them, for fear that we'll wind up in a closet!

Does your boyfriend care about having a TV in the room? The Grandes Ecoles don’t provide any as far as I understand.

Anyway, good luck on getting the garden view room as they seem to be quite popular.

In the process of tryting to book hotels for my upcoming trip, I must have emailed over a dozen different places. In almost all cases, they ignored my questions (mostly about views and wifi access) until I asked a second time. Don't be afraid to try again.

I think a lot of small hotels do not try to 'mastermind' which room they are going to put specific reservations, unless you are paying a specified rate for a 'view' room. When you get there, if there is a garden room, then you might get one.

As a different example, Hotel Muguet in the 7th has rooms specified as 'view' and the accompanying price, in which case I would think you'd have a better chance. Same with Hotel le Notre Dame - they have either 'view of ND' or 'courtyard'...

Kristina - great advice... I'll do that!

Travelnut, I hear you, but unfortunately all of the places with the differently priced rooms with views charge more than we can afford. Since the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles is so affordable, we would actually be happy to increase our amount, but it doesn't look like that's an option.

francophile - no worries on the TV... CNN Europe bores the heck out of us, so we don't plan to watch any.

<<It's so hard to know where that line is between following up and being a "pushy American."

Well, I did sort of hear back. I got a confirmation of our reservation, but no answer to my question about the garden view room. >>

This is the frustrating thing about reserving rooms in Paris.

In my experience, they really do their best to accommodate you - if they can.

In the smaller hotels, due to their configurations and nearby buildings, etc., everything turns on the specific room you receive regarding size, views, etc.

Exactly. So the Hotel des Ecoles could be exactly what I'm looking for, or exactly what I was afraid of... it all depends on the whim of the owner.

If anyone has any special insight into the hotel and how to get the "room with the view," I'm all ears.

Good that he knows about the lack of TV.

It’s a really nice location. I’ve walked past the hotel; the garden really looks like the photos so I hope you can get a garden view room.

Thanks, francophile. I do, too!

It's really not the "whim" of the owner, rather other bookings in the hotel for your dates, particularly regarding length of stay, and which rooms are available the specific day you arrive.

About the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles, I think it was formerly a mews (where they stabled the horses and stored the carriages for the big houses). You walk in through a big green gate and along a wide cobblestone "driveway" with rooms on either side. The cobblestones widen out at the back by the entrance to the hotel; that's where there are tables to eat at. Beyond that is a garden, not real big.

We booked as early as they would allow and asked for a quiet room. Got a room on the top floor (second floor American) at the very back looking into the garden.

My memory is all the rooms looked into the driveway/garden. But that may be incorrect.