My wife and I are planning a trip to Paris and have found a great hotel deal, but I've heard bad things about the neighbourhood of Montmartre. Just how bad is it for say walking back to the hotel at night?
Big thanks for any help.

I would not call Montmartre a bad neighborhood. The area around the Moulin Rouge is seedy and has lots of strip clubs ect. this area is called Pigalle. We've been there at night and it was not frightening in any way just lots of people hustling. The rest of the area is fine as far as I know. We've not stayed there but we always spend time there and we've never had any problems other then the bracelet guys.

Montmartre is no better or worse than any other Paris neighborhood. There are some sex shops and some sex workers and some boisterous night clubs with the attendant rowdyness, but I wouldn't hesitate to book a hotel anywhere within the confines of the district. It's annoying, but not especially dangerous. For one thing, there are so many people milling around, crimes against persons would be pretty hard to pull off.

Assume there will be pickpockets everywhere you go in Paris, and plan accordingly.

What on earth could you have heard about Montmartre being a bad neighborhood? The lower border is part of the red light district. So what? Almost all of the hotels are higher on the hill, as are the restaurants.
Also, there are a lot of tourists in Montmartre, people just like you. Is that a bad thing?
In terms of safety, it is totally safe, because police presence is high, both in uniform and in plainclothes. Since I live on the edge of Montmartre, I have had numerous occasions to notice that some of the most poorly dressed unshaven thugs in the area are actually undercover policemen. When they suddenly go into action, it can be an amazing sight (not that this happens often out on the street).

My only observation is that, compared to some time ago, Montmartre streets and sidewalks are more dirty and unkempt. Maybe it's a union thing...to bad. But Kerouac is right; don't worry about personal safety. The pickpockets (angelic childen gangs usually) tend to hang around the churches and major tourist attractions.

Could it be considered a bit more inconvenient?
I have been tempted by some great Montmartre hotel rates, too, but ended passing them up for other areas. What would you locals say for someone on a 4-5 day trip?

Montmatre is fine. It's between two iffy places, barbes and Pigalle. I stay there quite often and I've never had a problem.

Pigalle is seedy - full of sex shops and the like, and Barbes is an immigrant area (not that this makes it inherently dangerous, but I do know that people can feel uncomfortable there) but Montmarte itself is fine. Lots of nice local restaurants and bars etc and not too badly linked transport wise - Anvers is the local metro.

Montmartre is a CLASSIC Paris neighborhood, and except for the area right around Pigalle, which is a red light district but not unsafe, it's fine. On the other hand, I would never stay there because it is so far from the center of Paris, which is where I like to be when I visit...Paris.

I'd certainly stay in Montmartre, especially in a room with a view.

The ladies a little further down the hill will try to make your acquaintance, which might take some getting used to for your wife.

"so far from the center of Paris" means 10 minutes by metro.