My husband and I will be traveling to Paris in November for the first time (25th wedding anniversary) and I am starting to obsess about the hotel we will stay at. Based on information from this forum and other guide books we have reservations in the 7th at Hotel Leveque (we like the idea of a quite location to return to after site-seeing all day). But also based on this forum I have read good things about Hotel Muguet and Hotel de France (all in the 7th). Our main criteria is cleanliness, comfort, and cost. Are they all about the same? Should I stay with Leveque? Help!!!

The Muguet might be a step up from Levecque even though they are both 2*. And it will definitely be a quieter location though only 2 blocks away. It has just been completely renovated, is squeaky clean and a bargain. The Levecque is on rue Cler and I have read often that the opening of the markets and delivery trucks can be noisy. I do not know this first hand.

I stayed at the muguet last month. Passed by leveque. originally booked leveque, but chose muguet because i heard the walls were thin in leveque.
leveque is right on the busy rue cler, not exactly that quiet, especially early am when the deliveries are coming in. I wasn't crazy about muguet. Also, you are ever so close to rue cler with all that great food (including finger foods), but muguet and leveque don't let you to eat in the rooms! You want this for those great 6 euro roast chickens, crepes, and super baked goods. A definite turnoff by not allowing food into the hotel. Knowing the area (and liking the 7th), want to know my pick?
Relais Bosquet, or Champ de Mars (only if you don't need a/c). Both better locations. Make sure you can eat in rooms, though.
mark

I've stayed at the Leveque twice and never noticed any problem with thin walls. Depending on where your room is situated, you may hear some street noise in the early a.m., as the fish markets, etc., start the day.

The staff at Leveque is courteous, the location is good, the rooms are clean, and the rates are among the best I've found for that level of quality.

It all depends on how much luxury you expect in a hotel. I'm a cost-conscious traveler (i.e., a cheapskate) who just wants a decent place to unwind, watch the news after a long day of sightseeing, and sleep. The Leveque certainly meets those criteria.

I've only stayed at the Muguet but have seen the others -- the Muguet definitely is reasonable cost and clean. Comfort is subjective, so who knows how you would view it. I found it good for that price and rating level, but not as comfortable as a 3* hotel I usually stay at (or many others). If you have a low hotel budget, it would be fine. I don't know that rue Cler or the Hotel Leveque would be real quiet. I wouldn't really stay on any market street if I wanted quiet. I would choose a nicer hotel for my 25th anniversary, but I know some people do have tight budgets--as long as you understand these are budget hotels.

I don't feel the same way as Mark about the food issue, though -- I was out in other parts of Paris all day and had no interest in eating in my hotel room at all. It wasn't a place to hang out or lounge (you couldn't, too small and no chair), so it was only a place to eat and shower for me, as they say. I don't really snack much outside meals, though, so not eating never came up (how would they know?). The Muguet did not have a minibar, though, I did not like that as I like to keep drinks or something in there. In short, depends what your idea of comfort is and your budget but I think these hotels are all about the same from what I gather.
The Muguet does have AC, which is nice, but irrelevant in Nov.

Hi Mark, that's a good thing to know about not being able to eat in the rooms at the two hotels.

We always eat in our rooms esp. in Paris with all those pastries. We do clean up though. Never had any problem with any hotels restricting eating in the rooms however.

Hi Donna

Don't obsess about Le Muguet vs the Leveque (don't know about de France). I've stayed at both and would stay at either again. Le Muguet is nicer, a little more expensive, and would be my first choice of the two. But the Leveque is fine too. If you book at the Leveque, you may want to ask for a room the doesn't overlook rue Cler. Or you could pack some earplugs.

If you're discreet, I don't think there'll be a problem with eating in the rooms of either hotel. Just don't call attention to yourself when carrying food up to your room. Though with all the good picnic spots in the vicinity, I'm not sure why you'd want to.

Bon voyage!

For what it's worth, I've snuck food into the Leveque, and no one was the wiser. No harm, no foul, so to speak.

I hope they won't block my attempt to make reservations, now that I've made this confession.

The Muguet was a very clean hotel, I'll give it that. However, the ladies, or whoever is is guarding the front desk,
take the room key each time you leave the hotel, then give it back to you when you return.
So there's always a little interaction.
hence, you really need to "sneak" something past them. However, such a thought is kind of repulsive when you're established and in your forties.
I, for one, don't want to go on vacation and have to "sneak" anything.
As to eating anything in the room, I agree thats a seldom thing in view of all the great eateries in Paris. However, who's got kids? I do. think they want to sit and watch eat duck and swill my house red each and every night? With rue cler, some fresh fruit off the inviting bins and a succulent roast chicken feeds the midgets and they're happier doing it in front of the TV, at least one or two meals (and saves me $). Muguet wouldn't even let my 12 year old nosh her eats in their outdoor dining room! Kind of absurd.
you can only eat their breakfast on their patio. As a result of my rambling, my pick would be the aforementioned hotels in my prior posting, particularly Relais bosquet, as long as they don't deny bringing food into the room.
Frankly, to stay next to rue cler and not try the great foods the various indiviual markets offer is completely ludicrous. Those Grand marnier crepes still got me thinking. So do those chocolate croissants and napoleons.
Mark

We have eaten in our room at the Muguet and have never sneaked anything past the desk. I won't say we had chicken but we certainly had cheese and bread and such. I have never heard ANY admonition not to either. We have stayed there 3 times.

And actually as I think about it you can have your breakfast served in your room at the Muguet. So what's up with this supposed "not being able to eat in your room" thing.

Have stayed at the Muguet twice and would do it again. It is my hotel of choice in the 7th.
As far a food is concerned, I've seen people take food and wine to the breakfast terrace tables with the blessing of the hotel.

Mark, your comments are to the point and too funny gt I know what you mean about the kid thing because my son is like your kids. He'd rather eat in the hotel room while fiddling with the TV rather than waste his time going to a restaurant even if it's on the same street as the hotel. Okay, I exagerrate a bit. But he'd be content to eat some takeout and watch the foreign channels - once it was sumo wrestling.

Yeah, that's surprising about the Muguet allowing some people to eat on the patio but not your daughter. Maybe if it's a minor they won't allow it?

Gosh, your mention of those roast chickens and pastries make me wish I were in Paris now!

Thanks for all the great replies! I have decided to stop obsessing (OK, only about the hotel!) and keep the reseravation at Leveque. Since there does not appear to be any significant difference in the quality and comfort my thrifty husband says for the difference in the cost we can have breakfast at a little shop on Rue Cler. We don't eat in the room (no young children) and only use it for stopping off to drop purchases and sleeping. Thanks again for all the great comments and we will definitely check out all the other hotel suggestions for our NEXT trip to Paris

Donna, I had considered staying at the Muguet but decided to stay elsewhere. I think your husband is right about keeping the res. at the Leveque because based on what the others who have stayed at the Muguet have said it really doesn't seem all that much different from the Leveque. Since you'll be saving some $$ by staying at the Leveque you will be able to afford other things.

Have a wonderful trip, Donna, and congratulations on your 25th!

I agree with Mark about the "no food in rooms" thing. After traipsing all over Paris sightseeing, I sometimes enjoy picking up food from those marvelous market street places (usually rue de Buci for me, as I've never stayed near rue Cler) and eating in my room. Especially on a solo trip, and when I'm staying for a week or more. And definitely if I had children with me! A few years ago, I had reservations for Hotel Latour Maubourg(near rue Cler). When they sent me a 2-page list of their "rules", one of which was absolutely no food in room, I immediately cancelled. I found it rather insulting to be subjected to rules like that in a hotel, and I don't want to have to "sneak" my wonderful pastries (or anything else) into the room.

Gretchen,
I assure you I'm not making anything up. Catherine Pelletier herself and a women of like age both told us we couldn't eat in the rooms or their quasi outdoor dining room. My daughter bought a coke-you can thankfully drink in their rooms, from THEIR vending machine and they still told us we had to go outside. So we went to rue latour marbourg and sat on a bench by that police station by the metro. pretty minor league. Muguet is an ok deal for the money, but frankly, for a place like Paris that, if you're like me, you go several times in a lifetime, I'd stay someplace else.

Mark, I agree with you that if a hotel is that strict better to stay elsewhere. Mme. Pelletier is the owner so I guess she wants to be sure that her rooms are really spotless. I never had this problem in the other Parisian hotels. We stayed at the Abbatial St. Germain and had our takeout and pastries and left the empty bags in the trash. They never reprimanded us. Also Hotel d'Angleterre didn't have a no-eating rule and you'd think a hotel like that would be strict.