Marais district of Paris as base
 

My husband has read about the Marais district and thought it would be a good area to stay for our 2nd visit to Paris.
Any feedback or hotel recommendations?
It is our 30th anniversary so would be willing to splurge (in our terms) at 300-400 Euros per night if necessary.
We want comfortable and quiet room, townhouse type hotel preferably and in a charming area with lots of things close by. restaurants etc.

If you have already been to Paris, then I highly recommend the Marais, tons of stores, restaurants, etc. Someone on the forum has recommended the www.pavillon-de-la-reine.com. It's expensive. I stayed just around the corner at www.vrbo.com/79965 . It left more money for shopping. Or what about the Hotel Lutece on the Ile St. Louis. Have a great trip!

Our family stayed in the Marais on our last trip to Paris in April '06 and we fell in love with the area. It is really quaint, great stores, restaurants, and museums. We thought the vibe was much friendlier than the left bank where we stayed on our first trip to Paris two years earlier. It is easy to walk to most places and especially for a lovely walk on the islands or even to the Louvre.

I am glad to hear that the Marais is a good area. We like to walk and I think it lends itself to that. Now I just need to find a nice hotel. Not too big but charming.

If you like dramatic, check out the maraishouse.

People have had mixed feelings about the owner but it sounds like it depends on the person...

The Marais has a wonderful neighborhood feel, with welcoming shops and restaurants, convenient to many destinations in the city. Pavillon de la Reine is a beautiful place to stay, right on Place des Voges and yet set back in a quiet courtyard area. Their rooms vary greatly (in format, not quality),so discuss your options and preferences at time of reservations.Price at hotels varies with the season, so it is hard to address the budget issue. Pavillon de la Reine has helpful concierges and a nice breakfast room. Enjoy your trip.

the pavillion de la reine is beautiful, but even the small rooms may stretch your budget. there are many charming, yet smaller, hotels that cost less in the area.

we've stayed at the hotel caron de beaumarchais which gets favorable reviews. the rooms on top facing the street are cozy, but have a nice balcony with chairs and a table.

you'll love the marais!

..re hotel. The Marias is rather a funny place as far as hotels go. It was not on the tourist radar 20 years ago. Except for P de la R, most of the hotels are tarted up 2 stars as this is not an area of "new builds". There are some lovely apts as people have gone into old buildings and have rebuilt or built new buildings behind facades. Look at some of the apt rentals. I would also second looking at Le Lutece on Ile St. Louis..not technically part of the Marais but in the 4th.

Its true the hotels dont seem that great in the area. We will only be in Paris for 4-5 nights so an apartment is out I think for that length of stay.

Don't count out an apartment rental. We have rented for as little as 3 nights. There are agencies that will rent for less than a week. Once we rented we never wanted to go the hotel route again.

Oh thats good to know. Thanks. I will look into it.

Kate:

I heartily second the suggestion for Hotel Lutece on the island..we've stayed there several times. But last spring we tried the Marais and loved staying there..at the competely and
tastefully redecorated..minimalist furnishings, good sized rooms and bathrooms at the 180-200Euro level. Elevator, breakfast room and right in the heart of all that's happening..easy walk to the islands, the Louvre, etc.

The Hotel Duo (used to be the Axial Beaubourg Hotel):

http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h7...lbeaubourg.htm

Stu T.

kate, should you decide to look into apartments, I stayed with my mother (who is picky!) in one on Ile Saint Louis. The agency was guestapartment.fr and they were excellent. They do offer many concierge-like services if that's something you think you might want. Many of the one-bedrooms are within your price range and they'll let by the night.

Have a great trip.

I am staying in the Marais for 5 nights in early April at this VRBO:http://www.vrbo.com/33626. I will report back after my trip. So far, the owner (who lives in the US) has been delightful to deal with--prompt with replies and flexible with check-in and out times. I've also been able to pay by check with US funds! I can't wait for the trip.

busymom -- 33626 is a pretty cute 1 br but $1390/week seems really expensive for a basic apt. www.vrbo.com/28993 is only a studio but at 600E/week I think it's a much better value if you don't mind not having a couch. (plus it has a balcony)

If the OP has 400 E. night to spend and wants to splurge then Ile St. Louis is probably the way to go.

Thanks to everyone for your imput. I was able to get a reservation at Pavillon de la Reine in Marais for a much better price than their web site. It looks lovely and I am looking forward to exploring this area. Any thing we shouldnt miss of restaurant recommendations?

bookmarking for a trip next year