I am currently booked for the first week of January at both the Caron du Beaumarchais and the Vieux Marais. I am leaning toward the C.B., but am interested in hearing if anybody can offer a meaningful comparison between the two before I cancel one or the other. Thanks!

I stayed at the Vieux Marais in April of 2004 for one night before going to another hotel. It is a very basic two-star in a very convenient part of the Marais. It was clean, decent and entirely acceptable on a budget basis - but I felt a little under the weather at the time and I opted for move to the more luxe Relais Bosquet in the 7th, which was offering rooms at almost the same price. If you do stay there, remember that all those quaint narrow streets in the Marais can translate to rather dark rooms once inside the buildings. There's a fabulous bakery just down the street from the Vieux Marais, called Pain Quotidien - have breakfast there and enjoy the best in artisanal baking.

Sorry, that should have read April of 2003! Caught me daydreaming about this year's trip(s).

Hey punk,

I have stayed at both, and CB has been widely written up in NatGeoTrav while VM has that formica & 70s wallpaper 2-star retro chic thing going on.

Last week I was in Paris and noticed that the CB front lobby was stuffed with chinzy props (harp, sheet music, bleh) while the VM's updated but still retro look was more 'authentically' Paris.

So I'd go with the VM but only if you can get a streetside room - more light.

And, patisserie-wise, both hotels are near Tout au Beurre on rue Vielle du Temple . . . the only place for croissants nature . . .
HTH, have a wonderful trip!
x

thanks, you two. i know i can't get a street-side room at the c.b., but am guaranteed a "high floor" room at a rate of 120 euro. the vieux marais, with 2 stars rather than 3, is slightly more expensive, but not much. i will inquire about the street-side-ness.

for that money you might want to consider an apartment. Check out rentparis.com

Wow - prices have gone up . . . ! There are some good, cheap places around St Paul metro (& you're still in the Marais) . . .

Check the 2-stars at
http://paris.org/Hotels/Metro/hotel....saintpaul.html
hth!

Not in the Marais proper but close, we really like the Mercure Monty, 3 stars, around €100 or less. Great breakfast, cool art deco design.

thanks - - all replies are so helpful. regarding the apartment, seafox: i considered this, but will be traveling alone and am not terribly familiar with paris, thought it might be just a bit too isolating.

i was in the Caron in October. i was also by myaelf. had a second floor rear room as i requested.
the room was nice, the location is superb. the breakfast delicious, and Allen and the others friendly and helpfull.