ninalou

Hello,

My husband and I are looking for the best and most charming and romantic hotel in Paris' 5th or 6th arrondissements for 4 nights in early October.

We would like to keep it under 100 EUROS per night, but could go a little more for the perfect place.

I have looked into the Hôtel Saint André des Arts and the Hôtel du Collège de France.

Should we do the 5th or the 6th?

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

THANKS!

worldinabag

Bonjour

This is a good deal in the 5th - http://www.hotel-paris-familia.com. Includes breakfast too. Near my favourite part of Paris, Ille St. Louis, but without the price tag.

Au revoir

grandmere

It's a little more but has lots of charm and is in a super location for exploring both left and right banks. www.hoteldulys.com

It's about 2 min. walk from both St. Michel and Odeon metros.

oberost

Almost anywhere is Paris is great to stay in!! Just being there is enough! My wife and I do stay in the 6th and have stayed at the Pas des Calais several times. Right off blvd St. Germain and near the Metro stop by that chaurch. Also a great shopping and eating area. Not far from rue du Buci with some nice outdoor markets. Check it out.

Christina

You aren't going to get much charm for that price, that is really low for a decent hotel in central Paris during one of the peak hotel price periods (October). I think H du Lys is a good idea, as College de France. I had an article from a French magazine on this topic, and they named Hotel du Globe in St Germain as one of their top romantic cheap hotels (they are right about at 100 euro).

I've never heard of St Andre des Arts being called romantic.

rbnwdln

The Familia has cats....hope you're not allergic.

francophile03

To oberost, I have asked you before to let us know what you and your wife liked about the Pas de Calais. You always recommend this hotel, but haven't discussed why it's good. Do you think you can give us some idea this time?

SuzieC

Having stayed in the St. Andre, well, its romantic if you want to stay in a really old building... but romantic in the way of a man and a woman? errrrr...

Even with its sort of ratty-around-the-edgesness... I'd stay there again. Nice location...

klondike

ninalou:
We enjoy staying at the Hotel Saint Andre des Arts very much, and certainly don't want to dissuade you from staying there if it sounds like your kind of experience. We find it charming, exuding historical personality from a by-gone era. We plan on staying again.

That being said, I would describe it as "funky" over romantic. The rez-de-chausée is so small, they use the carved church choir stalls along the wall in the foyer you can see in the photo on their website) to serve breakfast overflow at by setting up card tables.

Because it is so inexpensive, we ask for one of the quad room (two double beds) which overlook the rue St. André des Arts on the 2nd floor (au premier with bathtub), 3rd floor (au deuxieme has a huge modern shower big enough for two with great HOT water). I had explained my (older) husband couldn't walk up a lot of stairs (no elevator in this one-star hotel) and they were nice in the off-season and just charged us a double price even though we had the quad without being asked to. These two rooms have high beamed ceilings, fireplaces and cross-timbered walls with big widnows that open up right in front of the famous Cour du Commerce. There is a Pub across the way that can be noisy on week-end nights but I love watching the goings-on from the window; it's a slice of Paris.

So, I guess it just depends on your definition of Romantic ...if it's soft pastel décor and bouquets of flowers around you might want to look elsewhere. It's a GREAT location. For a few dollars more (okay, about $50-60 more) you could stay just around the corner at Le Régent. VERY much a cut above this one, with elevator and more polished staff/service. Good Luck with your choices!

Faux

A friend stayed at the Hotel du Globe for her honeymoon in September 2004 and they moved out after a couple of nights because the room was tiny, just about 18" either side of the bed, not much more at the end of the bed, tiny bathroom and nowhere to sit.

I stayed in one of the cheaper double at the Hotel Les Degres de Notre Dame http://lesdegreshotel.monsite.wanadoo.fr/index.jhtml close to Notre Dame in the 5th last February which had decent sized rooms. Unfortunately the prices for the cheapest doubles have gone up to 110 Euros but you get a very nice continental breakfast included which is taken in the cute restaurant downstairs.

I would not call it romantic, more shabby chic, but both the room and the bathroom are a reasonable size and the location is unbeatable. Unless you are fit, go for one of the cheaper double rooms on the (French) 1st and second floor, basically that means rooms 11 and 12 or room 23. I stayed in the smaller double on the 4th and the walk up four flights can be daunting after a night out, even if there is a view of the towers of Notre Dame from the window. Francophile03 had trouble getting a booking a long way in advance but you might be lucky given tha you want 4 nights.

isabel

I have stayed at the St Andre des Arts and would stay there again. Agree funky is a good term for it but I think it's kind of romantic as well. Have also stayed at the Minerva which is a sister hotel and next door to the Familia - very nice but the Minerva raised their prices so now over €100 I think, and I also try to stay under that price. The Hotel St Jacques, also on rue des Ecoles is wonderful and I think that would be the most romantic and I think it's still under €100. This March I'm staying at the Hotel de la Sorbonne but only because I'm trying to get my price down even more. In March they are only €75 and a friend stayed there and liked it. I think there are many good hotels in the 5th adn 6th for under €100. Your only problem will be picking which one you like the most.

Betty1

I second the nomination of the Hotel St. Jacques. My group stayed there in June, 2003 and loved it. It was used many years ago as a setting for the movie Charade. My room had a (non-functioning) fireplace. Rooms are small, but in this price category, they all will be. We were there during the unprecedented heat wave and surely could have used AC, but that shouldn't be a problem in October. Lowest priced doubles are 95 euro.

http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75005stjacques.htm

Another possibility that gets good marks here is the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles, also in the 5th. Lowest priced doubles are just a bit above your budget at 105 euro (these prices are good through March 31, could go up after that). I have not stayed here, but have visited. It's best feature is a lovely courtyard where they serve breakfast in nice weather. One drawback: they won't take reservations until 3-4 months ahead. For October I believe it is June 15.

http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75005ecoles.htm

I have a slight preference for the 5th over the 6th, but that is probably because that is where I first stayed in Paris as a student a few decades ago. From either of these hotels you could easily walk to Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Pantheon and the Luxembourg gardens. Enjoy Paris!

katzen

bookmarking

oberost

Francofile- what do we like about the Pas des Calais? Location, nice people, comfortable (been there at least 3 times) so it's kind of like going home? I'm sure there are many good choices but that is ours. Have also been to the Le Sainte Beauve several times and it is really nice but we prefer the former. Ever been there? Your opinion is much valued on this site?

DeborahAnn

ninalou, we have stayed at the Hotel College de France and it is a favorite. Best room is on the top floor #62, it has a wonderful view of the Eiffel tower in the distance.

Isabel, Hotel de la Sorbonne is a gem. We stayed on the top floor in a garret-like room and loved everything about it. Ambience like that just adds to the charm of the Left Bank. Deborah

Faux

Hi Oberost, I think you misunderstand Francophile03's question. Like me, Francophile03 is just researching the Hotel Pas de Calais and looking for a description of what it was you like about the hotel, details of some of the hotel's features, which rooms you stayed in and what you liked about them, that kind of thing. There are not that many detailed reviews on this hotel. I would really be interested in hearing your descriptions and those of anyone else who has stayed in this hotel. I am thinking of staying there.

Thanks in advance

francophile03

Author: oberost
Date: 02/03/2006, 01:13 pm
"Francofile- what do we like about the Pas des Calais? Location, nice people, comfortable (been there at least 3 times) so it's kind of like going home? I'm sure there are many good choices but that is ours. Have also been to the Le Sainte Beauve several times and it is really nice but we prefer the former. Ever been there? Your opinion is much valued on this site?"

Oberost, to answer your last question, no, I do not know if my opinions are valued much on this site.

But I am glad that you finally decided to reply to my questions to you in regards to the Pas de Calais. What you mentioned as the reasons for staying there was all I needed to know--from the very beginning.

Since you posted numerous times that you like staying at that particular hotel, it would have been nice to know why! So now I know. Thank you so much...

cbleigh

My vote is for Grand Hotel des Balcons. It's in the 6th and very convenient to a metro stop. It's just steps from busy Blvd. St. Germain and a few short blocks from the Luxembourg Gardens. The rooms vary in size, being a single traveler my room was small, but I did peek in and see larger rooms. You have a choice of courtyard or street view. I prefer the street side of any hotel in Paris, because I love to look out and watch Paris go by. This hotel is on such a tiny quiet street, that noise wasn't a problem. And the streetside rooms all have a tiny balcony that you can stand on and enjoy the view of the Odeon Opera at the end of the street.

The staff were all wonderful, especially the owners. She has added many charming details such as painting flowers on each of the windows that you pass as you go up the curving staircase.

They list their rates at between 100-150 euros right now for a double. You could do the lower end of the scale if you didn't mind a smaller room. Each room has an immaculate modern bathroom.

We checked out the two other hotels on the same street and both of them were significantly more expensive, so I think that Hotel Balcons wins both for charm and price.

sjde53

We stayed at the Familia 6 years ago and really liked it, although the room was small. I think I prefer the 6th a bit better and would try to stay there next time.

Sue

Underhill

Whichever hotel you choose, make your reservations ASAP. October is high season for Paris, and hotels fill up quickly.