Tod,

I've stayed at the hospitel and loved it. Couldn't be quieter or better located for me, anyway. I got some great photos of N.D. and the street at all hours of day and night by shooting out the skylight (a window high on the wall, not on the ceiling).

crdtny - I can't thank you enough for giving away your little hotel secret! This is just the kind of hotel we love to stay at. Out of town but a quick metro ride away from all the sights! We have been heading for the Ibis Esplanade La Defense in recent trips because of the fantastic 49euro a night bargain they offer from Friday through till Monday morning (booked on line only). For a few more euros this looks like a bargain hotel for the rest of the week. Thank you again!

TOD......there is a really fantastic restaurant always full of office workers and business types just a few minutes from the Hotel.

If you leave the Hotel turn left and it is up the road a bit on the right hand side...you cant miss it typical French and no English spoken....menu changes daily.

The Hotel is also very near one of the portes of Paris Porte de Champerret. Certain buses leave this port and go all the way along the ring road that surrounds Paris. An interesting trip. I get a bus here to go to Clingencoeur market.

Last time I stayed there was Xmas time and I left something in the Hotel which I have always wondered about.

I purchased a French Xmas cake/tarte called "Gallette du roi"
but left the same in the Hotel on departure back home to UK......always wondered what it would have tasted like...still..... will be going in near future so it is something I have got to try.....maybe it's stilll in the Hotel???????????

Got advice from recptionist on restaurant not too far away...she said ' we French go there'....when I remember what it's called I will post on here.

You're incredible! I am sure to book this hotel for our visit in late July 2010 - Also have another 'secret' hotel up my sleeve on an island in the Seine - but not any of the famous 2!
Can't thank you enough for all the great tips!

JulieAgain,

I think you've received some good suggestions. Don't worry about being close to a Métro station. Paris has one of the best public transportation systems in the world. My apartment is within a five-minute walk from 4 Métro stops (all on different lines), and this is not at all unusual for Paris.

I say we keep this hotel to ourselves

As toupary6 says, the bus,Metro and RER system is really good. Someone once said in central Paris you are never more than 500' from a Metro station.

While staying outside is neat becasue you get a bit of exposure to how the locals live...my last stay I stayed in the 16th, near Seine, with no tourist sites nearby and only locals at corner cafe. But I had to metro to get to where I wanted to be. Maybe 20 minutes one way.

So, could stay anywhere in Central Paris, but since you will want to see the famous stuff...being able to walk is an asset. Arrs. 1 thu 8 would satisfy this.

I'm amazed at all of this information. You folks on the France board are so generous. I asked for a districts explanation & got all of this. How much faster & easier this will be - but now I need to review the maps, check out the hotels - I copies all of this into my Paris Info document.

I'm so sad that we cannot get into the Hospitel! I told my husband about it & he said that sounds like our kind of place! But, we now are not sure that Paris will fit into our fall trip - it may have to wait until early spring (before the crowds begin). Maybe I can get the Hospitel then? Either way it turns out, all of this info should do the trick for me.

Thank you so much for being so generous.

Julie

Julie - I would just like to caution you about a few things when staying in Hotel Hospitel.
It's different to any other hotel in Paris ( that I've ever stayed in on our 11 trips) because:
a) You enter and leave through the hospital reception area
b) You will have to walk up a short flight of stairs, along a corridor before entering a busy area full of those hospital trolleys - some with post operative patients being wheeled out of the theatre which does the eye ops (probably lazer).
c) Enter one of two large lifts that take will you to the Hotel reception which is teeny but has wonderful friendly staff.
d) There is a large commercial type refrigerator which is at your disposal providing it's not a bunchload of groceries - maybe some cokes or a bottle of wine/beer is no promblem to them.
e) Breakfast at an additional 6euros+- is only served in your hotel room.
f) There is no view from any of the rooms as far as a can gather because they only have skylights with an automated blind system to shut out the bright daylight. When you look up from your bed all you can see are clouds, blue sky and birds flying past!

The rooms are spotless and very modern - we had a photo of 'Twiggy' hanging over our bed and others of her in different modelling poses on the other walls.
It's great to be able to just wander out the building and be right on the doorstep of the grand old lady of Cathedrals.

Hi again - Here is my trip report from May 2009 which has photos of Hotel Hospitel's interior.

http://tinyurl.com/ksga8v

Re: Hospitel.
I took my shoes off and stood on the chair and had a view of Notre Dame and the street and got great pictures, day and night (the moon passing behind the spires of N.D.) The blinds in my room were not automated. I could open or close them myself and usually left them open.

The hotel rooms are on the top floor. I think there are only 14 rooms and half on the N.D. side so you have to book early for any room but especially for the N.D. side.

I was there for a week and never saw a hospital patient, but I guess there is a chance that you might. The garden on the ground floor is lovely -- or was when I stayed.