Novotel Paris Les Halles vs. Mercure Paris Tour Eiffel Suffren
 

Will be in Paris for two days in November and I am undecided between these two hotels. I'm getting a really good airline rate on both but have read some comments on trip advisor about the Novotel being in a high crime area. Is this true? Is one better than the other? Many thanks!

Crime ? For what I know (I've never been in Paris but some friends of mine did) Novotel Paris Les Halles is in the most central zone of Paris so there can be an extra of pickpocketers as in every touristic place in the world but I think crime it's a too hard word for that :)

The above info isn't exactly right -- it's not THE most central zone, and it does have above-avg crime statistics for Paris. I've seen them, published by the Parisian police dept. It is not solely due to pickpockets and tourists. That wouldn't be the main thing I'd base a decision on, though, in a hotel--aside from that, I just hate that area, and wouldn't stay there. It's ugly. (Les Halles), and there are a lot of people around there that I don't care for the ambience. If you were real young, you'd probably enjoy it more.

The other hotel is in the 15th very near the Eiffel Tower and the RER stop, and just across the border of the 7th near ave de Suffren. I would take that one, I suppose, unless the hotel quality was very different. If the Novotel was really a much more wonderful hotel, I'd pick it as you don't have to be there that much in two days, anyway.

I would never compromise my personal vacation time by being forced to choose some hotel in a package that I didn't want, I doubt if you are saving much money (if any) over choosing your own hotel in a better area. If you get some airfare discount, it might make it worth it. Most of those packages only get the airfare you can get yourself, though.

Actually I was talking about an airline employee discount (my husband works for an airline).

The Novotel is very centrally located (it could not be better located from the standpoint of mass transit, in fact), but it is in an area near the Pompidou Center that is a bit seedy late at night, with streets that are always noisy because of an active nightlife. The Mercure is much less central but it's in a relatively quiet and pleasant part of town, very near the Eiffel Tower. As previously mentioned, the Novotel also is in an area that appeals to a younger crowd. It's close to everything, so access is easy, but peace and quiet is correspondingly hard to find.

There are no high-crime areas <i>per se</i> in Paris; there are places with more pickpockets and shady characters than others, and the area around the Novotel is one of these because it is the nexus of all the mass transit systems within Paris and serving the suburbs (where most of the shady types come from). But for the same reason, it's really easy to get from that area to anywhere, inside or outside Paris.

The hotels themselves are both good-quality chain hotels, so the comforts inside should be pretty much the same.

We stayed in the Mercure 'waaay back when it was a Frantour... it is 'catty-corner' from the Eiffel, next door to the Hilton. Nearest metro is Bir Hakeim, about 3 minute walk.

Walkable to many cafes and restaurants, either down blvd Grenelle, over to ave Suffren, or over into the 7th the other side of Champ de Mars.

Nearest Monoprix is at Grenelle and Commerce.

Definitely the 'nicer' area of the two, although nothin' shakin' in the immediate area. I have walked in the evening around les Halles, it creeped me out - kind of dark, small groups of guys 'lurking' in the shadows, etc. There are also lots of restaurants around there, as well, but I don't want to feel like I have to look over my shoulder as I pass by.

The Les Halles area gave us the creeps during the day!

During the day? It's pretty crowded and animated during the day, but I'd hardly call it creepy. Just lots and lots of people, mostly under 30.