Overwhelmed with Paris lodging options!
 

Looking for lodging for family of 4 --- mom, dad, and two teenage boys --- for two nights at the end of June. (I know only two nights! We are using Paris as a stopping point between the Swiss Alps and London graduation trip for my son.) We can rent a quad room, two doubles/twins, or studio, 1-2 bedroom apartment that sleeps four. It won't kill the boys to sleep on a sleeper sofa for two nights.

I would LOVE to find something under $300 per night total with AC in the 1st, 5th, 6th, or 7th. I'm starting to think this isn't possible. Hence, I'm asking the Fodorite Community for help!

At this point I've looked at so many properties, I'm overwhelmed. I thought I had found a suitable place, College du France, but they don't have AC and I'm pretty sure DH would nix that option!

I've also looked at airbnb and they have several properties that fit our needs and budget. But airbnb doesn't always get glowing recommendations.

Any suggestions?

Marla

There are about a million options so you just have to take the leap and pick one. I really liked the St. Jacques in the 5th. Pretty, great staff, great location half way between the Pantheon and Notre Dame. Good price.

Booking.com and hotels.com have search engines that will help locate hotels by price, location, etc. You don't have to book through them, but the info helps narrow things down.

I think most of AirBnB's criticisms come from those who consider themselves informed while having never used the site to actually book an accommodation. Speaking for myself, I was a fan from the first booking. I've now used the site a number of times in the US and in Paris and recommend it.

One needs to look closely, of course, to make sure what's in the listing is what you want. And pay attention to the terms offered by each owner regarding cancellations. The company is very conscious of their image and makes sure that terms are honored within the criteria chosen by the listings' owners. In other words, since AirBnB handles all financial aspects of the transaction if you're entitled to a refund it happens immediately. They also have help available if things don't go as expected.

I encourage you to consider using the AirBnB site. It's excellent, places for everyone's budget and it gets better all the time.

Its hard to find an apartment for only 2 nights, plus most places that allow less then a week will still have a 3 night minimum or charge extra fees for short stay.Plus renting an apartment is a bit more work then a hotel, so really for only 2 nights is it worth it?
I would look for a quad or two doubles. Depends on what works out cheapest.
Here are a few hotels in good areas( I only stay in good central locations, and I have stayed at all of these, so can state they are clean, and convenient. Rooms are small, not fancy, but all have a/c and most have mini fridges, except one(HSP)

The only problem may be finding rooms at this point, june is like mega high season and these are all small hotels with 20-30 rooms at most.

Hotel Diana
Hotel Eugenie
Hotel Saint Pierre( the one by the Sorbonne, there are a few with similar names)

I have not stayed at these hotels , but they seems decent and area is good and reviews are generally good.

Hotel College du France
Hotel Tourisme
Timhotel Jardins des Plantes

Good luck

Great apartments, and do not have a minimum stay requirement.

http://cobblestoneparis.com/Passage-Marais

http://cobblestoneparis.com/tresor-marais.html

http://cobblestoneparis.com/La-Charme-Du-Marais.html

http://cobblestoneparis.com/Balcon-Luxembourg

Nevermind, there is a 3 night minimum on the apartments I listed - sorry. :(

check www.hotwire.com in case they have a highly recommended hotel there for your nights.

you can also try Priceline BIDDING for 2 rooms at the 4* level and most likely get a wonderful place. See www.betterbidding dot com to see the hotel lists of winning bids. Be sure to read up on how to do that. Non refundable.

Keep the ideas coming! I've considered Priceline and Hotwire and have used them in the past in the United States with the help of betterbidding and biddingfortravel.com. But the information for Paris is not as complete as it is for large cities in the United States.

Mme Perdu, I'm going to head back to AirBnB and look around again.

I've looked over at Eurocheapo and didn't really see anything. They advertise reasonable rates, like $150 per room per night, but when I put in my travel dates, the rates go up to $200 on many properties. And one of the properties had the toilet down the hall! That wouldn't fly with DH!

My son got a wonderful marriott on priceline one year for under $125. I'd definitely try Priceline but not under a 4*. There are too many risks with Paris 3* to begin with.

I stayed here:
http://hoteldescarmesparis.com/Engli...rmes_paris.htm

and liked the location. The room was clean, comfortable, had AC and I think I paid about $90 for a single a couple years ago. I think it would be in your price range.

I always stay at the Marriott Paris Rive Gauche. It is less than 5 minutes walk from two Metro stops that will get you wherever you need to go easily.

Priceline is not popular in Paris for a reason.I have used it for States, I wouldn't for Paris.

Three stars can be nice in Paris but the star system in Europe is NOT like the system here, the stars do not indicate level of luxury but are earned by which amenties hotel has ,so you may take a 4* hotel because it has a "gym" but it may be a terrilbly crappy gym and the rooms are blah, and the 3 star hotel next door could have much nicer rooms but no gym..

Try Tripadvisor. You can limit your search to just families which was quite helpful for me, my husband, daughter and graddaughters in Trieste.

YOu don't get a 4* hotel rating in France because your hotel has a gym, that just isn't so.

I just went through an extensive search for our family of 4 for an upcoming June trip. Unfortunately, I threw out all my notes after making our reservations. So I can't give you all that information.

I finally decided that the quads available were awfully small for our family (husband, wife, grown son, and teenage son). So I booked two twin rooms at Hotel Familia in the 5th for 238 euros total. The hotel doesn't look fabulous, but we won't be in the room except to sleep, and it does have A/C. (Our last two visits to Paris in June, it was in the 90's.) We will only be there for one night.

When we return to Paris at the end of our trip for two nights, we are staying at the Hotel Clement in the 6th. It is more expensive (308 euros for two twin rooms), but we have stayed there before and love the location.

We also considered Hotel des Mines, Hotel Minerve and Hotel du Danube. Here is a list of hotels with quads from tripadvisor.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...de_France.html

Bookmarking

Paris Hotels and Apartments

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...



http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ank-thread.cfm



Jump to the bottom of the thread and then scroll up to Dec 31,2010. In that section, I have categorized the recommended hotels, by district, and have provided websites.



If you're looking for an apartment, you can try:



www.parisbestlodge.com

www.homeaway.com



www.vrbo.com


www.airbnb.com




Happy Travels!

Chirstina that was an example , and yes the star system in france IS based on services and amenities offered, not the luxury level of them . So , for a hotel to have two stars they must have some english speaking staff and an elevator, ,for three stars they must offer an eat in breakfast room( not just breakfast to the room which some hotels offer) and so on.

Americans star system is very different, many Americans come on these Europeon forums asking for a "moderate"hotel that is 3 or 4 stars, ,not realizing that there ARE hotels with a 2 star rating that can be just as nice as a poor 3 star and its more important to read reveiws on hotels from other travellers then to rely on the star system.