funintwos

Since we're striking out on the "rental apartment outside of Paris" idea, I'm re-posting my original question. We are now looking for a family friendly hotel in Paris, in the $100-$200/night category. Please note that we will be traveling as a group of 8 (4 adults, 4 kids), and would either need two *adjoining* rooms, each accomodating four people at a rate of around $100/night, OR a large family unit/apartment for around $200/night that could accomodate all 8 of us. We aren't expecting to find anything in the luxury category, just clean and in a safe neighborhood. Also, preferably not part of a big hotel chain, but something with a little more French atmosphere. Are we still dreaming?!

elaine

two hotels that have mentioned on this forum as good for families are <BR>Grand Hotel St Michel, phone <BR>0146333302 and Palais Bourbon, <BR>phone 0144113070. Rates are within your range. You can do a search for them on this forum, and also look for them at <BR>www.paris.org and <BR>www.hotelboulevard.com <BR>

Christina

I might have some advice if you loosen up your criteria somewhat and/or raise your budget. What you want is just not possible, I don't think. The main problem is your criteria that all 8 of you must stay together in adjoining rooms. I don't think there's any real reason for this, is there, as you have four adults? I think it will be impossible for you to find adjoining rooms for 8 people (ie, 3-4 triples/doubles) almost at all, but definitely not for what you are willing to spend. Your budget of $25 a day per person is the price range of a hostel, rather than a hotel or apartment. You won't find apartments to sleep 8 people, anyway, the largest size vacation rental apts I've seen are 5-6 people and those are around $300 a night on the lowest end. If you're more willing to spend $250-300 I might have some ideas, but even they won't involve all 8 of you together, but maybe two rooms. They aren't old French and charming with atmosphere, etc, either, so you probably wouldn't like them, they are more modern apartmenthotels like Home Plazza Bastille (which is French, but plain modern). If you really want to spend $200 for 8 people, maybe you should consider a hostel, but you won't get comfortable and charming for that, obviously, but you might get a room for all 8 of you as a group. The official French Hostelling Assn does have one in the 20th arr. suburbs that accepts families so that would only be about $140 for all of you (go to www.fuaj.fr and see the one called Artagnan). Aside from that, here are the cheapest hotels I know of that are decent and have quad rates for around 700-900F, so if you got two of those you'd be spending $200-250 total, but they probably won't adjoin and they may not even have two quads, but I think it's your best bet below $250 a night, these are roughly in order from cheapest to most expensive (the first two are really cheap unless my rates are outdated, only 400-550F per quad): <BR> <BR>Lux Hotel Picpus, 12th arr. <BR>Hotel Castex, 4th arr. <BR>Hotel Grand Prieure, 11th arr. <BR>Hotel Minerve, 5th <BR>Hotel Senlis, 5th <BR>Hotel Innova, 15th arr. <BR>Hotel des Mines, 5th <BR>Hotel Londres St-Honore, 1st <BR>Hotel du Vieux Sale, 3rd <BR>Hotel Arley Tour Eiffel, 15th <BR>Hotel la Boudonnais, 7th <BR> <BR>Some cheap French renovated hotels are not in any way charming or atmospheric, I'll tell you that, they are bland modern motel-type formica, etc. The ones above seemed to be the best of a bunch I've seen, good buys and not too disgusting at the lower end and decent locations relatively. Some are better than others, I myself would prefer the ones in the 5th, 14th, 7th or 15th first, then 4th or 11th. I included a couple others that look okay and are cheaper than usual because of location (ie, the Lux) and have a better location than some in that quartier. I'm sure there are others in this price range if you search enough, these are just some I've kept track of that seemed good deals for this category (very cheap quad). All of these are two-star except for the Hotel Arley Tour Eiffel which is 3-star. You can view a lot of these and maybe others on www.hotelboulevard.com (mainly)or www.france-hotel-guide.com and www.hotel-parc-montsouris.fr in particular for that one.

Lori

You might try the Best Western Chain - they are smaller hotels and are connected to BW reservation systems. All are independent and quite small (under 40 rooms normally). You might find ajoining rooms but don't count on it, many of the smaller hotels don't have this luxury! You might also look into the Plazza Bastille All Suite's Hotel - the price may be above your limit but track it down on the web, you never know. I do not think you will find an apartment for under $200/night and apartments that accommodate 8 people would be non-existant. Hotel rooms and apartments all tend to be SMALL in Pais, so adding any extra beds can cause a major traffic problem in the room <BR>There are a couple of BW's that I've read the descriptions of that had quad rooms - Opera Gallion may be one. <BR>

Seb

I doubt that you will easily find a hotel room able to hold four people in Paris. Hotel rooms in France are overall smaller than in American hotels. Double rooms are exactly that, and usually don't have enough room to add a rollaway. Triples are just big enough for three. <BR> <BR>We stayed at the Hotel des Grands Hommes on Place du Pantheon in the Latin quarter with my family. We had a double and a triple for 2 adults and 3 children. It was very nice and not expensive. <BR>

vosaki

I agree with everything said above. If you're looking for rooms with two double beds where kids stay free -- forget it. Hotel rooms in Europe are generally small, and they are picky about how many people, including children, stay in a room. Their basic rule is, with the exception of infants and very small children, no one stays free. <BR>I vacationed in Europe last summer with my wife, my fourteen year old daughter, my adult sister, and my parents. If we didn't pair up in rooms, it would have been practically impossible to find space. We were in Europe for a month, so I felt for the sake of family togetherness, I should occasionally get a room for the three of us -- my wife, my daughter and myself. More often than not, when I asked for a room for three, the answer was absolutely not. Or I was offered a suite at a gigantic price. When I did obtain accomodations for three, more often than not, the price was more for each person than half a double. The reason was that these rooms for three, tended to be very large. <BR>Finding adjoining rooms will be difficult. These large rooms tended to be scattered throughout the hotel -- often one a each floor. <BR>Maybe if you look long and hard enough, you'll find the great exception -- the American Holiday Inn room with two double beds where the kids stay for free. But it's going to be difficult.

Patsy Klontz

Try Hotel Familia in the 5th. Their quad room was about $120 a night. They have a web site. I don't know if they have more than one quad, however. Nicely located and the owner was usually pleasant. Patsy

Margo

I don't think you are dreaming you just have to look real real real hard. Here is one possibility in the 14th district at about $125 or less a night for each quad room. Judging by their numbers (#772 & 773) they might be adjoining <BR>BAINS: 33, rue Delambre. Tel: 0143208527. Fax: 0142798278. (41 rms., all w/toilet & shower.) 425F/65EUR (shower)-440F/67EUR (bath)-485F/74EUR (2 twin beds) double; 680F/104EUR triple; 740F/113EUR quad/suites. Buffet breakfast (7:15-10:15am) at 50F pp. Visa, MC. English spoken (Catherine), cable TV w/CNN, charming 2-bldg. hotel w/elegantly contemporary furnished carpeted small rms., lots of character, #333 (double bed, balcony & faces street) at 425F for a double; #667 & 667 w/2 twin beds at 485F for a double; #771 (large rm. w/king-size bed, 1 twin bed, large bathroom w/shower) at 680F for a triple; #227, 337, 447, & 557 (all located in the main bldg.) & 772 & 773 (both in annex) are all jr. 2-rm. suites w/2 twin beds, 1 king-size bed, shower & face interior courtyard at 585F double, 680F for a triple & 740F for a family; hair driers, garden, elevator, 7 flrs., private parking (75F per day). Owned/managed by Henri Régis. Métro: Edgar Quinet. http://www.HelloEurope.com <BR> <BR>

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Lynne

kwren

has anyone here ever stayed in the Hotel Arley Tour Eiffel? Can you give me a review?

Amart

What time of the year?

Christina

I haven't, but until someone responds with personal experience (although I don't think I've seen anyone on Fodors comment on it), there are a couple reviews on www.paris.org/Hotels (go to 15th arrondisement section) although they are a few years old. There are about half a dozen more on www.tripadvisor.com

amwosu

kwren- Repost your question as a new post to get more responses.