StCirq, despite the whole spelling issue, i appreciate the hotel advice (which is why I am here!).

I hadn't considered the 7th as it didnt seem as "villagey" ( I made up that word, so it's spelled correctly!) but based on your advice i will check it out now.

And janisj, I am not going to get into a whole discussion all that...i am too busy trying find a hotel in paris ! Thanks for your suggestions too !

I highly recommend Hotel St Jacques (agree with blh!). We were there in Sept and loved it as well as its location. Plenty of restaurants nearby as well as a couple of quaint little stores for those last-minute necessities.

Only a 5-minute or so walk from Notre Dame and just down the hill from the Pantheon.

By the way, this selection was based on a LOT of research (both on Fodors and the web in general).

I think it is really rude to pick out a poster's spelling mistakes and errors in grammar.

This is a message board.

This ain't the Paris Review.

Thin

Back to the hotels. I also stayed at the Hotel Regent on Rue Daphine and loved it. It is smack in the middle of the 6th and you will trip over cafes the minute walk out the door.

I just checked the location of the Hotel de la Sorbonne and it is in an area with plenty of cafes within a few blocks. At the Place de la Sorbonne there are a bunch of them and that is just a block away. And a block in the other direction is the rue Soufflot, with more cafes.

I'd recommend the Millesime on Rue Jacob. It is right in the middle of the 6th and has lots of cafes and services nearby,

http://www.millesimehotel.com/rates-en.php

ThinGorjus, I agree with you totally.

I read the heading and winced at the spelling, but this is a message board - leave the poor guy alone.

Geez...I will never misspell dilemma again !! Its not a word I use very often. This "poor guy" has learned more about spelling from this thread than he has about hotels in Paris!

Avalon....i just check some reviews on the Mellesime Hotel...

All of the recent reviews are appalling !

see:

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

I only found 2 slightly negative reasponse in the first 4 pages of reviews. One was there weren't enough pictures on the walls! Another complained that it was 2 twins pushed together. That is very common in Parisian hotels. They do have queen size beds , regular ones, if you book a superior room

My apologies...I somehow clicked the link that ONLY showed bad reviews ! Sorry....it does look good..we might book that one.

So you have stayed here yourself, personally?

Thanks for the recommendation !

Yes We've stayed there 5 or 6 times. Also on the same street we've stayed at the du Danube. des Marroniers,and d;Angleterre. I think those might be a bit over your budget.

tony8028 - If you want action around your hotel ie: crowds, restaurants, shops, crepe stands and a bit of culture thrown in, I would stay in the 6th around Blvd St Germain.
Look at your Paris map and find rue Clement. In this short side street is the Hotel Clement,6 rue Clement, Tel;0143265360/Fax:0144070683.
The hotel faces the covered market, has zillions of restaurants, cafes & bistros on it's doorstep. Just a little way further up is the beautiful St Sulpice and the Luxembourg Gardens.

I had a street facing room and it was a bit noisy some nights from the cafe`s below and across the street. But central to everything - absolutely!
Tariff might have gone up but I paid 117 for a single - a junior suite is 145euros.

e&oe

How about the Ile St Louis? Great area, lots of cafes and wonderful views.

We liked the Hotel Lutece there very much and I think it's still under 200 euros per night.

I never considered Ile St Louis. It looks a bit secluded from the rest of paris? I guess that would appeal to some people. I will check it out...i have not booked yet !

Not the least bit secluded. You are about 2 blocks and across a bridge to the Left Bank and the same to the Right Bank , near Bastille

I have not stayed on the Ile St Louis but this year in May booked three nights at the Hotel Hospitel Dieu which is practically on the doorstep of Notre Dame Cathedral!
http://www.hotel-hospitel.com/ang/contacts.htm

We walked all over the two islands and I think the Ile de La Cite` is more exciting. I found Ile St Louise sedate and if you wanted to cross over to the action on the Left Bank you walked over to Ile de La Cite first anyway.

The rooms on the 6th floor hotel are very modern - no olde worlde French staircases or creaking floorboards here!

Sorry, Louis, not Louise! And Avalon is right about the access to the right and left banks being a bit further down rather than at the St Germain end.

tony, I found out why I never heard of l'Apostrophe -- it hasn't existed for long and used to be the 1* Hotel de Chevreuse. That isn't really St Germain or Latin Qtr, either, it is Montparnasse. Actually, I stay quite near there and like the area but don't think this is what you are looking for, If you do want to stay in Montparnasse, there are many better choices than that hotel, also in terms of location. LIke the Hotel Lenox http://www.paris-hotel-lenox.com/

there are many others, also. There is lots going on around there, plenty of restaurants, cinemas and cafes and excellent public transportation options. Also shopping.

Ile St Louis is prime place to stay. I laugh at the word secluded. It is at the heart of Paris. In fact all mileages in France are measured from Ile Notre Dame (mile 0). Ile St Louis has some of the most expensive real estate in Paris, and several Prime Ministers and other notables have/do live there. You need to get the Fodor's Guide and read up, it will help situate you, and help you map out where the sites you will want to see are located.

Hotels on ISL are a bit more expensive, and rooms may be smaller, but then again you would be in a 16th/17th century building.

Hotel St Louis en Ile, Hotel Lutece, Hotel Deux Iles are some that I have stayed at or have knowledge of.

www.paris-hotel-lutece.com

Ile St Louis is nice because it is small and compact, good restaurants, less traffic, and easy walking distance to Metro and some of the sites. The main street has a cheese shop, chocolate shop, famous ice cream place,etc..

Paris is a huge city, you will never be close (i.e. walking distance to) to all of the sites. A walk from Notre Dame to Eiffel Tower would be a march. That being said, staying in the 4th/5th/6th is a good idea for a first time visit.

Even so, with its excellent transit system, being outside of the centre is not really an issue, except for having to commute in/out every day. I stayed in the 16th one year and liked it, no tourists, but I did spend 20 minutes a day getting to the centre.

Get a map to help you decide. Not sure where you got the names of those hotels, but I can say that some of them are lesser known. A quick search here will come up with a good list of hotels that people use. There are names that come up regularly (like Bonaparte) and would be a good place to start.
Forget TA, you can trust the people here

We stayed, last April, at the Paris Le Grand (next to the Opera Garnier). It was in the PERFECT location, and the service was exquisite. We stayed on awards points, but I am sure you could get a decent online deal for Feb.