Tony
Ive stayed at many hotels in Paris, and have yet to see any one one them post 'fake' pictures. I do suspect phoney reviews are now rampant. Some hurting hotels I know of are experiencing whirlwind flurries of 5 star ratings on TA from one time posters that I have to be cynical

Take a look into Hotel Des Grandes Ecoles http://www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com/

Charming Courtyard hotel in the Latin Quarter. Walkable to the Pantheon, Jardin du Luxembourg. Metro stop on line 10 nearby. The front desk (and it really is a desk) :) was extremely helpful. Photos on the website do not look fake to me. I found it very comfortable and enjoyed my stay very much.

I have heard many nice things about the Hotel Grandes Ecoles, but that wallpaper would give me a migraine.

Thin

Hi again Tony,
The street that Hotel de la Sorbonne is on is pretty quiet, but you are around the corner(about a 2 min. walk) from Place de la Sorbonne which has cafes. Also, further down the street, near St. Severin church is very lively. It is about a 5-10 min. walk from Blvd. st. Germain and Notre Dame. I think anywhere in the Latin quarter is good for sightseeing and cafes.

You should be able to book a superior room for under 200 E at the Hotel du Danube. I have more of a Right Bank center of gravity but I think the Danube is in a great location for a first visit to Paris. I stayed in one of the superior rooms and it wasn't too tiny. Also, the courtyard is pretty nice, so if you're not street side it won't be the end of the world.

http://www.hoteldanube.fr/

Have a great trip.

Hi Tony8028, glad to see you have kept your sense of humour despite the hammering re your spelling!!

We rented an apartment just near the Hotel de la Sorbonne and the location is great. We had good access to the metro and also to several bus lines which we often used.

You will be given good advice on this site so don't be afraid to go with the recommendations that are being provided.

I hope you have a fabulous trip, I'm so envious, I wish it was me trying to choose a hotel in Paris! Please post a trip report when you are back home.

Just stayed at the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles. It's a cozy, small room, but even though I go for contemporary at home, I thought the room was lovely and can't beat the view of the Pantheon directly across the street. Very quiet, lots of places to eat nearby.
My favorite Paris hotel in that price range is the Hotel Residence Henri IV, in same neighborhood. It's hard to find availability and rates have gone up, but it faces a park at the end of a dead-end block and it is totally charming.
In the area, be sure to make a dinner reservation at the incredible litle resaruant called Fetes Galantes. You can eat for twice the price at many places, but the food here is great simple French food.

The rooms at Hotel des Grandes Ecoles can very in size and decor. Our last stay was in room 134 which was a decent size and the wallpaper was toile--yellow/gold, and being a toile fan, I liked it. There was a huge Beech Tree just outside the window which overlooked the attractive terrace. The room was around 128 euros with breakfast not included.

The booking procedure for Hotel des Grandes Ecoles doesnt look as straight forward as some others. It doesnt appear to be available on booking.com which i usually use and their own website asks for all personal details and credit card number before you can even see a rate or availability. Otherwise the hotel looks nice.

Tony -
Avalon and I agree on the Millesime. They have a pretty good special right now. For a real bed, upgrade to a deluxe. I love the location - and I am looking at going in February and we'll try to book soon. But I would love to stay on Ile St Louis. It's the center of Paris! You have lots of options - the specials all over europe are good right now. But I would suggest the 4th, 5th or 6th arr. for cafes, location and atmosphere. Take the reviews on tripadvisor with a grain of salt. The Four Seasons and the Econolodge can't really be lumped together.

Here's another suggestion for you! Check out <b>Hotel Henri IV Rive Gauche</b> on rue Saint Jacques in the 5th arr.

www.henri-paris-hotel.com/en/

We loved this small hotel for its comfort & location!

2010

Do you guys generally book directly through the hotel's site or through one of the referral sites (trip adviser etc)

Do you think I will save any money by waiting until the last minute or are rates pretty much as low as they will go for travel in Feb?

Cheers!

I usually book direct with hotels. You can wait if you are willing to take the chance of your first choices being unavailable (any events going on while you are there?). Sometimes you can find great last minute deals. Have you picked a neighborhood yet? Don't get too caught up in being near a metro station - walking is really the way to get around Paris and you're rarely more than 200m from a station. And don't forget the buses so you see stuff on your way around. Just avoid rush hour and give up your seat to seniors. We love the Paris bus system - included in the Paris museum pass transportation ticket (buy online before you go or buy at the airport and you can get on the metro from the airport).

christabir, thanks for that advice. I am mainly looking at the 5th and 6th areas. Not sure if any events are going on, but for peace of mind ( i should have written "piece of mind just to keep those people who enjoy correct my grammar amused ).

I will be arriving by train from Zurich. Do you know if I can get a connection train in to the metro system from where the inter-country trains drop you off?

Tony,
I could give you a "piece of my mind" but for everyone's peace of mind, and your last funny post, I apologize. I think language is important to human communication and get impatient with people who are casual or indifferent to it.

Christabir is right, booking directly with hotels almost always gets better prices and less chance of problems. The Ile St. Louis and Cite are both fantastic neighborhoods to stay in.

Thanks LAleslie, I appreciate the advice.

May you have a delemma free Christmas :)

I assume you'll arrive from Zurich at the Gare de l'Est, so you can pick up the metro right there.

And may you have a whinge-free Christmas. (Whinge: One of my favorite "English" words).

Your train will come right into Paris to one of four stations. Your train ticket should tell you which one. There are easy connections on the metro or grab a cab if you have luggage or if you are unsure of the exact location of your hotel.

The closer you are to the seine, the closer you are to everything on the rive droit and can walk everywhere. If there is a good deal at the D'Aubusson Hotel, that's the place I'd stay. It's beautiful, but really expensive.

There are lists of suggestions in both of my, threads, "Paris Hotel Left Bank Thread" and "Paris Hotel Right Bank Thread". Happy Travels!