Unexpected 4 nights next month in Paris; hotels mostly booked. Anyone have any 1st hand experience at: <BR> Du Jeu Paume (Marais) <BR> Elysees Matignon <BR> California Saint-Germain <BR>or Claude Bernard Saint-Germain <BR> <BR>Another ? - What area is most enjoyable for a food/wine obsessed jazz lover for evening haunts? <BR> <BR>Thanks. <BR> <BR>

Jeff B. <BR> <BR>Many Fodorites rave about the Jeu de Paume, and its location is ille de Sant Louis, not Marais. The California is a nice hotel in the Quartier Latin, and the Claude Bernard is an OK hotel also in the 5th. I haven't heard of the Elysee Matignon. By doing a search, you'll get many posts detaling these hotels. Try typing their names, one at a time, in the search box, and then highlighting France. <BR> <BR>Most jazz Clubs are in the 6th, where there are also many restaurants. <BR> <BR>Surlok

If your time is the first 2 weeks you had better hop on something immediately.It is fashion weeks and you may not have too much choice.

We've stayed at the Jeu du Paume, though not recently. It was, and I assume is, great. Charming, intimate and well positioned. It is not in the Marais, but on the Ile St. Louis, as Surlock noted. The Ile, which is small, is separated by a foot bridge (Pont Louis Phillipe)or a wider bridge(Pont Marie),from the Marais. The Ile is quaint and upscale. Unbeatable 17th century architecture and design, Le Vau, Le Brun, Le Notre, some of the same folks who designed Versailles. Many, many attractions are close: Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie,Vosges, and a slew of museums, such as the Picasso and the Pompidou Center. Very good small restaurants on and near the Ile. La Tour d'Argent is across a bridge to the South, left bank.L'Orangerie, on the Ile, is highly regarded. It's walking distance to attractions, and jazz clubs, in the 5th and 6th arrondissements, too. <BR>It's four blocks, or so, to the main east-west Metro line, so all Paris is easily accessible. If the room is still available, I'd book it immediately. Many hotels in Paris are booked many, many months in advance for September.

There are several good jazz clubs in the 6th, but I think more of the good/young/cheaper ones are more on the Right Bank around Chatelet metro or 10th arr nowadays. There is one good jazz club on the Ile, though (Francpinot) . Here are some good resources, just read about them, I'm sure you'll find one that sounds good: www.jazzvalley.com and www.jazzfrance.com/fr/en, maybe jazzinparis.free.fr <BR>Sorry, I don't know much about those hotels, I thing Calif St-Germain and Claude Bernard are both ok mid-level, I've read comments from sev folks who liked them. They are relatively convenient on rue des Ecoles, although I prefer elsewhere. As far as I know jeu du paume is nice enough, some thing overrated, I might choose that for a change and visit Franc Pinot on quai Bourbon.