Paris hotel: Hotel Balzac or Sofitel Le Faubourg
 

Has anyone stayed at either of these hotels? For reasons I won't bore anyone with, for a portion of our stay we will be in St. Germain. For another portion, one of these 2 hotels. I like the location of the Sofitel a bit better, just because it's more central. The hotel is also just newly redone, always a plus. Hotel Balzac seems to have a better deal, bigger room. Does it seem at all possible to find smaller less touristy restaurants anywhere remotely near these 2 hotels?

Links please.

http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-1295...rg/index.shtml
http://www.hotelbalzac.com/

Thanks! Those hotels are certainly beautiful. I was hoping that the links and maps would bring a restaurant such as you asked for to mind, but alas, I can't help. I hope someone can.

For me, Arc de Triomphe is a place I like to sleep at (usually i sleep on Mc Mahon) but the place is kind of deserted at night - and I don't like much the Champs in the evenings, certainly not the restaurants there. So it means going to place de Ternes or ...
Sofitel on rue du Faubourg is better located to access some nicer places in the evening imho.

It's kind of a regular neighborhood (upscale, of course) in the area just to the NW of the Arc, not very far away, in the 17th.. I stayed in a hotel on ave Carnot and there were restaurants right near it that were not touristy at all.

I'm sure you can find nontouristy restaurants if you get off the Champs-Elysees and/or if you are willing to pay a lot. Even there, some upscale, expensive restaurants are more for business clients, you won't find a lot of tourists in them, in that area.

Lots of restaurants in Paris are small everywhere, I'm not sure why that would be a problem no matter where you are. IN fact, most of them are small, it seems to me.

FOr example, Tante Louise might be good, it's not that far from the Sofitel http://scope.lefigaro.fr/restaurants...louise/static/
http://www.bernard-loiseau.com/uk/ta...nte-louise.php

Lots of good restaurants are around there that are wellknown and fine dining; generally, expensive restaurants aren't really touristy IMO. If you really want cheap restaurants, that may be difficult around there.

I like the location of the Sofitel better, also. It's near the Madeleine and there are lots of good food shops there.

We stay at Sofitels often, always superb serive, but never have in Paris. I would think their Paris hotel experience would be wonderful and hope to stay there in the future.

DSK likes SOFITEL

well, there you go, what better recommendation than that! Is he still allowed out?

I've stayed at a couple of them in various places and have always liked them, also. But I also like Accor hotels.

DSK is according to polls the second preffered candidate for left party in case of elections...
Go figure.
I've slept in a few Sofitel, never had any problem.
once I was upgraded in a suite... that was gorgeous.

Thanks all. I have decided on the Sofitel. Appreciate everyone's input.