I know, it's not the best time to visit, but we have the chance to escape for my husband's birthday and grandparents have offered to keep the children - we can't pass it up!!

I've been to Paris several times (although not in the last 7 years), but it will be my husband's first trip. Here's our wish list:

1) A well-located hotel, although we're very comfortable with public transportation so someplace with good access to metro/bus would be fine. We'll be hitting the big sites and museums for his first visit.

2) My husband's tastes run more towards modern than Baroque/Louis XIV

3) Sounds silly, but someplace with a American-sized king bed. My husband is 6 ft. 6 so it's really nice to have a big bed!

4) Ditto on a separate shower stall if at all possible. My tall husband + handheld shower + no shower door = big mess!

5) Would like to keep the price to no more than $500 per night if possible.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

We just got back from a 3-night stay at the Hilton Arc de Triomphe. We used Hilton points; a room in February might be in the range of 250-300 euros per night. You have the time to build up some Hilton points if you apply for a Hilton Amex and use it a lot in the next few months. It would be worth paying the annual fee for the Hilton Amex Surpass, because you would get Gold status for the first year (check to make sure that status would be good through February 2011, so you could take advantage of it for your trip). I have Gold status with the card, and that resulted in us getting an upgrade and free breakfast every day during our stay. There is a no-fee Hilton Amex as well, with fewer perks.

I loved the hotel's decor; there is an Art Deco (1920s-1930s) throughout, so it is sleek but also a bit voluptuous. The bed was a large king, and the bathroom in our King Deluxe Plus had a separate shower and bathtub. The room wasn't huge, but it was very spacious by Paris standards.

The hotel is centrally located in the 8th arrondissement. It's about an 8 minute walk to the Metro line 9 stop and a few minutes more to the Champs-Elysees FDR stop, and about a 15 minute walk to the Grands Magasins (Printemps and Galeries Lafayette).

A less expensive, but American-style hotel with a large bed would be the Meridien Etoile beside the Palais du Congres. It's not in the center of things, but just a few minutes walk to the Metro Line 1. It has a jazz theme in its decor.

My favorite hotel in Paris is Le Meurice - the PERFECT location right on the Jardin des Tuileries and beautiful rooms. It's the smallest of the palace hotels of Paris - and perhaps the one that feels the most Parisian.

The best deals are honestly through a Virtuoso travel consultant - 10% off the Best Available Rate - and you get some great extra amenities completely free:

Upgrade if available at check-in
Daily American breakfast for two in restaurant or via room service
a bottle of French wine and home-made petit fours as a welcome amenity
early check-in and late check-out, if available

Don't know your exact dates, but Feb. 1-4 brings up these rates:
Classic Queen - 440 EUR
Classic King - 500 EUR

I think you'd be thrilled with the accommodations! Google "Virtuoso travel consultant" and make sure you find an agent who will reserve for you without booking fees.

If you want modern, great location, ambiance, friendly hands on mgt (ie..we waited a half block away for a taxi to CDG and the mgr walked down to tell us it would be l0 min late)
- try a newly renovated hotel that my dh and I stayed in in May...Fontaines du Luxembourg. Right around the corner from the gardens, plenty of restaurants,shops,markets, but on a great quiet street.

We had rented an apt. for a week, then travelled to another area of France for a week, and returned to Fontaines for a night. When my DH walked in, he said "why didn't we stay here the entire week?" Not only are the (delux is all I saw)rooms beautfiul, the bed is huge, the bathroom is enormous - a tub and a walk in shower (bigger than our apt) - quiet...we just loved it...good internet rates, but the mgr suggested emailing instead and he'd give a better deal than online..
Check out their website; the rooms are awesome. (We paid 200E) They also have Facebook deals..
I am picky - this place was wonderful! My DH is a shower person...he could have stayed here forever.

MoneyB

For that price you can stay anywhere you want.

"For that price you can stay anywhere you want."

Actually, you can't! This is a great price for a 5* ... compare Le Meurice to places like the George V and Le Bristol where you'll find prices in the 800€ + range.

Agreed! I was fortunate enough to stay at the George V many years ago and it was truly amazing. But at $900+ a night, it's more than we can swing this trip.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful suggestions - keep them coming!

frogoutofwater - thank you so much for the Hilton information! My husband is a Diamond Hilton member so I'd looked at that hotel, but I wasn't sure if the hotel location and style would be right. It sounds like a real possibility though - thank you!

AGF324: If you're Diamond, then I think you'll have guaranteed access to the Executive Lounge and probably will be upgraded to the Executive Floors.

From a style/decor/ambience perspective, the Hilton Arc de Triomphe is my 2nd favourite Hilton (#1 was the Conrad Bangkok). In terms of overall experience, I think it ranks in the top 4. (I'd rank the Hilton in Venice, where we got upgraded to a suite and got exec club access, the Hilton in Luxor, where the service was over-the-top friendly and where we practically had the hotel and its fabulous pool area to ourselves, and the Conrad Bangkok, ahead of the Paris Arc de Triomphe - but #4 is still a very high ranking from someone who has stayed in a lot of Hilton family hotels.)

I booked the hotel quite far in advance (in January for early July). You'll probably have less trouble with a booking in February, but it's still worth making an early booking.

Another thought, then, would be the InterContinental Paris Le Grand (located right next to the Paris Opera). Again, if you can find a Virtuoso travel consultant, you get a 10% discount off the Best Available Rate plus free Lounge access (complimentary breakfast, snacks, and drinks throughout the day). It's a nice 4* hotel in a good location.

For 315 EUR, you can book a Classic room with an upgrade-at-booking to a Superior Room (pretty small, though, at 290 square feet).

366 EUR gives you an Executive Room (376 square feet)

391 EUR gives you an Opera House View Deluxe Room, same size but with a great view.


All of this gets you into Paris at your price point. (These rates are for Feb 2-3NT - and they will go up as occupancy rises).

Thank you for all the continued advice!

I stayed once in Hotel Claridge Paris and I remember there was a King size bed. It is near Champs Elysees and the metro line 1 so you can access easily every area you want to.

http://www.h-claridge-bellman.com

Enjoy!