Paris hotel location!
 

Ok we are still trying to narrow down a hotel in Paris for 4-5 nights in early to mid-October.
We would like to stay somewhere in the 5th-7th.
I asked awhile back about:
Delavigne
K&K
Hotel Muguet

We are still considering those.
Our price range is $200-300 a night.
Location, location, location is key for us! My Mother has had foot surgeries & knee issues, so I want to minimize the amount of walking to get to places as much as possible. We know we will be doing a lot!
So being close to bus stops & metro stops that have escalators would really help!!
We would also like for shops & cafes to be very close walking distance!
The hotel needs to have a lift. I'm assuming air is not necessary that time of year.
Thanks!

Of the 3 the K&K probably has the best location being near Blvd St Germain with multipe bus routes. You could take a bus to a metro station. The Delavigne is also near a metro and fairly close to bus lines.
I find the Muguet location a bit far from metros and I don't think the bus transport is a good there. Even after 30 or so trips to Paris I find transport in the 7th to be less good than other areas

Have to disagree about the Muguet location, and was going to say it is near 4 bus routes and midway between 2 metro stops. It is also SO near SO many good restaurants you could walk to a restaurant with less walking than the total amount you would walk to metros and buses elsewhere. Just a thought.
Our favorite restaurant in Paris, La Florimond, is a block away. There is another restaurant on a corner even nearer. There are two brasseries 2 blocks away. Rue Cler is a block and a half with a good cafe for breakfaset if you like--not for dinner!! and then just a little further are at least 4 good restaurants.

With your budget, you might want to check out The Madison. It's right across from St Germain metro, numerous bus lines and loads of cafes and restaurants. It has a lovely courtyard and serves a good breakfast.

I think it really depends on how near is near. The Muguet isn't terribly far from a metro, but it isn't as close as you could be, obviously. You can look at a map and see where any of these are. Since this is so important, I really think you should invest in a map to see what you are getting into. You should be able to buy a Streetwise Paris map for about $5 in Borders or Barnes & Noble, or get it online, at the minimum.

I'm spoiled because I often stay in a hotel right across from a metro or often stay at ones within a block. It is convenient. I stayed at the Muguet once and it isn't that far at all, but I did notice the difference just in time and everything I spent. I think it's about 3 blocks from either one of the two stops it is near. They aren't terribly long blocks, but that's the deal.

I think if one is even considering a vacation with no special accommodations (ie, no wheelchair) and is going to be traveling around Paris on public transporation of any kind, etc., this should be acceptable, most likely. But you could get closer. Just know what you are getting into, get a map.

If being as close as possible to transportation is important to you, you may want to consider Hotel de l'Empereur, now owned by the same owners as Hotel Muguet and undergoing improvements. It's right across from LaTour-Maubourg metro station, which does have an escalator out. Agree that a few extra blocks can be much more burdensome.

However, my recommendation would be to avoid the metro in its entirety. An escalator out at the nearest stop is fine, but you never know what hallways, stairways, will be involved where you're going to exit, or stations where you need to transfer. And, escalators are often out of order.

So, it would be much better to select a hotel with bus stops close by.

K&K has bus stops very close by for half a dozen or more bus routes. And, there are cafes and restaurants all about in a beautiful neighborhood.

There are many bus routes near Delavigne, but the stops are not as close, due to the one way streets.

Of the three, K&K is your very best bet for minimal walking.

Possibly Hotel Notre Dame? I took my older parents there few years back. It is directly across street from RER to airport, and a Metro station. Left Bank, across from Notre Dame. We wastched a few sunrises over the towers of ND. We had a loft, noise was not an issue.

www.hotelnotredameparis.com

Forget escalators; at the major metro stations, which connect several lines, you will have to walk long, circuitous routes and go up and down many stairs just to get to an escalator, if one is in operation. The bus lines work quite well, and given fine views. Don't forget about the taxis; make sure there is a taxi stand near your hotel. In the central core, taxis are not permitted to pick up fares if there is a taxi stand in the vicinity. Taxis are always parked near the luxe hotels (eg rue Castiglione).

Reese-here is a link to the Metro stations with elevators:

http://www.infomobi.com/page5.php

It is in French but if you pull down to the table on the metro section, look for the column that says, Ascenseurs en libre service (elevators you can use without an agent key essentially). Be aware that my experience has been that many times the elevators can be under repair however. Buses are much easier overall to manage. We took our uncle who was in a wheelchair back to France a few years back to visit his family and it is tough-luckily we know Paris well so we could rent a car and drive him. But since your mother isn't in a wheelchair it will should be much easier. And hopefully you will find buses a breeze-they are great in Paris-my favorite if you don't need the speed of the metro to whisk you to work. Perfect for tourists, you get a much better sense of the city and how it is connected and you get to spy all sorts of shops, markets and restaurants and can just hop off and take a look-it is a wonderful way to "get lost" in Paris at a nice pace.

Look into Hotel Millesime, very centrally located in the heart of the 6th. The metro is only a five minute walk.

Five minutes!!
I suggest taxis is she has this much disability. I totally agree about the metro--on any given route you may have a long corresponcance and stairs. Buses are just very very cool for those of who don't walk well.

I have a Paris hotel thread. Type in the Search Box, "Paris Hotels Left Bank Thread" and it will pop up. The Right Bank thread is linked to it. A lot of posters have commented about different hotels there. Happy Travels!

Thank you for all the replies!
Thanks for the metro link!

I do have a pop up map of Paris, but since I haven't been, it's a little confusing!

So it sounds like being close to bus stops would be best & that's fine! We can see more while getting to places!
Ideally to be within 1-2 blocks of places to eat & shop would be best & having the bus stops that close as well.
I will check into the hotels above, I haven't looked at those. (The Madison, Hotel de l'empereur, Notre Dame & Hotel Millesime.)
It seems mixed on Muguet based on the responses, but K&K & Delavigne still seem like they might work.
I just don't want to wear my Mom out just trying to catch a bus before we even get to places to explore!
We are both so excited about this trip & want to make the most of it!

tagada,

Thanks for the hotel suggestions! I think the Notre Dame sounds nice except for the steps!

I think the other one might be too much. I'm not sure the decor would be what my Mom would like!

Also, don't forget that Paris is not really very big and taxis are really pretty much of a bargain. So I wouldn't hesitate to take a cab to and from dinner or from shopping for example.

Guenmai,
Thanks for the bump on the left thread!

Would Hotel Clement or de l'abbaye be good locations for us to consider?

Hotel Clement is in a great location. It's right in the heart of things and a few minute's walk to metro Line 10 and a few more to Metro Line 4. Plus, it's only one block south of Blvd.St.Germain and there are lots of buses on Blvd. St.Germain.

The hotel is also only a few blocks north of rue St. Suplice where there are even more buses and bus 63 that goes straight to Trocadero where there's the great view of the Eiffel Tower from the Palais Chaillot area. And then there's the Trocadero metro right there at the Palais Chaillot area and it's an easy and quick metro trip from there directly to the Arc de Triomphe/Champs Elysees and that area. I take the bus far more than the metro as then I can see things along the way. That's how I really learned Paris decades ago. So, the hotel area is a very easy area to map out bus routes on.

Also on Blvd. St.Germain, you can take the #86 straight to the Bastille area and take a short walk and be in the Marais (Place Vosges), and then when you're ready to leave, you can just get on the #96 bus, in the Marais, at the Place Vosges stop and go straight to the Eglise St.Germain stop and you'll be right in the area of the Church of St.Suplice which is less than a 5-minute walk back to Hotel Clement. That's the same area of Bus #63.

So, there are lots of possibilities from the hotel area. If you end up, in that neighborhood, and need bus help, just ask and I'll try helping you out as much as possible. Happy Travels!

I just had to go back to my hotel thread and look up the Hotel de l'Abbaye. OK, the street that it's on is near the rue de Rennes which is a main boulevard that goes north and south and has lots of interesting shops on it. The rue de Rennes ends at the Blvd. St.Germain and then the name of the street changes to rue Bonaparte. The area of the Hotel de l'Abbaye is about a 15 minute walk, southwest of the Hotel Clement. Remember the Clement is only one block south of Blvd.St.Germain.

On rue de Rennes, bus #95 goes straight out it. Of course there are other buses,too, but the #95 is a very useful one. You'd can get on the #95, on rue de Rennes at the part near the Hotel de l'Abbaye and go north. I always get on the #95 at the stop in front of the Church of St.Germain and across from both the Vuitton boutique and Cafe Deux Magots. That would be just a few steps north of Blvd. St. Germain. After you have gotten on in your area, south of Blvd. St. Germain, about 3 minutes later it will stop at my get-on stop.

Bus#95 will then stop directly in front of the Louvre Museum and that will also put you right at the start/end of the Tuilleries Gardens, across the street from the Louvre. If you don't get off at the Louvre and decide to keep going, a little more, on the #95, then you can go straight to the Garnier Opera house (Opera stop) and behind it are Printemps department store and Galeries Lafayette department store. This gives you another area to explore. So, there are many easy and great possibilities to explore from your area of consideration and by bus instead of spending a lot of time underground on the metro. Happy Travels!

Oh, and if I were you, I'd also consider the Hotel Madison, right on Blvd. St. Germain where the buses are.

I took my mom to Paris three times, over a 3 decade period, and the last time was a few years ago when she was late 70s. We stayed at the Clement and she was fine there and in that area.

The metro became too much for her, after a day or two, although there were some with escalators, but one can't depend on that. So, I shifted everything over to the bus and she was fine and every time she got on someone gave up his/her seat to her if it was crowded. She said that she was glad that she had stopped coloring her hair more than a decade ago and let it go to gray, as then as soon as people saw the gray hair, they would give her a seat. LOL! She looks a lot younger than her age.

It wasn't until I just reread your opening statement in your thread that I remembered that your mom has some mobility problems. Happy Travels!

Guenmai,

Thanks for all the info, I will keep this. It will come in handy!

The Clement sounds like a really good option! I'm curious because it shows I can get a junior suite for almost a 100 less Euros a night then the other hotels I've been considering. Why is it so inexpensive?

My brother stayed at Hotel Delavigne and loved it. Do you know where the The Clement is in relation to Delavigne?

I've been looking at Hotel Madison, I think it might be a little over the budget, but it looks really nice!

I really do want to book where it's easiest to pick up bus stops vs Metro. I think this will be so much easier for my Mom & the bonus will be seeing more of Paris!
Thanks again!