I have Starwood points that allow me to stay for free for 3 nights at either the Le Meridien Etoile or the Le Meridien Montparnasse. It is my first time in Paris; I am a young woman traveling alone. Any suggestions as to which hotel would be better?

Both hotels have generally good but mixed reviews on Trip Advisor, so it will probably come down to which one is better located according to what you want to do.

I'll venture a guess and say that Montparnasse is probably better located for you, but that is the one I would choose, but my interests might be different from yours.

Do a google search on both, then click on the TripAdvisor links that come up, and read the reviews, and take a look at the mapping.

I'd much prefer the Meridien Montparnasse for the location. I stay in Montparnasse a lot and like the area, but even if I didn't, I think most folks would find that a superior location to the Etoile. I can't think of any reason you'd want to stay there which is a humongous traffic circle with business hotels and not like any regular neighborhood at all, and it's on the edge of Paris, to boot.

I don't think either hotel is in an ideal location for convenience to the major sites of Paris for a first-time vistor. If I had to pick one of the two, it would be the hotel in Montparnnasse because it is closer to the Luxembourg Gardens.

Neither hotel is in what I would call a "hip" neighbourhood for a young person.

If I were you, I would pick something in the 5th, 6th, or Marais.

Thin

oh, BTW, the Meridien Etoile is not at the Etoile, actually.

Actually, the Montparnasse location is a fairly hip area for a young person, lots of them go out there at night, there are clubs and cafes with young people as the clientele. I don't go to them as I'm not that young.

Even before I read the responses I thought "Montparnasse."

Another vote for Montparnasse if you are sticking with either of those two hotels. I stayed in the Montparnasse area my last trip to Paris, and really like the area a lot. I didn't have any problem getting around the city either by metro or on foot.