Help! Mom,Pop, and daughter to Paris in May. Have been searching for Hotels and my eyes are bugging out!! Can someone explain the areas of Paris and which they think are best and those to avoid? Is it going to be possible to get one room for 3 people? Is it possible to get a No Smoking accomodation? We don't want a Hostel, but neither do we want a 5 Star uppity Hotel. Have been checking various web sites but am confused. Any help from fodorites will be greatly appreciated. Merci!

We've been in Paris a few times, last time with our 5 years old. <BR>I would highly recommend the area between the Eiffel Tower and Invalides. <BR>It's less bustling then Quartier Latin, very safe and good hotels. Try the ones arround Rue Cler, Fodor has a few that recommends. Remember, its Paris and the rooms are small, but you'll only use them to sleep, hopefully .... they do add extra beds BUT then it gets extremely cozy. Also try the french travel sites for better prices, they do have english versions.

Take a look at www.france.com. Their Paris hotel guide divides the city into groupings of arrondissments and describes which areas are best for shopping, museums, Parisian life, etc. You can then look at hotel descriptions in each area by star ratings, and book online if you want to.

Hi Barb, what kind of things are you looking for, and looking to avoid, in an area you wish to stay in?

I just returned from 10 days in Paris and I stayed at a modest hotel in the 6th arrondisment for less then $100/night. There are many of them in Paris. The rating system in Paris is very simple, stars are awarded for amenities -- a room with a toilet and shower is basically a two-star. If the hotel has an elevator it's a three-star. I wouldn't recommend anything less than two-star, or more than three-star. <BR> <BR>I stayed at the Hotel Acacais St. Germain at 151 bis Rue de Rennes. Sorry, I don't have the phone number with me. The latest issue of National Geographic Traveler has an article about Paris hotels under $100/night. There are also many websites that feature searches of such hotels. READ THE REVIEWS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE STAYED THERE!!! Paris has mangificent hotels for $60/night and dumps for $150/night... <BR> <BR>I doubt if you will find a hotel that is truly non-smoking. I also doubt if you will notice after the first night as you will be consumed by smoke in every resturant and cafe you visit. I hate smoke and I'm allegic to it, but for some reason when it's everywhere it's not so bothersome. Resturants don't really have non-smoking like we're used to in the states. As a result, I take at least some of my meals outdoors at cafes to give my lungs a break. <BR> <BR>The districts I would recommend are the 4th (Marais), the 6th (Luxemborg/St Germain), and the 7th (Eiffel Tower/Invalides). I would avoid staying in the 5th (Latin Quarter) with a child as it can be quite noisy and full of drunk students. <BR> <BR>There are some real gems in Paris for less than $100/night. Best of luck finding one for your trip. <BR> <BR>One last thought -- after all my research, my travel agent found the place at which I stayed, and was able to get a better price than I. If you don't have an agent, I'll pass along her contact info... <BR>

I gather you have never been to Paris before. Well, IMO you are not going to have a good sense of geography or the differences in the city without buying a guidebook and reading about the areas (although there is some of this online, but may be harder to put together--all basic guidebooks will describe the areas) AND looking at a good map with the areas marked. Until you do that, it will be abstract and I'll bet that's why you are not getting anywhere. You will have to buy a guidebook anyway, so you might as well do it and read it before you choose hotels, rather than after. I always buy a guidebook for an area when I am first deciding to visit the city, often two if it's a place I'm particularly interested in and plan to be there at least a week. The descriptions of the areas combined with the things you want to see and your personal taste will help you decide where to stay. Also, if you read about restaurants, etc, it will make a difference in ambience and price, you can tell right away that you may think the restaurants in the 8th arr in Paris sound wonderful but they are too expensive for what you want and you should not stay in that area, probably. I really think starting with web site searches of hotels without any sense of the city and its geography is not the best approach. As to your questions, of course you can get a hotel room for 3 people at less than 5 star status (which does not exist in Paris BTW), sounds like you want 3-star midlevel. I guess there are no smoking rms, not as commonly as in US; I do not care about that so have not searched as Parisian hotel rooms that I stay in are well-ventilated and never smell much anyway (I don't stay in hermetically sealed rooms). If that's very important to you, try some hotels that cater to American tourists a lot, the larger chain/franchise names like Best-Western, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Quality, etc. Until you learn the areas, you may be wasting time if you don't know how to dismiss areas as cheap hotels will no doubt show up there. As a first-time visitor, I would avoid arrondisements 9+ if I were you, probably 2-3 also, not because they are necessarily bad but farther out or uninteresting and there are plenty of other choices.

I've only been once. Stayed in the 7th (Eiffel Tower/Invalides) at a WONDERFUL hotel called Le Tourville. I loved the area. There is a metro station very near by. I highly recommend it. The people were wonderful!!!

Barb, try Hotel des Grandes Ecoles in the Latin Quarter/5th arrondissement <BR>It is highly reccommended on this site. <BR>We managed to book a room with 3 single beds and ensuite for July. <BR>www.france-hotel-guide.com <BR>It is within walking distance to Notre Dame, Ile St-Louis, Pantheon. <BR>It is confusing choosing the "best" place. Nearly all my accommodation I found from suggestions on this site. <BR>good luck <BR>