Dear fodorites,

I have been reading and studying the helpful comments at this site and also at tripadvisor but I can´t decide for a hotel at Paris.

I am getting married on April 2007 and we already started looking for hotels to our honeymoon. We will spend 10 in Paris and then a week in Amalfi Coast.

After studying a lot the hotels in Paris on 6th and 7th arrondissement we came out with the following:

Hotel Madison - 235 euros (standard double room / breakfast included) – 252° at Tripadvisor

Hotel duc de St Simon – 255 euros (standard double room / breakfast not included) – 42° at Tripadvisor

D´aubusson – 295 euros (standard double room / breakfast not included) – 15° at Tripadvisor

Hotel Pont Royal – 315 euros (deluxe double room / breakfast included) – 109° at Tripadvisor

Special needs and preferences:

- Quiet room (no street noise!!)
- Bathroom with fixed shower
- Helpful staff
- Location near Seine river
- Budget: between 250 and 300 is perfect!

Don´t know if the Pont Royal worths 315e …

We are not concerned about room size, but I truly prefer a French decorated room, which I believe is more romantic for the occasion.

Many thanks for any insight!

Dudi

hi
try looking here to see if you can get any better deals:
http://destinia.com/hotels/hotels--i...urope/48942/en
hope its of some use to you!

Check out the Help with Paris Hotel thread down a ways.

Here's what I posted about the Madison there:

"We stayed at the Hotel Madison in St Germain, just across from the church, which our room overlooked. We had booked a twin room, which are said to be larger, and asked for a cot for our son. It was nicely sized, prettily furnished and equipped with the usual luxuries, such as a TV that was never turned on, and a mini bar which was never opened. Nice, modern, spacious bath with a functioning shower and shower curtain. Dry floors!

Breakfast was buffet. Eggs and bacon are offered along with the usual assortment of cereals, breads, cheeses and cold cuts. The clientele was European and American, perhaps with the latter predominating. The staff was friendly and accommodating, readily making dinner reservations and calling taxis, and politely permitting me to mangle their lovely language.

I think we were in Room 36. "

It was quiet, too.

Cost for that room was about $325 I think.

From your choices I believe that the Duc de St. Simon would have the least street noise. You know, it's not possible to escape street noise in a major city. The garbage trucks do their rounds quite early so that may be disturbing. You can always request a room facing the back of the hotel (aka courtyard room but most times there is no courtyard view at all).

The Madison is our long-time favorite; you can read my review of the hotel (September 2004) at tripadvisor.com. Try to get a room facing the boulevard--large and lovely.

dudi,
You have elegant choices here.

The Duc de St. Simon, as francophile3 says, would have no street noise, as the location is in a very quiet area of the 7th. You would need to specify an interior room, I think, at the d'Aubusson, as the Rue de Dauphine is quite busy/noisy. But we have stayed in a boulevard facing room at Le Madison and have experienced wonderful quiet. The hotel is not directly on the blvd, but set back behind a tiny square. There is very, very efficient double glazing on those windows! And the Madison rooms have been redecorated in the past two years or so. The Duc de St. Simon decor is more dated. We saw a film personality in the lobby there last July who probably is a regular who likes the "homey" feel. The Madison's public rooms are larger.

Although the Madison's very spacious deluxe blvd. rooms, such as 36, 22, 24 and 25 go for 320 euros, if you book far in advance and through the hotel directly, stating that this is your honeymoon and requesing a blvd. facing room, it may very well be granted, particularly for a 10 day stay! And among your choices, the Madison, I genuinely feel, is the best for value, with a truly unbeatable, convenient location.
I would'nt spend the significant extra euros for 10 nights at the Pont Royal. I would spend that money on romantic dining and sightseeing instead!

What a lovely honeymoon!

I don't understand what you are quoting from Tripadvisor, but whatever it is, I think it is irrelevant and you shouldn't pay any attention to it.

I haven't stayed at any of them, but think you have a good selection of nice hotels. I think some hotels can be quieter than others, and some is room location in any hotel, but do agree you often can't totally rule out any street noise. Often it isn't too noticeable if you can keep the windows closed, however, and are a little higher up, even on a main street.

Just warning you that I think you are comparing different things a little by comparing some standard rooms to deluxe rooms elsehwere. I thikn the std. at the Aubusson is a pretty good room from the posts I've read from folks on here who've stayed there BUT it does not have a fixed shower.

Actually, I would advise you state that term a little more clearly as to what you mean by that, because I'm not sure and I'll bet a French hotel won't be sure, either, if you inquire upon booking. If you mean a separate stand-alone shower stall, you don't get that in a std at the Aubusson, from what I've read. YOu can get that in some top hotels, of course, along with a bath separately. Or do you mean you want a stand-alone shower stall and don't even care if there is a tub. Or do you just mean if there is a shower head in the tub, you want it to be fixed, not adjustable (why one would want that, I am not sure). A lot of European hotels may have a shower wand on a flexible tube in the tub which can be used as a sprayer to rinse off, or can be set into a hook on the wall to function as a shower head on the wall. That is also sometimes adjustable in height on something that slides up and down the wall, as well as directional. Anyway, I think you need to be clearer what you want.

Dear fodorites, thanks very much for the prompt help!! You really contributed a lot for making my honeymoon more and more special! Can´t wait!!

I really appreciated the comments regarding Madison and Duc de St Simon. I am probably deciding between one of these.

The email I received from Madison states that is a room facing the boulevard, but as I read from Pausanias, underhill and Maribel I should opt for rooms 36, 22, 24 and 25!

Dear Christina, thanks for your question. When I specified fixed shower I meant that type you don´t need to hold the shower with one hand all time, which is terrible!! The shower head in the tub is welcome.

If there are more insights, please keep them coming! Thanks

I am going to add my opinion even though you seem to have made up your mind. I have stayed at the D'Aubusson and the Pont Royal twice each. They are both very lovely hotels with good service and "French" decorations. The D'Aubusson is in the best location...close to all the great cafes and restaurants in the 6th and of couse a block from the Seine. Our room was very quiet both times...I don't remember Rue Dauphine as having too much traffic. Those are my two cents!
Have a wonderful time wherever you stay!

The hand-held showers in the Madison's bathrooms connect to a above the tub for hanging your laundry.

One thing I especially like about the Madison's rooms is the amount of storage space. There's usually a bureau in addition to a double closet with shelves all down one side.

As for noise, we never heard any with the front windows on the street closed. Windows are double glazed, and the hotel actually sits back from the blvd. behind a tiny "place" with trees.

Another plus: two elevators, one for guests and one that can be used by guests with luggage.

Thanks glsebs for your comment!I am still doing more research on those hotels listed and emaling the hotels trying to get special rates for 10 days...

Dear Underhill, I was searching the web and then I found a nice photo gallery about the Madison at http://www.parisby.com/madison/pages/gallery.htm

Rooms are huge for european standards! Underhill, at Madison should I opt for the deluxe room or a standard double room with boulevard view is already great?

Thanks, Dudi

dudi..I think you are wise to plan well ahead. It will provide you with more options - especially for this important event. We have visited the Madison and stayed at the D'Aubusson. We loved the D'Aubusson with a lovely, large room and wonderful service in a 'classic' French hotel which is very well located within an easy stroll to the Seine.
Also, our room was perfectly quiet with triple, yes, triple paned windows. That said, if you elect to eat breakfast there, it will cost you an additional 50 Euros +/- for two which will bring the total cost to approx 100 Euros more than the Madison. The Madison is a very nice hotel only about three blocks away. The superior rooms there are very well reqarded.

So, sometimes it does come down to a quiestion of costs and budgets. Only you can make this judgement.

Most important....it is YOUR honeymoon and you are in PARIS. Have a wonderful time and very best wishes.

Dudi-

I suggested Duc de Saint Simon on the other thread on St. Germain hotels floating around-I think it an excellent choice, for these reasons:

-lovely, picturesque location in the heart of the Left Bank, metro: Rue de Bac. Charmingly decorated a la francaise, very sophisticated and elegant-a favorite of celebrites-and, most importantly from my perspective-there are rooms with terraces-rooms ending in the number 7 look out onto the gardens, I believe. Really lovely and romantic-I think this would be my first choice for a honeymoon hotel in Paris.

Here's the website:

www.hotelducdesaintsimon.com

I'd go for a superior twin room on the blvd., facing the church--by law, twin rooms have to be larger than doubles--which gives you two twins made up as one large bed. Ask for a corner room on the right side as you look out onto the blvd--then you get a day bed in addition to the twins, which is great for piling up your shopping.

When we stay at the D'Aubusson, we just walk out the door and there are many cafes within a block to have breakfast. Part of the fun is to sit outdoors, drinking our cafe aux lait and croissants and watching the world go by. One of our favorites is the cafe Paul where they have a continental breakfast with fresh squeezed orange juice, croissants and baguettes and coffee for around 6 euros.

The Pont Royal is a terrific choice, and not far behind is the D'Aubusson. Both superior to the others mentioned. The Pont Royal is actually less than the D'Aubusson as breakfast is included

dudi- We are also still looking for an apt. or hotel in that area for April 2007. We'll be celebrating our 30th anniversay. Best wishes, and we hope in thirty years you're as happy as we are!

You mean, Mulifat, in YOUR opinion, Pont Royal is quote, "superior to the others mentioned." It is not, in MY opinion, superior, and in fact, I think it is overrated, really nothing special at all!

Another vote for the Duc de St Simon. I adore it - and love the location.

Love to eat at the restaurant 'up the road' too.

Personally I'd choose the Duc de Saint Simon. But I noticed that you would book a standard double if you chose this hotel. Standard doubles are pretty tight something like 12 sq.m. I think. If you can afford the larger rooms it would be better for space.