Paris hotels - two suburbs
 

We have an opportunity to stay in Holiday Inns for base rate of $29 next year. My husband would like to play golf a few times as well.
Having been to Paris 7 times thus far, I am familiar with the charms of centrally located hotels. However, we'd like to try a Paris visit and incorporate the special H.I. rate and the golf, but make it easier to reach the golf course than has been past experience (walk to M, transfer in M, change to RER, taxi to golf, then reverse, while carrying the golf bag...)
Now, I know some of you might be horrified at the idea of spending any part of a Paris vacation 'golfing', but some folks don't like to shop and other folks don't care for museums, so to each his own. We will certainly have Paris activities and pleasures, but will also play some golf.

The Holiday Inns I am considering (due to proximity to golf courses and being on RER line) are:
Fontenay-sous-Bois and Vezily-Villacoublay.
My real questions are:
1. are there any concerns about the safety of these locations, particularly if returning after a dinner in Paris (maybe 9-10:00)?
2. is the worst you can describe the hotel areas "bland, business, no charm", or is it more serious than that?

As always, thanks for any feedback.

ttt for TravelNut

Anyone who is "horrified" by what YOU do on YOUR trip you shouldn't bother listening to anyway!

Thanks, you two... just thought I'd head 'em off at the pass!..
Well, maybe someone who's seen these areas will find my post over the weekend...Have a good one...

Velizy-Villacoublay is indeed only a big bland business park, plus a big shopping mall.
As far as I remember, the nearest RER station is far away from the Holiday Inn, and the Metro even more.

Velizy is not a sensitive suburb, there is no special safety concern.

Hey, If I could go to Paris and spend just $29/night, I would do it in a heartbeat...it is the culture, not the sleeping, that I treasure!! BTW, how did you get such a low rate?

Is this the HI in Fontenay? http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/...parfo?irs=null

At least it appears to be close to the RER.

Here is the site for the office of tourism, but it's all in French. http://www.tourisme.fr/office-de-tou...-sous-bois.htm

The town was named for its fountains and because it was close to the Bois de Boulogne. There seem to be a few parks there.

Here is another site that's in French, but if you dink around with it (hit "visiter la ville" for example), you can at least see some pictures. I think it's a chamber of commerce number trying to convince people it's a great place to live.

Fontenay-sous-Bois is on RER-A, past Vincennes. The hotel claims to be 50 mtrs from the RER. Vezaley-Villacoubley is on the west side, RER-C (?) toward Versailles, and it does not look like the RER would be conveniently positioned.

Wren, my hubby did some work at a nearby H.I., and the manager claims he can provide us a reservation at 'any' HI property for $29. Of course, the validity of his claim remains to be seen :) but if he can do it, I'm all for it. Otherwise, we'll choose a more characteristic arrangement, ie. St-G-en-Laye, Fontainebleau or something...