Paris - Madison or St. Sulpice?
 

I am down to these two choices for next summer. St. Sulpice will be about $20E less than Madison. St. Sulpice however, offers breakfast separately at $10E each. If we don't take their breakfast and just pop out for a coffee and croissant, (we're not big breakfast eaters), St. Sulpice would be about $30E less. Any reason to choose Madison over St. Sulpice?

topping for jm

I haven't stayed in either so can't compare directly, but just wanted to say that I've seen St-Sulpice's rates sheet in several places, and on the ones I've seen, the 10 euro for breakfast was in addition to the room rate, so you couldn't lower the room rate by not eating there(ie, your difference would only be 20 euro). Maybe you saw a different pricing structure, but just thought I'd mention that. I believe the Madison does have an included buffet breakfast which is supposed to be really good. However, 30 euro seems to be about the rate difference in these places for comparable rooms, I'll agree.

I do know they are both in excellent locations. Cafe de la Mairie is right near Relais St-Sulpice on place St-Sulpice, so you'll have no trouble having breakfast.

Christina - thanks for your reply. I did take into account that one includes breakfast and the other does not. I figured that we could do a quick continental breakfast at a cafe for less than $20E. Am I wrong about that?

You can do a breakfast (typically juice, coffee, a pastry, and a baguette) for about 7 or 8 euros at most cafes. You can do a good pastry,coffee, and juice at one of the fast croissant places for half of that or less. And frankly I don't enjoy sitting inside a stuffy hotel breakfast room for breakfast. So I wouldn't let the breakfast being included influence you.

Breakfast aside, which of these hotels? Are they both fairly equal in location, amenities, decor, etc.? Should I just go with the less expensive option?

Not having stayed at any of them, and based solely on location, I prefer the Relais St Sulpice. It's a quieter location than the very busy Bv. Saint Germain.

Hello

I've stayed at the Madison and it's great - I would definitely stay there again. The room was comfortable and big - great bathroom, service excellent. They made all of our reservations - even got my mom and I into a restaurant that was overbooked! Too bad about not being a breakfast person, because the Madison breakfast is free and lots and lots to chose from.

Although I have never stayed at St. Sulpice, my girlfriend did. I told her that I had always wanted to stay there (the photos on the internet looked so appealing) but she wasn't that crazy about it. The room was arranged in a strange way... bathroom down two steps and wc somewhere else. I don't remember exactly but she didn't care for it. We're still friends though!!

Yep, I'd like my WC to be in the same room myself.

Not long ago, my wife and I stayed in a small flat on the Left Bank. The toilet was upstairs from the bedroom. Quite annoying in the middle of the night after a bottle of wine.
Although we have not stayed in either of these hotels, I do know the locations and the St Sulpice is, in my view, the better location.

Thanks to all. I'll go with the Madison. It's not that I'm not a breakfast person, but I have watch my sugar and my breakfasts in particular have to be low carb - so temptation at breakfast buffets is sooooohard.

Good choice!!!

Love the Madison.

JM- I've stayed at le Madison on several of my visits tp Paris, the buffest beakfast at le Madison , is super deluxe the best I've had in Eurpoe, but if b-fast is not your thing, you still might want to consider it.Even the standard rooms at le Madison are very nice, and the location (Blvd.Saint Germain), is great.
I am certain the sound proofing will ensure you a good nights sleep.
I find the standards at theis hotel to be excellent, the deluxe rooms are four star in my IMO.
If however the 20-30 euros would allow you to splurge on a nice dinner, and you're not super picky( I am) I think the St. Supice is also a very nice proerty in a good location.
Viva la France
Fluffy

JM,
I agree completely with Fluffy. The breakfast at the Madison is not just continental; it's a full American style buffet served elegantly in a very pretty, mural decorated breakfast room off the bar-not in the least bit stuffy, just very relaxing and pretty posh. And I don't find the Madison to be a noisy location at all because it's set back from the boulevard on a side street. We occupied a deluxe double facing the Place St. Germain and weren't bothered by street noise in the least. Windows were double glazed. We also found the staff, particularly Alain and Christian to be very warm and helpful.

I've seen the rooms at the Relais St. Sulpice. We went there to investigate it as a less expensive option to the Madison (we've spent lots of time in the 6th checking out hotels). I really liked the location. It's on a side street right off the square, and a stone's throw from the Cafe de la Mairie, as Christina says, for great people watching and easy breakfast, also a quick walk to Pierre Herme for divine chocolates.
But the Madison's rooms (at least ours) seemed a bit more plush and also larger, particularly the baths. As Sasha says, these Italian marble baths with oodles of goodies are really terrific. My first choice in this slice of heaven would be the Madison (the Relais St. Germain, at 275, being far beyond our price range, as are the deluxe, larger rooms at the d'Abbaye at 280), then the Millesime on the rue Jacob, then the Relais St. Sulpice. But they are all very nice lodgings.

Thanks to you all for being so helpful. Hope to return the favour should you need info on Toronto.

I guess you've made up your mind, and I probably would go with the Madison, also. There are comments on both on digital.france.com/hotels and St-Sulpice seems about average (some good, some bad, not very many, generally) and Madison more favorable. I wouldn't shoose on the basis of one room's WC, though, as those are the kind of things that vary from room to room in all but very new French hotels. If that person had a single, that's the kind of thing you get with singles -- I've had single rooms in hotels I'm sure had much better doubles that were really not nice for layout and location. I try to be aware of this issue when I comment on hotels for others as I know smaller and/or single rooms in hotels can be very different than others.

Anyway, if you can't get Madison, I would book one of the deluxe rooms at St-Sulpice and I doubt if you have a major WC problem or that all rooms were designed that way.