Hi - we're planning on a first trip to Paris this spring. Anyone have any experience staying at SQUARE D'ANVERS or SAINT PAUL hotels? Is there an arrondisement or area to stay out of in paris as far as hotels (unsafe?) HELP! Thanks

Dear Jon:<BR>Hello. I don't know either of these hotels personally, but I do know their locations in the city. There really aren't dangerous neighborhoods in Paris, but some areas will feel more comfortable than others. The Hotel Square d'Anvers is located in the area of the 9th arrondissement of the city. This is very near to the fairly wild Boulevard de Rochechouart. The hotel is just down the hill from the church of Sacre Coeur, and you are at the "foot hill" of Montmartre. You will find that this boulevard does have a number of sex shops on it, though it does leads to the Moulin Rough a more traditional house of sex offerings. You may not find any of this distasteful, but what maybe difficult is getting around to the other sites in Paris. There is a metro stop "Anvers" near this hotel, but you might not find it the most convenient line(number 2) for getting you to the major sites and museums in Paris. This is not to say that the metro line is not safe-it's just not the most convenient. If you were thinking of only walking, this hotel is halfway up the hill.<BR>Again, I am not familiar with the Hotel Saint Paul, but if it is the one located on rue Monsieur le Prince in the 6th arrondissement, it's in a great area. You will find this a more convenient location for walking to the major sites and taking the metro. You are down the street from the Garden of Luxembourg in one direction and the Sorbonne in the other. Though every neighborhood has it's own charms, for a first time visit, I would choose Saint Paul in the 6th arrondissement. Hopefully someone will post some spacific info about the hotels.<BR>Good luck.<BR>Sincerely,<BR>Michael

Hello! We stayed at Hotel St. Paul last September. We booked it after all the positive reviews I've read on this site. It definitely has charm. Very cozy. Sweet house cat and dog. We booked a superior double, for we've been forwarned that the rooms would be small. The superior double wasn't large but spacious enough. Location was wonderful! Many attractions within walking distance. The street alone, Monsieur de la Prince has several popular Japanese restuarants. (By the time of our stay we grew tired of French food.) The area is filled with university students and theater goers. Busy but not at all roudy.<BR><BR>The ONLY thing we were not happy with is leaving our key with the front desk everytime we left the hotel. It's a large key so I cannot imagine carrying it around. However, I hated leaving it at the front desk. The hotel is so quaint, small, and personal that they were a little short on staff. But overall - happy with the hotel!

They're different class hotels with the St Paul rated higher. There are other St Paul___ hotels - I assume you mean just the St Paul on rue Monsieur le Prince. Here are comments made by people who have stayed there. Location-wise, I would definitely choose the St Paul - far better the other.<BR><BR>Square D'Anvers (2 star right bank)-<BR>own bath<BR>very friendly and very helpful staff.<BR> a no frills kind of place<BR><BR>Hotel St.Paul <BR>room was small<BR>front desk was great<BR>dark room<BR>we were quite pleased<BR>rooms are nicely furnished<BR>small, quait<BR>Very cozy place<BR>front desk was very friendly and helpful. <BR>For more Paris information e-mail me: [email protected]

As previous posters have noted, there are at least two hotels named the "St. Paul" in Paris. I don't have any experience with the one in the Marais, but I did stay at the St. Paul on Rue Monsieur le Prince in spring of 2001. The location is wonderful - it's in the sixth arrondissement, but right on the border of the fifth, so the Latin Quarter is just a couple of blocks away. The Luxembourg gardens and the hill of the Pantheon are also just a couple of streets over. Easy access to both the Blvds. St-Germain and St.-Michel, but on a much quieter side street. At night, there are plenty of cafes and restaurants staying open late, so in my opinion, it was a safe neighborhood. The hotel itself has all the quirks of an old house - creaky stairs, some rooms can be dark, etc., but I loved it. The golden retriever and the black-and-white cat were cheerful sights in the lobby. Kitty likes to visit those he intuits to be cat-lovers - he jumped into my suitcase for a nap on my last night and gave me an excuse not to pack for several hours. My own cats sniffed the suitcase with suspicion and accused me of having had an affair in Paris.....<BR><BR><BR>

Jon,<BR><BR>If you are talking about Hotel St. Paul on rue Monsieur le Prince, then I wholeheartedly agree with all the the previous posts about it. We stayed there in Nov. 2000 and thought that it was charming. The location was perfect; easy walking to most major sites. We did not have breakfast in the hotel since it was an extra 9 francs, but there are plenty of great cafes and patisseries around. And in case you do choose this hotel, there are also two very good restaurants near by: Chez Maitre Paul and Bouillion Racine. Just ask at the front desk and they'll point them out to you.<BR> <BR><BR>

We stayed at the Hotel St. Paul last January. Great location. Good neighborhood. Convenient to transportation, restaurants, etc. Easy walk to Notre Dame. A little longer to the Lourve. <BR>When booking a room, make sure you ask about room size. The first night our room was uncomfortably small. No problem changing rooms (in January). My wife & I aren't cat people but the cat adopted us; and, spent one night quietly sleeping in the middle of our bed. A good, trouble free roommate.

Steve-you remind me ofthe post that wants to know about 3 taking a trip- if the 3rd is a cat it would be fine