Paris-which hotel/which area
 

My husband and I will be visiting Paris next May. 2 hotels in our price range have been recommended, one in Le Marais ( Turenne le Marais) and the other one in 9th Arrondisement (Hotel George-Astotel). We prefer something close to cafes, metro stops, and walkable to some sights, and above all safe. We are in our early 70's and pretty fit, but will also be using the Metro system so ease of getting around is important. Any advice or suggestions would be gratefully received. Thank you all. Irene

Hello! Both hotels are pretty close to the city center, but I'd prefer Turenne le Marais: it is near the river, Pompidou center, Louvre...

I'll be honest, I don't like the Marais but a lot of tourists do. I like the other area and have stayed there several times. However, I don't care for either hotel inside, but that's really your call. I really don't like the Astotel interior. I don't like the photo wallpaper on the other one either but it's not quite as repellent. The rrooms seem about the same size, which is rather small (about 15 m2 for a double). I'm surprised how expensive some Paris hotels have gotten, I checked one of my favorites in Montparnasse on some random date in May and it was over 300 euro. Yiukes, it never used to be anywhere near that and I do see one of your picks is maybe 50 euor more than the other, but both around 200-250 euro I guess.

IN fact, the Turenne is closer to things you might wnt to walk to and more convenient metro lines, I think. The other one is near metro line 12 so you'll probably have to transfer a lot to go anywhere. The other one is near St Paul which has severral metro lines running through. it.

So for location, I think you'd prefer the Marais one, to be honest.

We've stayed in a different part of the city, the Latin Quarter, at the Hotel du Levant on Rue de la Harpe several times. The hotel is a 2 or 3 star, serves breakfast, and costs about $250 per night. It's in a great neighborhood with a lot of restaurants and close to both an underground and RER station, Saint Michel - Notre Dame. It's walking distance to the Lux Gardens, Notre Dame, and Sorbonne, more if you like to walk.

Thank you all for the thoughtful advice. I’ll check out the hotel in the Latin Quarter. Happy to get any more recommendations too. Our budget is about Euro 250.

This was pre-covid but we stayed at Hotel Excelsior Latin in Paris and would recommend it. We normally stay in budget/mid-range places and avoid the big chains. The hotel is (was?) well within your budget and is close to Le Jardin du Luxembourg, metro line and places to eat. Our room had a newish bathroom and a small kitchenette, not a lot of equipment but we bought soup and bread, easy type meals, from nearby supermarkets for dinner a few times (Marks and Spencer and Monoprix I think). After being out all day we were often glad not to have to go back out to find a meal. I would ask for a kitchenette if you would like that, I don't think all rooms have them.

Hi Irenen, I'd prefer Turenne le Marais because of location. It is near the Louvre and Center

For location, I would go with the Hôtel George which looks nice and quirky besides being in an excellent less touristy area ( = less expensive ) for cafés and restaurants. Walking from that area down to the Grands Boulevards is one of the most fascinating neighborhoods to stroll and is also near the heart of the covered passage area (very useful in case of bad weather). I have personally never understood the desire of a lot of people to be next to something like the Louvre, which they will visit just once.

Since you are considering other areas now, I will mention the hotel we used just before the covid lockdown. Hotel Atmospheres Paris in the Fifth. We chose it because they had a walk in shower rather than climbing into a tub, The location is just a block or two from the Maubert-Mutualite Metro (and a street market 3 times a week). It is also on bus lines that were very convenient. We had a modernized room, air conditioned, free wifi, and if you book direct with them, free breakfast. Although the Fifth is correctly rated as touristy, it is also a student district, so there are shops and restaurants of all types. Many restaurants nearby. There is one review on TA that suggests some rooms are not modernized, but I suspect you can choose on booking.

Just comparing the original two hotels via Google, the Marais location looks more convenient to a metro stop and Place de Vosges. Christina's point about more direct metro lines is an excellent one. Because of knees, I traveled by bus and enjoyed the scenery, but metro is convenient and avoids bad traffic.

Second Hotel Atmopheres
 

I stayed here in October this year. The location was fantastic. Behind you is the pantheon and you are just a few blocks from a metro. It’s quiet and felt very safe.

Thank you again for all new suggestions. Very helpful. I will decide after checking all suggestions. Happy New Year from Sydney, Australia. Our fireworks are all done so it’s off to bed now.