Iregeo

The hotels I'm considering are:

1. Hotel Champ de Mars (78 E/single);
2. Hotel de France (78E/single); and
3. Hotel Jeanne d'Arc (82E/double, unless a single becomes available, then somewhere between 58E and 70E).

Any recent eperience with these? What do you recommend for comfort, view (if I get the cheapest room at either of the 2 in the 7th, can I reall expect an Eiffel Tower view?), safety, availability of inexpensive food nearby -- I will travel if need be for my nice evening meals.

A little about me:

This will be my 5th trip to Paris. I'm travelling solo again; am familiar with the city and have previously stayed mainly in the 6th (last 2 times at the Bonaparte and Le Regent.) but I need to feel safe at night. I love to walk during the day, enjoy parks and museums and good food and wine at night! I want to keep this trip cheap . It's pretty much a treat to myself after I'll be caring for convalescing parents.

As always, thanks for your inavaluable input.

Iregeo

And...please forgive my failure to proof the above for typos! How embarrassing.

Iregeo

Anyone?

miel2384

I feel bad for you that nobody in the know responded. Can you tripadvisor them?

Barbara_in_CT

Stayed at Jeanne d'Arc in 1997 so not exactly recent. No views but decent and safe. Located near a very nice square.

Tried for a reservation at Champ de Mars for March, in January and they had no availability. Rue Cler is a safe area with nice restaurants in the lower price range and a market for picnics.

No experience with Hotel de France.

ira

Hi I,

I thing that if you look up the Jeanne d'Arc under "search this forum" you will find some posts.

It might work for the others as well.

Iregeo

Thanks to all who responded.

scatcat

I have stayed at the Hotel de France Invalides.(Sept.2004) I don't know if this is the same one that you are considering, but if it is, it was a very nice, clean, hotel. The rooms were small but that's to be expected. No air conditioning, but there is an elevator. Friendly and helpful staff. The Eiffel Tour is pretty close by...we walked there. I would definitely stay there again.

TucsonTravel

Stayed at Champ du Mars in 03. Clean, nice view of the Tour Eiffel. A good value. Go for it.

travginny

Hi Iregeo,

I stayed at the Jeanne d'Arc in the Marais in Sept. '04 and again last Sept. Both times, I had a double room on the 6th floor with a view over the rooftops. The room was small but very clean. The location is great: near Place Ste-Catherine, a lovely small square with restaurants, and a short walk to rue de Rivoli. Regarding safety, getting back to the hotel at night might not be as safe as if it were located on a main street.

Hope this helps.

Ginny

Suzanne2

I agree with the Champ de Mars recommendation. I have found getting a reservation there to be nearly impossible though.

francophile03

Yes, they do play reservation games (the Champ du Mars) or seems like it. It looks like a basic hotel.

Iregeo

Thanks for your replies.

francofile, what do you mean by reservation games at the Champ de Mars?

Ginny, is lighting an issue at night on the street?

Keren

Locationwise, to me, the France Invalides is the best. I enjoyed my stay of 5 days last October, it's a good hotel, quiet and safe. It's near the beautiful Inavlies dome, next to some gorgeous avenues and on the meeting point of the 6th and 7th where it's nice to walk and watch the locals.
The Champ du Mars is near rue Cler which I'm not crazy about, and the Jeanne d'Arc is in the Marais which is great, but I wouldn't stay there - the location is too central for me.

francophile03

What I mean is I tried requesting a booking on four separate occsions (twice they replied to my emails, the other two times they didn't) about 5,6 months in advance; they told me their reservations wasn't open and to check back later. I checked back about a month or two later, they said they're full. They could have suggested when to recontact them, but they were not specific.

I gave up and realized that the hotel is really nothing special to fight to get a reservation and maybe the hotel is highly popular due to the Rick Steves guidebook entry they have.

MaureenB

We liked the three-star Hotel de la Bourdonnais in the 7th. We had a great view of the Eiffel Tower from our quad room #503.

lucielou

Iregeo

Myself and my daughter stayed at the Hotel De France last september, I was mindful of staying somewhere that I would feel safe at night, and we were both very pleased with the hotel, its about 10 mins walk to the Eiffel Tower, the staff are lovely there and the rooms and clean quiet and comfortable, the breakfast we found to be very nice, and worth the €9 extra. Thre is not much life in the bar at night, but if you dont intent having a drink there then it wont matter, we just slept and had breakfast in the hotel.As far as I'm aware there is no view of the Eiffel Tower from the Hotel De France ( maybe check it out with reception) there are many lovely restaurants in the area, and you will be quiet safe walking alone at night.The nearest metro station is L'ecole Militaire, which is 3 mins walk from the hotel. I would have no hesitation recommending this hotel, and I will return to it this September.

travginny

Hi Iregeo,

"Ginny, is lighting an issue at night on the street?"

Not really. The hotel is located on a small street behind bustling Place Ste-Catherine. It is well lit but much quieter than rue St-Antoine and de Rivoli a couple of blocks over.

Hope this helps.

Ginny

Travelnut

All I can think of is the negative review that was posted a year or so ago on the Jeanne d'Arc - I think it was by Patrick..but it might have just been a difference in 'tastes' or expectations.

StCirq highly recommends Hotel de France-Invalides, and has been staying there for a long time (and the Duquesne Eiffel).

SemiMike

Around the corner from the Champs de Mars, on the Rue Cler, is the Grand Hotel Leveque. It's a good choice in this price range, but also popular, so book early.