For Howard...Thanks a lot about about your suggestion regarding making a reservation for the Grandes Ecoles in March..I have thought about it, but I believe That my pre-teen grandaughter, will be happier having a small refrigidaire in the room...Ciao.

I suppose if your dates were at the very beginning of June, it's possible they didn't have that many free rooms from end of May.<BR><BR>I think it would be okay to be in two hotels if they were very near each other, but not the greatest for a group trip where you are trying to have camaraderie. Of course there are other budget hotels around there, I remembered also the Residence Saint-Christophe which is very near the Monge and HGE, but I don't think it is superior to Monge in any way, just another option. I think that hotel is just getting too popular, unfortunately.<BR><BR>I agree with you if it's the group thing, they should have told you that specifically, so maybe they are booked. There are several holidays in there, as Ursula said -- May 29th is Asencion and June 8-9 are holidays.<BR><BR>Hope you let us know where you finally book, I want to hear the end of this story.

If it is any consolation, I had to endure sleeping in Room 2, which is right in the entrance hallway near the breakfast room. The room was tiny and the constant traffic was so disturbing that I hardly got any sleep the three nights I was there. Trust me, instead of being holed up in one of the small rooms due to lack of spacious rooms, it is much better finding other accomodations and being able to enjoy Paris with a rested body!

Thanks again, everyone. I tried the College de France and even though the French Hotel Reservation Center showed them as having &quot;more than 10&quot; rooms available, I got a response saying they were full for my dates. Same thing at the St. Christophe. I am beginning to think that any request for 4 rooms will get the same response. Can Paris hotels really be that full for June 4-7? I'm about to try the Hotel Monge by e-mailing directly. Maybe since I stayed there last August they will be straight with me and I can find out what's going on here. If that doesn't work, I'll try the St. Jacques or the Bonaparte. Wish me luck! (Any other suggestions?)

Betty, I needed to book three rooms about the same dates you looking for two years ago, many of the left bank hotels are small, have few triple rooms, which we needed and only a few rooms with twin beds, depending on the types of rooms needed does limit you, we ended up at a 2 star Hotel Le Home Latin, which has about 45 rooms so getting a block of rooms is easier, the hotel has a great location, rooms are not fancy but serviceable and personnel are terrific, we had a very comfortable stay and I was there two weeks. It is a nice two star but doesn't have a WOW factor if that is important to you. We had tried to get rooms at Hotel College de France but they were full, this year I will be in Paris about the same time as your trip and have already booked into the Hotel du College de France.I booked in Dec or Jan or maybe even Nov this time. I don't like to stay at the same hotel, always trying something new but the Hotel Le Home Latin and Hotel College de France are right around the corner from each other and I sure do like the area. You have access to a number of metros and the RER in this area. Have a great trip. Deborah

I do have one option which I guess would be a last measure of desperation in one way, but not quite as bad as that sounds. It's just a place I haven't personally seen and you can't find out much about it (I guess that's desperation enough) but think it might be available and I know others who like it. <BR><BR>It's the Hotel Pierre Nicole on rue Pierre Nicole near the Port Royal metro stop. You won't find it listed or mentioned much of anywhere, and I'm not even sure it participates in the French rating system. I've seen it listed as a two-star and also has a no rating. It's not found in any guidebook but caters to various educational groups, which is how I know about it -- I went to music school at the Schola Cantorum down near there (twice in the past five years) and they had a block of rooms in the Pierre Nicole for students who didn't want to stay in the dorm. It is definitely cheap enough as you can imagine, not being listed anywhere (perhaps around US$75 per double). It's used by various French educational conferences, etc, also, they cater to that clientele. All I know is one older gentleman who was staying in there whom I would describe as a Felix Unger type and somewhat picky described it as &quot;lovely&quot; so I would guess it's not a dump. I saw the outside of it, of course, and it's a charming older French hotel from the exterior, but I didn't see the rooms. <BR><BR>This is going blind, I know, but thought I'd mention it as a possibility if you are getting shut out everywhere. It's at 39 rue Pierre Nicole. If you stick Hotel Pierre Nicole into Google, you'll find it mentioned as accommodations for a bunch of French educational symposiums/conferences because it's near several schools (Sorbonne, Mines and the Schola Cantorum). Here's one conference listing with it mentioned:<BR><BR>http://www.biologie.ens.fr/fr/accommodation_fr.html<BR><BR>Here's another one in English for an architectural or gardening program that calls it charming:<BR>http://www.togardenfinely.com/paris.html<BR><BR>It does have private baths/TV/phone. If you get desperate, maybe you could inquire if they have a brochure or something they could FAX you, I've had hotels do that (pre-web pages, they xeroxed a few pages). It's just an idea, but I do know they are used to dealing with groups and won't have a problem with that, and I know it was considered acceptable by many in my program, who were professors, performers and graduate students, not real young students. <BR><BR>

BTW, the Pierre Nicole is listed in red Michelin, I just checked and it doesn't say much -- gives it one house and says &quot;practical, fairly spacious rooms&quot;. It's a 33 rm hotel, has an elevator.<BR><BR>This is their email from 3/02 according to another educational symposium web site:<BR>[email protected]

I am thrilled to report that my sad tale has a happy ending! We now have reservations for 4 rooms at the Hotel St. Jacques, 35 rue des Ecoles. How? I asked for 2 rooms, got them, and then had one of my group ask for 2 more and he got them as well.<BR><BR>Every hotel I e-mailed asking for 4 rooms (5-6 of them) claimed to be fully booked for my dates. The Hotel Monge did, at least, offer me two rooms. Lesson learned: if you want several rooms, ask for no more than 2 at a time. I wonder now if I could have gotten in the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles by using the same &quot;trick.&quot; Ah well, I'll know next time and I think we will be quite happy at the St. Jacques. <BR><BR>Thanks again to everyone for your suggestions. Christina, I especially appreciate your concern and your taking the time to look up the information about the Perre Nicole. Fortunately, I didn't need to use it.

Betty -<BR><BR>So glad to hear you were able to reserve at the St. Jacques! I think you will like it. I have stayed there, and would happily return.

This sank pretty fast after I posted this afternoon. I am topping it so that those who were interested and concerned enough to commiserate and try to help will see the happy end to the story. And thank you, Lesli, for your comment.

<BR>Betty, it makes my day to read that this story has a good end. I am sure you will be happy with the Saint-Jacques.

Betty, I too am glad to hear your problem is solved. Maybe your original difficulty arose from small hotels not liking to take group bookings, since in the event of cancellation refilling the space is much harder for them. However, like you I wouldn't have considered 4 rooms to be much of a 'group' - but evidently, it is.