Darcie

Hi everyone,
I am a woman in my 30s, travelling alone on a business trip to Paris in February. I have been to Paris on several occasions before and know the city somewhat. I usually like to stay in the 6th arr., but on this trip I will be working each day in La Defense and I find the trip via metro quite long if staying in the 6th.

So, I am looking for your advice for a place to stay for one week. Here are my criteria:
- close to metro Line 1 to make for an easy commute to La Defense
- walking distance to bistro type restaurants and perhaps a place to have a glass of wine or two on my own
- safe for a woman walking alone in the evening.

Ideas?

Thanks!

oakglen

Hotel Cambon,a ****, on rue Cambon, is close to two metro stops (Concorde & Tuileries) and a short walk to several good bistrots. Chez Flottes is across the street as well. The English bookstore is a few steps away. I used to commute to La Defense from this area and found the location worked well.

ira

Hi D,

What's your budget?

Christina

I highly recommend the Hotel Regence Etoile, a nice 3* hotel on ave Carnot in the 17th arrondisement if you want something more moderate range (you may not if your business will pay quite a bit--I would stay in a more expensive place if I weren't paying for it). But that is really only about a block from the Arc de Triomphe and thus the Etoile metro stop.

Its rates are very reasonable for that neighborhood and I think it is more pleasant (being really away from the direction most tourists go on the Champs-Elysees and those businesss/hotels) and there are neighborhood restaurants in that part of the 17th. It's a very nice neighborhood, of course, but I stayed there as a single woman and dined in the area and enjoyed it. It will also be a fairly short ride to La Defense from that end.

http://www.hotel-paris-regenceetoile.com/

shellio

I would stay in the Marais, near St-Paul metro station on Line 1, which puts you in an interesting area with lots of bistros and cafés. It's also quite safe.

Depending on your budget, the Pavilion de la Reine on Place des Vosges is easy walking distance to St-Paul; a bit less expensive is the Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais on rue Vielle du Temple, between St-Paul and Hotel de Ville stations. Of course there are lots of others in the Marais, but you should look at a map to see how far from the Metro line they are, as much of the Marais is not well served by the Metro.

shellio

Sorry, that rue Vieille du Temple

happy_train

I recommend the Hotel D'Albion. It's very close to several Metros, and the trip to La Defense won't be too bad. It's also a very safe neighborhood at night, plus great shops for your leisure hours!

Darcie

Wow, thanks for all of your replies!

As for budget, my work is paying for it. There are limits, of course, but probably up to 200 Euros per night would be ok.

RM67

I stayed here once when in Paris on business, and thought it was quite decent:-

http://www.parishotelneuilly.com/en/choix04.htm

They have a huge buffet breakfast that goes far beyond the usual croissant and jam, too!

The area is very safe, but one thing which no-one seems to have mentioned so far, and which I think is quite important: This being the edge of the business/financial district, it's quite quiet at night with not many bars or restaurants open. If you are happy to travel into central Paris, no problem, but I get the impression if safety is a concern you might not want to be exploring much late at night. In which case I might stay elsewhere (meaning a longer commute to La Defense, but more to do/see when you get back to the vicinity of your hotel).

Darcie

RM67,
My point exactly... I don't want to be stuck in a business district at night. I'd rather commute and be in the city in the evenings, walking distance to bars and restaurants.

D

shellio

>>I don't want to be stuck in a business district at night. I'd rather commute and be in the city in the evenings, walking distance to bars and restaurants.<<

I assumed that, Darcie, which is why I recommended staying in the Marais.

Christina

That budget isn't really that big for a nice hotel in those areas. The one I suggested, which is just a 3* hotel, is just under that range, so works (I think a double is around 150 euro, I know less than 200). If you are some place a week, I'd suggest you get a superior room for the space.

The Marais is a good idea, also, if you can find something near the metro line. The Pavillon de la Reine is nowhere near that price range, nor near the price range of Caron de Beachmarchais -- I think it's rooms are about double the price (like around 350-400 euro per night). The Caron de Beaumarchais would be around 150-170 euro, I think -- you'd have to get a superior room there, on the front, as the others are quite tiny from what I've heard. Really tiny.

BTilke

I travel to Paris alone fairly frequently for business and/or leisure.
By far, my favorite area to stay in is the 16th, particularly the Victor Hugo/Passy/Trocadero neighborhood.

In December, I spent several nights at the Best Western Trocadero. I had a full on view of the Eiffel Tower from my room, there were cafes next door to the hotel. Every morning I walked up the street to Boulangerie Lesk, a wonderful little artisanal boulangerie that has great breakfast deals. I paid 90 euros per night for my ET view room at the hotel (no breakfast). It was clean and pleasant. With a bump up in budget, I'd have chosen the Sofitel Baltimore or the Sofitel Dokhan's, both nearby.
I used to stay regularly at the Sofitel LeParc, which we always enjoyed, but that is now part of Starwood and I haven't been there since the changeover.
The Place Victor Hugo area has several nice restaurants, good shopping, cafes, etc. From the BW hotel I stayed at, it's a 15 minute pleasant stroll up to the Arc de Triomphe area and the line 1 metro (Etoile/CdG) there...or you could catch the Trocadero metro practically at the hotel doorstep and change to the line 1 (3 stops).

Robespierre

Don't forget that RER A serves La Dèfense, too. It will get you there from Châtelet-Les Halles in 10 minutes (as opposed to 20 or more on Ligne 1). This expands your hotel options significantly.

tower

Darcie:

You might like the newly re-designed and decorated Hotel Duo (used to be the Axial Beaubourg). On Rue de Temple, across from City Hall (Hotel de Ville), a block north of Rue de Rivoli and steps into the heart of the upbeat Marais. Should be under 200 E's now. We liked it very much.

http://duo-paris.com/

stu t.

Darcie

Thanks again, everyone!
I hadn't even thought about the RER, excellent tip. I had been thinking that Le Marais was just a little too far.

I may not be arriving home from work until 8 or 9pm -- is Chatelet ok at that time of night? (I'm not normally paranoid about safetly, but I don't want to be stupid!)

D

travelbunny

..at 9pm Chatelet is OK but IMO not great. I actually try to avoid this stop in the off hours..actually it is so massive that I try to avoid it at all hours.

hanl

Chatelet station is busy but in my opinion it is fine at 8-9 pm. Have passed through there on my own many times at that time of the evening and wouldn't say I felt particularly unsafe. (I know that others on this board feel differently, however.)

It is very big though so it might take a while to get your bearings, but IMO once you work out which entrance/exit you need to use and where the metro/RER platform is, you can breeze through there fairly quickly.

Louie_LI

If you decide to take the RER A out to La Défense, keep in mind that the RER station is in zone 3 and you'll need a ticket that covers zones 1-3. (The line 1 metro station is in zone 2.)

RM67

Like BTilke, I'm also a fan of Passy in the 16th. The Passy Eiffel is quite nice - not 5 star luxury, but a good location, literally 30 seconds walk from the Metro, and they had the hotels own home-made honey for breakfast. With a single booking they still give you a proper double, with marble bathroom, and there are a few decent deli's and bakeries on the same street (Rud de Passy.