We'll also consider a 2 bedroom 2 bath apt if you have any recommendations. The Esmeralda is booked and some of your hotel picks are also booked for May but I'm diligently looking at each one.

The one I recommended doesn't have availability posted on the internet yet. You'd have to wait a month or send an email.

I have one for you. Check out the Mr. Prince apt from www.parisbestlodge.com. It is in the heart of the St. Germain on rue Mazarine a half block from where rue St. Andre des Arts turns in to rue du Buci. It is 2 short blocks from the Odeon metro station. Theirry from PBL can suggest another one in the area. One problem- no elevator, but that did not bother us. We love the vibe of that neighborhood, but we meet all of Kerouac's criteria minus the affluent part.

I can understand kerouac recommending some of the less touristy arrondissements to get more of a sense of real Paris. However, we were just in Paris and did like the fact that we could walk around some of central sights at night and get back to our apartment easily. By the end of a long day of sightseeing my feet are usually pretty tired and to not have to hop back on the metro or take a taxi is nice.

We stayed at the Hotel Louis II a few years ago. It was quite reasonable compared to some of the other hotels in the area and close to a metro. It is in an active, interesting, area but noise was not a problem as the windows seem to be well insulated. This is not a luxury hotel but nice and clean and run by friendly staff. Our room was teeny tiny so I would consider splurging on a larger room if within the budget.

Tessie ... when you look on some hotel websites now they will say no availability but its not because they are booked but because many of them do not allow online booking more then 6 to 9 months in advance.. so keep checking or email hotel directly and ask.

My apologies to annhig whose name I misspelled. Thanks adrienne & justineparis thought I already missed out seeing the calendars blocked off. Emailed Esmeralda and same guy, Michel, responded. Apparently I inquired about another apt he managed on Airbnb last year. There is only a week avail where Esmeralda & the downstairs Notre Dame are simultaneously free and it's the last week of April then only 6 nights in May. Will keep looking, considering all options. I dreamt I stayed at Le Meurice last night how funny was that.

letsgeaux, that area looks nice & very near the Seine, love that, perfect for mom's morning walks or near a garden would be lovely too. No elevators became the theme of our last trip so no problem here either but prefer no more than 3-4 flights with mom.

Dukey & KTtravel, we share the same sentiment about easily walking back to hotel mid day & night, thanks for the reminder. I might take kerouac's suggestion if it's an extended trip as I liked some neighborhoods outside the center and who doesn't like saving $!

KTtravel I think you might get a kick out of the first pic of Hotel Louis II listed on Booking.com. It's quite funny now but with lights off last night it scared the crap out of me.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/loui...t_room=5421502

Dukey1 - Yeah, and then there's that myth that every hotel room in Paris is small. Not if you are willing to pay they aren't.

The smallest room I've ever checked out of was the one at the George V. And we did not take the lowest rate. We did not even stay the night.

That's unfortunate considering how much you have to shell out to stay there. Has anyone had afternoon tea at George V? We were going to do it last trip but they were fully booked and last minute walk-ins were only reserved for guests. I think mom would love it, the room looks so pretty.

My last 3-4 times in Paris I've stayed at Hotel Le Clément. I like it very much and love the location.

www.hotelclementparis.com

Ha, tessietoes. I had to look at the picture several times before I saw what you meant. Too funny!

In response to your question about tea at George V, if you are in the mood for a splurge, go to lunch at Le Cinq. The food is outstanding and the setting is beautiful. The regular menu can be pretty expensive but the lunch specials are very reasonable for a Michelin 2 star. We had lunch there a few years ago on our anniversary. The restaurant is right next to the tea room. We lingered there for a good while after our lunch listening to the piano player. The tea looked very nice and I would not hesitate to recommend it.

we too have had lunch at le cinq and agree that it is a lovely experience, with probably the best service we have had anywhere, not to mention very delicious food too. The set 3 course lunch [for which you actually get about 6 courses] was €85 then, which was a real steal for what we had, but the cost of drinks more or less doubled the price, so watch out if you want to drink wine with your meal.

I always think it's interesting that people push apartments when an OP specifically requested hotel recommendations.

This is even more interesting now, since the Mayor of Paris currently has a task force investigating and prosecuting agencies and individuals who advertise vacation rentals, which are illegal for leases of less than one year (or 9 months, to a documented student).

AirBnB (the company) is currently being prosecuted in France for tax fraud. It has been estimated by the Mayor's Office that 90% of AirBnB rentals are offered by tenants who do not have the authorization to sublet their apartments.

I would not suggest renting an apartment in Paris at the present time, or in the near future. The apartment you choose and pay for may not be available when you arrive - an agency might offer another unit that does not suit your needs - or you might have to find other lodging, with no help from the individual you rented from.

I think that the hotels mentioned were good choices, and there are many more in this general area. It is a good idea to stay closer to the river, since there is more street life here, but this can also be noisy. The distance to any Metro station is a non-issue, since changing lines takes all of 3 minutes and is simple to do.

An apartment is not "pushed". OP stated that she would consider a 2 bedroom apt. And those suggested are not illegal.

manouche - perhaps you should read the OP's requirements:

" Any recommendation on hotels or two apartments "

Yes, the OP specifically requested hotels but the OP also specifically requested apartments.

"The smallest room I've ever checked out of was the one at the George V. And we did not take the lowest rate. We did not even stay the night."

The George V rents rooms by the hour?

The George V rents rooms by the hour?>>

They probably do, Nikki, if you're rich enough.

Does renting rooms by the hour have a different meaning in Europe?

don't think so, Nikki.