First time to Paris.Which of the following locations should I choose a Hotel.
St. Germain-des-Pres
Quartier Latin
Le Marias

tough question all 3 have there own personality. Tell us what is important to you and maybe we can answer

St-Germain and the Quartier Latin sit side by side; do if you were to choose a location in the middle you would get both.

for the first time, I would pick St.Germain.

It will make no difference. Each has a central location, each has great restaurants, shops and cafes, each has historic sites, churches, and museums.
St Germain is the heart of the 6th; it has become mostly very upscale, but still delightful. The Latin Quarter, which is in the 5th, remains a little more youthful due to the Sorbonne, more inexpensive food options on average, plenty of historical sites. The Marais is quite trendy these days, what was once poor and antiquated has become more gentrified. I think of the heart of the Marais as slightly less-well served by metro lines, but I can't swear that's technically accurate; it just feels that way to me. I just end up walking, which is a benefit to sightseeing anyway.

Hi B,

We always stay at the Hotel Bonaparte, 61 Rue Bonaparte in the 6th. From 128E dbl w/bkfst. It is located near 3 metro stops. Has AC and an elevator.

Tel 33 1 43 26 97 37
FAX 33 1 46 33 57 67
[email protected]
www.hotelbonaparte.fr

For more info, enter "Hotel Bonaparte" in the "search this forum" box.

Photos are at http://tinyurl.com/ludgd

All three are quite good. I've been a St.Germain fan and have stayed in that area, almost annually, since 1981. I stayed in lots of other areas previous to that.
Try Hotel Le Clement on 6, rue Clement...one block south of Blvd. St. Germain and a half a block east of rue de Seine... less than a 5- minute walk from metro line 10... and less than 10 minutes from metro line 4. I've walked many times to both the Louvre and Notre Dame from the 6th. It's a very convenient location.
The contact for the Clement is [email protected]
tel.01.43.26.53.60. They book up VERY fast. I recommend a room on a high floor, facing the street. The hotel is on a relatively quiet square, away from the main boulevard. You can see the church tower of St. Suplice from a room facing the street. It's a charming area. HAppy Travels!

All three are great places to stay. St. Germain is a bit more upscale, and the shops and restaurants more expensive than in the Latin Quarter. More ethnic restaurants in the Latin Quarter; more boutiques in St. Germain.

Visit all three areas while you're there, then stay in a different one next time. I have enjoyed every neighborhood I've stayed in in Paris.

We always stay on the Left Bank, but somewhere different. We try to get as close to the Seine as possible, as that is our favorite area.
ira---thanks for the Bonaparte recommendation, it lookslike a place we'd like.

Has anyone ever had dinner at Marco Polo on Rue de Conde near St. Suplice? Call me crazy, but we love to sit outside and enjoy Italian food in the middle of Paris.

I guess our favorite hotels have been the Madison Hotel on St. Germain and Relais de Medicis near the Odeon. Both were good locations for walking and Metro stops.