Struggling Graduate Students Want Memorable Paris Honeymoon
 

I got a frantic email request today and thought some of you fine folks might be able to help. So think back when you were young, romantic, and filled with a spirit of adventure, but poor as church mice.

Situation: Cute young couple set to visit Paris for eight nights in May. Frozen with indecision on where to stay on the Left Bank. Don’t want an apartment and dreading making a mistake with the hotel choice. Thinking about reducing the risk by staying in two hotels in separate areas - plus would be exposure to different neighborhoods.

Like all crazy youngsters they might be asking for the moon:

150E or less
Small with charming, but modern facilities
Friendly staff
quiet side street with a courtyard view
Close to nice restaurants and cafes
Easy access to the Metro
TV, Internet access, and fridge
No floral wallpaper, if possible (I thought that was mandatory in French hotels?)

Seems like they have been reading post after post until they are confused and semi-frozen with indecision. They are leaning toward a 5th and 6th combo, thinking the 7th might be a little too quiet.

So, wise sages that you are, what superb combination of two hotels would you pick from the list below or add to the mix.

Hotel de Notre Dame
Hotel Monge
Hotel Bonaparte
Hotel Abbatial St. Germain
Hotel Delavigne
Hotel Du Lys
Hotel Clement
Hotel Danube
Hotel Le Regent
Hotel Grand Balcons
Hotel Muguet
Hotel de France Invalides

I think they are leaning toward the Hotel Monge and Hotel Grand Balcons.

OBTW, let’s advise them ahead of time about super thin hotel walls, and lumpy mattresses, if you get my drift!

I swear you must lie awake at night thinking up these scenarios.

Can only comment on the Muguet in the 7th, which is probably a little too quiet for those youngsters you described as "filled with a spirit of adventure." The hotel is on a quiet street but has no courtyard view nor fridge. Not sure about Internet.

Have they considered the Marais?

Betsy, I lay awake dreaming of food!

This is a serious post and I think you are right about the Hotel Muguet.

The 4th may be a bit too hip for these young travlers. But I'm going to make them take my Degas walk as payment for the hotel help!

The Danube has a charming staff, cute rooms, fabulous location, BUT, thin walls, some rooms are dingy, courtyard rooms are quiet, it is just that you can hear the people next door from some.
( oh, nevermind , I seem to remember floral wallpaper)..
I have heard great things about the Delavigne..
The Bonapart is certainly not chintzy/floral wallpapery, might be a bit too cold/spare.
I have heard some who loved their stay at the Monge but a few others have told me they hated it and everything about it..from the things I have heard, it would be at the bottom of my list..
Forget the fridge! You get charm for a price, so right in the thick of things, 6th or 5th, might be impossible for them.
Now, I will suggest the only place that I can think of and I have no idea what their rates are nowadays, the Lutece. Close enough to the 5th/6th, no floral wallpaper, huge bathrooms, tiny bedrooms, you want a window at the front, the views over the rooftops is too French to worry about the possibiity of noise. And there is none...or none that would make a big difference.
Oozing charm, very nice staff, fireplace in lobby, breakfast in your room...
Hope this helps..
This isn't a child of yours is it? noooo, couldn't be? could it?

Hi Miss Scarlett

Always good to hear from you. I like your idea about the Hotel Lutece. Great location and not a floral wall in sight! 185E for a double.

http://www.paris-hotel-lutece.com/en...-rooms-03.html

And I know how you treasure good room service!

Check Hotel du Champs de Mars in the 7th, or http://jack-travel.com/ listing hotels and restaurants by arrondissement.

Hello darlin, yes, I do appreciate room service.
But this place has the tiniest of breakfast rooms and they are happy to deliver your breakfast to you rather than have to turn you away from the full room.
Our room was on the 5th floor, overlooking rue St Louis en Ille..

Look at the St Sulpice..

http://tinyurl.com/yk663w

and what about the St Paul ?

http://tinyurl.com/yl9lnp

They are more "floral" but also quite nice. We have very good friends who spend weeks at the St Paul every year, it is lovely and in a good spot..near everything, on a quiet-ish street.

Cybaw, thanks for the input. That site had some nice choices.

Scarlett

Both those also look pretty darn good. The St. Paul sorta jumped out at me - cute critters helping out.

Any idea how far from a METRO? I guess busses run by them also.

Commenting on Hotel Le Clement:
-Stayed there Oct.2005
Street facing room so lots of noise at night. I could see the towers of St.Sulpice from my window.
Around the corner from Mabillon Metro stop and of course all the buses going along Blvd.St.Germain.
Directly opposite the hotel is the very large Marche` St.Germain (like a shopping mall) with lots of take-away food options etc.

It's a great location - from the brochure I brought back there are two rooms pictured. One has a dark navy type wallpaper with little white somethings on it. The other looks like a rust coulour with paisley print wallpaper. Nothing garish!
Sorry can't remember my room so it couldn't have been too bad.

Commenting on the Hotel Duquesne:
I did LOVE Hotel Duquesne however! That was my other 5 night stay.
Quieter area but bus stop across the road. Metro 5 min walk. Rue Cler 5-8 min walk. And my room 41 or something had a full view of the Eiffel Tower.
Glorious at night as she twinkled on and off through my window!
Downstairs is a small bistro/cafe and a lovely Chinese restaurant.
Of course Eiffel was about a 20 min walk away.

http://tinyurl.com/y2get6

this is from Expedia/TripAdvisor..more pictures and maps etc.
It is a tiny street on the edge of the Latin Quarter, by the Luxembourg Gardens..closest Metro as far as I remember is Odeon, there is something else close by too..memory going ...going.....
Blvd St Michel is right there also, plenty of transportation..

Hi D,

With the possible exception of "quiet side street with a courtyard view", the Bonaparte fits their requirements.

I also suggest that they stop worrying about finding the perfect hotel. All of their chices have gotten good reviews.

((I))

i would not recommend 'reducing the risk' by switching hotels during a short 8 night stay. there is no need to do this in order to experience different neighbourhoods as it is so easy to get around. the pain of moving does not justify the benefit of experiencing two areas ...which they can experience anyway.

also, for the risk part...they will no doubt like one hotel more than the other and wish they stayed at that one the whole time (and at the same time avoiding the hassle and expense of moving). the plan to use two hotels invites comparison and puts too much focus on the hotel rather than paris itself, imo. they are already too focused on the hotel (eg 'DREADING making a mistake'). everyone stays in hotels where they realise they could have made a better choice--that's just life. but rarely (although it happens) is a hotel a complete disaster.

in theory, switching hotels should be able to be done in an hour or so. in reality, however, they will waste a 1/2 day of upheaval on this move. if you are advising them, it also gives signals that you are not confident in your recommendations.

Picking two areas sounds interesting. I've done it before in Europe when a hotel could not manage my entire length of stay. I disagree about losing half a day when switching hotels in Paris - transportation is good and the city is not that big.

This looks like it meets ALL the criteria:

Hotel Luxembourg * * *
4, rue de Vaugirard, Paris, 75006
Doubles 140-160E

http://www.parishotels.com/Hotel_Lux...g_star_en.html
http://www.parisby.com/luxembourgparis/index.html

Bar
Soundproofed rooms
Ensuite bathrooms
Cable / Sat TV
Telephone
Mini Bar
Hair-Dryer
Terrace
Internet Connection Available
Wi-fi Internet Connection Available
Safe Box
Elevator

Travelnut, which booking site do you use for Paris hotels? Or do you go directly to the Hotel and compare rates?

I seem to have an uncontrollable urge to 'research' Paris hotels. We don't stay in any of the 'pretty' ones, maybe that's why I'm fascinated. (we typically don't spend more than 115€ in Europe, and our Paris hotel in the 14th is under 100€)

I use Google and PagesJaunes to find websites, and I know of several 'booking' sites that are good for research - these are my favorites b/c they have photos and some have comments:
www.parishotels.com
www.france-hotel-guide.com
www.parisby.com
www.venere.com
www.hotelsearch-in-paris.com
www.hotels-paris.fr

I prefer to contact hotels directly, via their own website form, or by email.

Thanks Travelnut.

I've enjoyed your many informative posts and share your same budget range on most trips. I usually drive myself to research overload, but like to dream along the way.

Anxious to see how this situation plays out, and bookmarking these type threads for future use.

OK , back to the subject ( unless someone is deliberately trying to ruin this thread?)

.... I would also really discourage changing hotels, that eats up a day, it is a real waste of time. We have done that with rooms and hotels, not because we thought we would see how another place was but out of need, noise, horrible room etc..it just deletes a day that should be spent sightseeing and enjoying your trip/honeymoon.

Going over the list again, I have to add, while they can forget the fridge, they should not expect internet access either..There are plenty of internet cafes..but the hotels that we stay in are the smaller boutique types ( Left Bank) and few have a "business center" or internet ...* of course, it has been over a year since I have been in Paris, I go to the same hotels and that is what I am basing my info on*

I just read a really good review from a person just returned from a stay at the Le Regent..maybe more people will see this and you can get more opinions on other places :)

Le Regent looks like a good choice from the research I've done for an upcoming I'm taking. But according to comments on tripadvisor, the area is very "toursity." I also looked at Hotel de Notre Dame, which seems like it fulfills the "quiet side street" criterion, but Le Regent looks like it offers closer proximity to cafes and restaurants.