Suggestion for Paris hotel for first timers
 

Hi, I would welcome any suggestions for a reasonably priced hotel in a good location in Paris. We will be 2 adults and 1 child. I would like something close to the metro, with lots of eating places close by. We do not necessarily need to be near any specific attractions.

Thanks

Have a look at the Brighton, opposite the Tuileries gardens. Lots of restaurants in the area, and of course the park would be great for your child.

The Louvre is within walking distance, as is the Seine.

Hotel Brighton is a very nice hotel, well located near the Tuileries Gardens and Musee du Louvre.

However, rue de Rivoli is a very busy street, mobbed with tourists, and that hotel is right next to the Paris Vision depot. So, going and coming is through crowds of people and there's almost always a line of huge tour coaches with their motors running lined up.

We prefer the buses to the metro, and would even more so if we were traveling with a young child.

Appropriately enough, perhaps, the Hotel Familia in the Latin Quarter: www.hotel-paris-familia.com. If you search it in these posts, you will see generally quite positive reviews (and not just mine).

Hi J,

What's your budget?

((I))

My son is 12 so we would not face the challenges of travleing with a small child. Thnaks for both these suggestions. Any more?

Ira: We do not have a specific budget as I do not have an idea of hotel prices in Paris. But we would like something on the lower end. We would like a clean hotel with attached bathroom and a fairly decent location.

You might enjoy the Hotel Valadon. It's not too expensive, pretty centrally located, and the owners are very accommodating. I think they would be very helpful for first-time visitors. We stayed there one night in May, and were impressed with the cleanliness and friendliness. It was almost like staying at a B&B.

http://www.hotelvaladon.com/index.htm

Hotel Familia is 167 Euros and the Hotel Valadon is 155 Euros. Is this the going rate for Paris for a moderate hotel?

The Hotel du Lys fits all your criteria and has triple rooms. It's in the 6th, on the cusp of the 5th, two minute walk from Blvd. St Michel. I've stayed there a number of times and referred others.

NB: no elevator, but a winding, ancient staircase, which might be fun for your son

www.hoteldulys.com

We have sent a number of first timers to the ** Hotel Valadon; all enjoyed the experience. It meets all of your requirements.

Yes, I would say around 150 euros in the touristy areas like the 5th and 6th are typical for what you are looking for.

Because the Paris metro is so convenient, a cost-saving alternative would be to stay a little further out. A triple room in the Hotel des Arts at Place d'Italie (South of the Latin Quarter) can be had for 100 euros, for example, and is only steps to the nearest metro stop. There is no shortage of places to eat, either.

http://www.escapade-paris.com/en/hot...hotel&id=2

My wife and I have been to Paris a few times, the last time with our 13 year old granddaughter. We stayed at the Hotel Pas de Calais. It will meet your needs as you describe- near Metro, lot of restaruants (including two famous ones), just about 30 yards off blvd St. Germaine- also lots of stores to "window shop" in! The hotel has a web site (just google it). We have used it several times and find the staff very friendly and the rooms very nice.

We stayed at Duquesne Eiffel on the 5th floor top corner of the hotel and had the Eiffel Tower in our window every night. Magical! So worth it! We're going back in 2010 and hopefully getting that same room.

http://www.hotels-paris.fr/en/hotel/...ne-Eiffel.htm#

Or try their own website...

http://www.duquesneeiffel.com/duques...ris_france.htm

Hi J,

>Ira: We do not have a specific budget as I do not have an idea of hotel prices in Paris.<

www.venere.com is a good site for getting ideas about hotel rates all over.

We always stay at the Hotel Bonaparte, 61 Rue Bonaparte in the 6th. From 131E dbl w/bkfst. It is just around the corner from Place St. Sulpice, near 3 metro stops and 4 bus routes. 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

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

I stayed here a few years ago. Good location & good value.
http://www.hoteldesuezparis.com/

i would recommend hotel st christophe - it ticks all the boxes except air conditioning. rooms have fans though.

My wife and I stayed at the Hotel Famalia about ten years ago. The rooms were "European Small" but comfy, clean and continental. There is a small elevator which was a boon, since we were on the 5th floor. (small balcony overlooking Paris' roof tops)

The owner/manager was very helpful in finding small local tours at very reasonable prices. (We spent a 12 hour day with guide and one other person visiting the castles and wineries of the Loire valley in a van for $75 each)

There was no need to buy hotel breakfast, since a bakery/pasteria (6 am - 3pm) was directly across the street. We got coffee & croisants for breakfast and took out Jamon bagettes to go with a bottle of wine, purchased during the morning touring, for lunch in a park or "on the Seine".

The left bank and Latin quarters are right there. We found many great and reasonably priced restaurants (frequented by students) and a working class wine bar where we were welcomed with open arms as the only tourists. They had free music (accordian & fiddle) for dancing and would not allow us to sit and forced us to join in, even though they spoke no English and we spoke rudimentary French. The owner grabbed my wife and his wife grabbed me up to the dance floor. Half way through the dance they pushed us together to finish the dance as two married couples. When singing the crowd substituted "La-La-La" for the chorus lyrics, so we could join in.

At the time the hotel was $100/nite, when 3 stars was about $150 - $200. I don't know how much of the increase is do to infaltion and how much the exchange rate between Euros and US dollars.

Ahhh! I am getting quite frustrated. Most of the desirable hotels are already booked for my dates in Oct! Some of them do not have triple rooms. I am trying to keep the rate around 125 Euros. I am waiting for response from a few hotels as they do not have online booking. Hopefully something will work out!