Check out the price your travel agent gives you against discounters like gotoday.com. You can get very good packages there, and you do get some choice in your hotel, so you can read reviews ahead of time and pick the one you like best.

Personally I wouldn't sign up for any deal without knowing at least the location of the hotel.

the poster indicated above that he/she is living in Spain and will be flying to Paris from there.

PJI:

What is the round trip airfare, Seville/Paris? If you give us more information, we could probably help you look at the choice of a tour vs. booking airfare/hotel yourelf.

I would be wary of someone else picking my hotel...AFTER I had paid them.

I want to echo what marcelin and nonafelice have said. Researching my trip to Paris last March, I checked out the hotels in the Priceline supposedly great buys. Good thing I did, they were reviewed in Fodor's hotel section as poor quality, too far away, in noisy areas, and they were not good values at all. Through the Fodor's hotel section here, you can find reviews of hotels, and find something good. Paying for an included meal is a waste since any bakery will have a lovely selection for only a few euros, and my little hotel offered a french breakfast for 6 eu, you could choose to take day by day. I didn't pay more than 70 eu/night. I wouldn't want my trip spoiled by a mystery hotel. Why should you have to work around it when you could find a good value and put something together that works.

As you say, it is a CHEAP package deal,,,and that's not to say it is bad...but you might be getting what you paid for.
I would really want to know what hotel and what location, and by phoning them your concern, perhaps they could help you. They, on the other hand, want the cheapest, last minute hotel (3 star), so they can make the most money.
Sounds a little fishy, but they have a business to run also.
Though we have never used them..Go-Today, I understand, has some good deals.
But, I'd sure like to know the hotel and LOCATION, however 3 star, usually means 3 star...so maybe you will luck out.

I'd like to thank marcelin for putting me in touch with French hotel norms, about which I have always wondered.

I visited the site given above. The norms form compulsory reading for any French-readers who can appreciate -- with the necessary irony -- the French MANIA for classification and standardization, often of a pointless character.

Standards of lighting, for example:

Eclairage normal de 15 W/m2 minima répartis en une source principale et en éclairage de tête de lit par personne théorique

(Standard illumination of at least 15 watts per square metre, divided between a main light source and bedside illumination for each potential occupant)

First, let me say thank you to all for your replies. I have used the same travel agent many times. I spoke to the owner the other night (I've worked with him before)and the company they are working with is a large company (they gave me the name but I can't remember it) and they have worked with them for many years. They said the hotel would be in the central area of paris but may be closer to the outskirts rather than right in the hub of things. The owner has even used this company himself before and has been to Paris 4 times. He said the farthest out he had been placed was near Port D'Orleans. They use this same company for trips all over europe. They made me feel very comfortable about the whole thing. We know so many people that use this same travel agent. We are frequent travelers and feel like we couldn't possibly do it ourselves any cheaper. We are very simple people in our tastes and don't need the best hotels or the closest areas to be happy. We are just excited to be going. We went ahead and booked it. Life's a gamble right? As far as we are concerned we would rather be in Paris a few minutes away from things than not be there at all. So, I'll let you all know where we ended up after we get back. They said we could get the name of the airport 5 days before departure. Lets just hope its not near the airport! :>

We will all look forward to your report. I'm glad you talked to the owner, it does sound like he was very reassuring.

If you start a new thread for your trip report, please try to come back here and tell those of us who've been following this thread. Have fun!

Silly me, I meant we could get the name of the HOTEL 5 days before. We already know the flight schedule. OOPS!

PJI - it sounds like you have already decided to go with the package but I have to wonder why you couldn't do that trip for the same money on your own. You say you will be there 4 nights. There are many very nice hotels in the 5th and 6th (right in the center of things) for 75€ for a double. That's 300€. That leaves you 220€ for the flights. I haven't checked Seville to Paris but it certainly seems you can fly just about anywhere else in Europe for less than €100 per person. Breakfast and transfers really don't add that much as you can easily get breakfast for 3€ at a bakery or Brioche Doree. So anywhay, just something to think about. I have occassionally seen (and once even done)a package that costs less than you can do on your own, but most of the time when you work it out you can get the same thing for less on your own. But more importantly, as many here have said, the location within Paris can make a huge difference as to your enjoyment of your trip. If it were much less I'd say sure, take a chance on the hotel in the outlying area, but for just a few euro I'd much rather be in the atmospheric center of things.

Hi PJI,

many spanish major tour operators tend to do exactly what you were mentioning. Most of the time the hotels are located around the 8th and the 9th arrondisement, near the Grands Boulevards and the Gare Saint-Lazare. Another likely area is the Porte d´Italie.

The price you are mentioning is not too bad, specially if you think that the cheapest flight that can be found right now for middle January is 222,93 Euros for a round trip (one person). Check it in http://www.amadeus.net

For the future, because I am sure that you will love Paris, I would check beforehand http://www.iberia.com , they have offers fairly often, and for hotels, Bancotel is a good bet. You get decent places in the center, and sometimes for just one coupon. In some of the Viajes Iberia offices (nothing to do with the airline) you can even buy single coupons, not a whole booklet (at least, I can do it here in Bilbao) and without paying extra VAT. You can book your hotel in Internet, and then pay them with the coupons. It works pretty well in Paris and in Italy. I was going to book with Bancotel for January, but I got a good price for the Hotel du Lys, and I jumped for it.

Pick up a good guide, and start planning your next trip to Paris !

Rgds, Cova

PJI, I just got an email from go-today, and they have Paris for 6 nights plus airfare and breakfast for $399. You do have a slight choice of hotels. Some may add $$$. See you there!

isabel, thanks for the good info but from my research I really couldn't do it any cheaper. I have planned many trips so far on my own. This is the first package I've come across recently that seemed cheap enough to use. Anyways, at this point what's done is done. :)

Cova, thanks for the encouragement. Yes, I've used Bancotel coupons before and luckilly for me, this same travel agent I use will sell me as few or as many as I need. Didn't know they used Bancotel in France though. Good to know. Thomthumb, are you going to Paris in Jan too? Lucky us!

PJI, I may just jump at that deal!

Well, our travel agent called last week and we picked up our tickets and got the name of our hotel. I was surprised we got it so early since they said we wouldn't get it until a few days before.

Anyway, its the Hotel Pavillon Villiers Etoile. One of the websites states that it is “300 meters from the Metro Station Villiers, close to le Parc Monceau and Les Champs Elysees. The hotel is located among many typically Parisian cafes & restaurants, close to a pedestrian area: Levi's Street with daily market. 5 minutes from Opera, Champs Elysees, Montmartre and Parc Monceau. This hotel is part of the group Les Hotels de Paris. 6 Rue Lebouteux. Paris”

I know most people here discourage staying in the 17th because of the distance but it appears to be just on the inside of the 17th and very near to a metro stop. We think it will be just fine. There are very few online reviews, but the few we found sounded positive.

Just wanted to fill you all in. I'll let you know how it was when we return.

Hi PJI,

Not a bad location. The Parc Monceau is not at its best in January.

You might want to have Sunday Brunch at the Jacquemar-Andre Museum.

http://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.co...re/home_en.htm

Hi PJI,
I think the location of your hotel is wonderful and would be my no. 1 priority for my next trip were it not for the high prices of acommodations over there.
You can easily walk to Parc Monceau and to the wonderful musee Nissim de Camondo, 63 rue de monceau. You're right next to the rue de Levis market, a few metro stops from the Opera (no. 3) and a few from the Etoile and ave. des Champs Elysees (with no. 2). Also, try to walk to rue Tocqueville, a few mintues away from your hotel - in September I saw a buliding with a beautiful old facade (might be Art Nouveau) being renovated, maybe it's ready by now.
Here is a link to an article on bonjourparis.com which talks about rue de Levis.
http://www.bonjourparis.com/pages/ar...articleId/1282
I've read good things about a restaurant called le Petit Villiers, 75 ave. de Villiers and had a wonderful meal at l'Ampere, 1 rue Ampere, both places are close to metro Wagram.
Have a wonderful trip!

Wonderful! Thanks so much Keren for the article. It makes me excited about our hotel/area. Ira, your "not a bad location" is music to my ears since you are practically an icon on this board! Your bruch idea looks lovely. I am getting really excited about our trip! Thanks for all the wonderful advice.

>...you are practically an icon on this board!<

Do I get my own Smiley?

I have chosen ((I))