Very cheap, shabby chic, Paris hotel
 

I'm going to Paris for the first time in September and am looking for an old, cheap hotel with tons of character--just the kind of place that is so hard to find either in guidebooks or online. It doesn't even have to be clean, but Left Bank is preferable. Esmeralda is booked and I'm worried about the availability of Henri IV on Dauphine. Suggestions?

Try cheaphotels.com, but get yourself a reservation ASAP: September is very high season in Paris.

Try hotel les argonauts. You can find the contact info at www.eurocheapo.com look on the left bank. We stayed there and it was cheap and quirky :) We enjoyed it and would stay again. Location cant be beat on rue de la huchette

try the excelsior in the 5th.
www.excelsiorlatin.com

Hmmm. How about the Eldorado Hotel, but a short taxi ride from the Gare du Nord? Not on the Left Bank, but a hotel that is described as "bohemian"- some rooms are ensuite (with bath) some not (get one that is ensuite) some rooms face the garden, and a few have balconies. No T.V.'s or phones in the room, though, so if you have to have your telly fix, this place wouldn't be for you. Within walking distance to Montmartre, and near metro Place de Clichy. Check it out on tripadvisor.com. At 60E's a night, 70E's for a garden room, it's a great bargain for a quirky hotel "with character."

I dont mind, old, chic and perhaps shabby..but the non clean part is hard to understand..
Who want to sleep in a place that could have lices, stinking, dirty sheets, dirty bathrooms?

I understand that you would like to recapture the bohemian atmosphere of Old Paris..but there is a limit on what I would mind..

Bonne chance jennyg..:)

Why the Left Bank? Actually, I've found the Marais and the Bastille areas to have a lot more character (and also to be a bit easier than the pocketbook). See http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/21363/18308/3/ to get all the info about the three places we've stayed in Paris. Grand Hotel Jeanne d'arc is usually pretty booked up as it is so well located and inexpensive, but give them a try. L'Hotel de Mericourt is not in the normal tourist hang-out areas, (at least for US tourists) but right inbetween two Metro stops and walking distance to lots. It was the first place we ever stayed in Paris, and the neighborhood was simply perfect for us. (well, if you hit that link, you'll get an idea from the picture.) Have fun -- there are so many great two-star hotels in Paris, you may find a gem that no one has "found" before -- or you may find a horror that you leave after one night. (Fortunately that's not happened to us.) Good luck!

I hope Jenny doesn't want dirty sheets or lice, but perhaps a few dust bunnies or so wouldn't be too bad. I don't have a recommended list of dirty hotels -- oh yeah, there is this one kind of a flop house that is famous for Jim Morrison having stayed in it, that might be seedy enough and some kind of character. It's in the Latin Quarter, but I don't recall its name and you won't find it on any list. I think they mention it in Let's Go (along with cockroaches).

You could try the 1* Hotel Mistral in MOntparnasse where Sartre used to live, I think that's better. It's on rue Cels. I don't know about tons of character, these kind of hotels are usually pretty basic, as they say.

I don't know what you mean by Henri IV on rue Dauphine. There is that 1* Hotel Henri IV that sounds like what you want but it's on the island.

I think the 1* Hotel St Andre des Arts in St-Germain could suit you. It's not that cheap anymore for a 1*, though, maybe the location. It's not hard to find in guidebooks, though -- neither is the Esmeralda though, that's a very wellknown hotel in a lot of guidebooks.

Most really cheap, old hotels don't really have that much character though, they are just dumps.

Jennyg, it's not on the Left Bank but it does have a great location, very near the Louvre and the Les Halles district (which has a grungy appeal on its own with its skater dudes congregating around the only Renaissance Fountain left in Paris, the Fontaine des Innocentes, plus you have the nearby brasserie, Au Pied de Cochon, which stays open all night):
Hotel de Lille
8 r Pélican, 75001
http://www.nedcampholiday.info/level...nding=internet

The rooms are super-mondo cheap. According to Pages Jaunes:
Tout confort douche WC téléphone 35- 50 à 65 Euros. Métro : Palais Royal calme, familial près Seine - Musée Louvres - Centre de Paris.

Unfortunately, I think the only way to contact them is via mail or phone; I can't even locate a fax#.




I read about it in a Fodor's Pocket Paris guide circa 1991 and have been intrigued ever since.

If that doesn't suit you perhaps you might consider a room at the MIJE Youth Hostel which are in an historic setting:
http://www.mije.com/
One is located in one of my favorite areas in the Marais, the rue des Barres behind St-Gervais-St-Protais and only about 25 euros per night?



Christina, I think she means it's on the Place Dauphine on the Ile de la Cite.

You can try the hotel St Dominique in the 7th, it's a 2 star hotel but with very low prices!!!The website is www.saintdominique.com....As Underhill said it, September is a very high season so do not forget to book quickly!!!!

I have friend who have stayed in the Eldorado and it is listed in time out as well. They places models here during fashion week etc. Its a funky cheap and cheerful place. She was very happy with it. I have not been myself though...anyone stay here?

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I'm limiting myself to the Left Bank (but would have been willing to make an exception for Henri IV on Ile de la Cite had they not been booked!) only because the purpose of my trip is to visit friends in the 15th arrondissement. Christina is right that Hotel St. Andre des Arts looks like it's right up my alley (not to disparage its cleanliness) and that at 64 Euros for a single it's more than I wanted to pay. But as Underhill and Morganne point out, I'm going to have to book something soon or I'll be sleeping on a park bench . . .

hey hey hey... I have stayed at the St. Andre, there was no question .. it was clean...sheets and bedding leastways...What a location!

<GRIN>

Is it THAT close to the 15th??? mmmm...

Is the de Lys on rue Serpente cheap enough?

www.hoteldulys.com

Sorry to hear that Henry IV is booked out. I stayed there six years ago and it's definitely full of "character."

To share, I remember my initial "horror" when I checked in. But after a long, rainy, winter night in the room with the malfunctioning sink and exposed lighting bulb, I concluded it's the best night of my Parisian trip. It actually gave me an illusion of being a struggling artist in a dingy den during pre-war days.

It is amazing to me that Henri IV is still the same, and, by that, I mean, I stayed there on my 1st trip to Paris my freshman year in college, which was in 1972! My two girl friends and I were on the overnight train from Barcelona to Paris, and another exchange student on the train recommended it. It was a total dump, but, when you're in college, who cares. As I recall, you had to pay extra for a shower with HOT water, which was in a separate, locked bathroom. Most times when I am in Paris, I walk by that hotel. I think the signage is the same. I saw some young girls coming out of the hotel one day, and it brought back lots of memories. It is in a great location.

I have stayed at an inexpensive hotel hear the Luxembourg Gardens called the Hotel Jean Bart. It is old and needs redecorating, but the price was only 55€ (this price is a little over a year old) for a single and it was clean and the breakfast was included. There was also an elevator. I found out about this hotel from a French teacher, when he takes his students to Paris they stay here. They do not have a web site and you have to call for a reservation. Be prepared when you call, they may only speak French. It is located only two block west of the Luxembourg Gardens. No credit cards accepted, they only take cash. There is a small convenience store at the corner and on the other corner is an Oriental food take-out for some really inexpensive meals. Great location.

Hôtel Jean Bart
9 rue Jean Bart
Paris 75006
Tel: 01 45 48 29 13

If you have any question, you are welcome to e-mail me.

From another forum, a poster wrote after mine (the point here is maybe I should be corrected!) "Hotel du Mont Blanc on rue de la Huchette in the 5th arrondisement. It is right on Place St Michel at the St Michel metro/RER. It is completely renovated, clean as in spotless, had an elevator and ensuite bath. Also quite a good breakfast for only 6€ considering a café crème alone at the restaurant on the corner was 5€!

I've stayed there twice in the past 4 months and the cost of a single was 53€ per night. Do not know the price for a double or twin. It is 100 times better than the St Andre des Arts where I paid 66€ for a room that was dusty with linens you could see thru and walls as thin as paper. For the life of me I can't see how it continues to get recommendations on these travel boards."

Don't know a thing about it, but I'd pick the Hotel du Mont Blanc based on location. It's right where I want to stay next time in Paris. In fact, I'm going to do a search for its website and bookmark it.

Thanks, SuzieC, for EXACTLY the information I was trolling for (HA! no pun intended...well at first. I find the troll comments on the board fascinating, but "catching" this tip today is more of what I know of the fishing term trolling!

The St Andre des Arts isn't really that close to the 15th -- now that I know your goal, I did think of a couple places that would be closer to the 15th and are cheap and not that wellknown so you might get a booking.

The Hotel Mistral near Montparnasse cemetery actually might be a good idea for you. Here is a comment on paris.org about it -- note that the address and info is for a different Hotel Mistral in a different part of Paris, but I can tell the comment is about the one on rue Cels because of mentioning Montparnasse. I think it is now a 2* hotel and singles are also around 60 euro though. Here's info:

**HOTEL MISTRAL
24, rue Cels, 75014 Paris
Tel: 33 (0)1 43 20 25 43
Fax: 33 (0)1 43 21 32 59
single (shower-wc): 56.00 Euros
double (shower-wc) 62.00 Euros
(rates from 2003)

I do know of another nice 2* hotel near Port Royal that is not a dump and is clean, but not in any guidebook -- Hotel Pierre Nicole. It's used by student groups/associations/visiting teachers. It's about that same rate (which is hard to go below except for a total horror):

**HOTEL PIERRE NICOLE (30 rooms)
39 rue Pierre Nicole, 75005 Paris
Tel.: 43 54 76 86
Fax : 43 54 22 45
Single 60€, Double 67/70€


There are some real cheap hotels on www.eurocheapo.com, that's a good resource.

Italyss: Yup. In 1998/1999, you still need to pay extra for that locked bathroom on the outside of the building in Henry IV. And it's open up to 8pm only. I recall how the innkeeper looked at me incredulously when I asked him how was I supposed to bathe if I return at 11pm.

Amazing that nothing has changed. And I think they basically stay booked by word of mouth.

Jennyg, I utterly forgot about MY hotel in Montparnasse, Hotel des Blois. I doubt, too, that they'll be booked during that time.

Prices are a mere 40-45 euros for a "simple" room w/washbasin. The kids and I are staying in a triple for just 70 euros.

I think what threw me off was your request for shabby chic. This hotel has a reputation for being very clean, looks charming, and is close to the Metro Denfert-Rochereau which accesses the lignes B, 4, 14 (the latter takes you to the Eiffel Tower if need be). There is a laundromat across the street. But I'm not sure that it qualifies for shabby chic. However, I think it will be a great choice! Breakfast is 6 euros.

http://www.hoteldeblois.com/


ciao,
Beatchick

I'll never forget The Hotel Des Nations, on Rue de Monge over twenty five years ago, a friend and I spent the night. Not knowing about the light switches had to roam down the hall to find the toilette and recently looking for something else found that is now a three star hotel and looks nothing like back then when it was a flea bag.

Kinda like the old Hotel Rachou, right Mimi? It was so beat it was the Beat Hotel and now it's in a new (horribly expensive) incarnation as the 4-star Hôtel du Vieux Paris at 9, Rue Gît le Coeur.

http://www.vieuxparis.com

3 cheap 2-star hotels in the 15th, that seems to get good reviews:

Hotel Pasteur, 33 rue du Docteur Roux
75015 Paris, Téléphone : +33 (0)1 47 83 53 17 Fax : +33 (0)1 45 66 62 39, access via merto stations Pasteur or Volontaires, recommended by Rough Guides of this year plus 2 good reviews on www.paris.org.

Hotel de L'avre, http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75015avre.htm, 21, rue de l'Avre 75015 PARIS, Tél. : +33 - 01 45 75 31 03 ? Fax : +33 - 01 45 75 63 26, great reviews on www.paris.org and tripadvisor.com. I presume, though, that by it's fully booked for September - it seems to be pretty popular.

Hotel pacific, 11, rue Fondary
Paris 75015, http://www.123france.com/123/en/hotel.php?id_hot=1037, mostly very good reviews on paris.org and tripadvisor.com

I don't know if any of them is shabby or chic, but I would consider them myself.

Good luck.

Look at http://www.hrs.de . The Sévres Montparnasse has pretty cheap rates on that site, and it's in a relatively convenient location in the 15th.

Hello, I stayed at Sevres Montparnasse in Nov. My friend and I had separate rooms. Both were nice. Her room looked just like the one in the picture on the web and was charming. My room was bright and clean with more of a "chain" hotel feel. Both were comfortable and the price was great. I got my room for 54 euros and hers was 64 euros. We booked at diferent times through venere.com. I must add that the staff were very friendly and extremely helpful. I have stayed in the Montparnasse ares several times and like it a lot.

I just got back from Paris and found that cheap, atmospheric hotels abound there. In Montmartre, 25 Euros/single is the going rate for mom-and-pop hotels. I wanted to stay at Grand Hotel De Clermont on tiny, traffic-less Rue Veron, above a friendly bar that played actually great French music, but it was full. Hotel Audran also had the recommendation of French travel guides, but I found it only after staying at Hotel Bonsejour, which was well-located but too dumpy to recommend. My favorite stay was in my strangely pretty room in Tiquetonne Hotel on the lovely little eponymous street in Les Halles for 30 Euros. Quiet streets became a priority for me since I like the windows of front-side rooms and Parisian cars seems to lack mufflers. In general, I would recommend keeping the hotel prices as low as possible because food and drinks in Paris will bankrupt you and there are many charming steals to be had . . .

Thanks for posting your finds! The Tinquetone sounds great for the budget concious. There will be a time in space when I can stay at the Crillon or George V, but until that day comes...
and I still want great food, shopping, etc.
Thanks again!

I missed this thread first time around. I am simply amazed. I have never before heard of anyone looking for a hotel that "doesn't even have to be clean"! Were you kidding? You'd accept a dirty hotel? Now I've heard of everything!

By the way, maybe you can find a shabby hotel for cheap, but I assure you that you'll never, ever find a shappy "chic" hotel for cheap! Big difference.

Amazing! I noticed the extremely modest-looking Tiquetonne when in Paris recently - it looked like exactly the type of place I'd want to stay if my budget were (very) limited.

The Tiquetonne is just off the rue Montorgueil, which is really one of the best and most pleasant places to stay in Paris. It's a pedestrian street with all the charm of rue Cler, but without nearly as many Rick Steves-inspired tourists.

Before staying there I'd check out a few other recommendations for it. I'd hardly jump at the recommendation for it by someone who has publicly stated she'd be content with a dirty hotel!! (and yes, saying "it doesn't even have to be clean" IS the same thing as saying a "dirty hotel is fine with me"). The poster has never remarked on the cleanliness, perhaps because it didn't matter to her, but it might matter to others.

This is not meant to put down the original poster or her preferences. I'm just saying that we all have different priorities. So if cleanliness happens to be one of yours, it's worth checking out first.

I wanted to give Tiquetonne a try on a recent visit but gave up because the hotel is closed in August (so I couldn't book for early September). I've seen nice reviews in a couple of guide books. It's pretty cheap.

My two favorites near the border of the 5th and 6th are Hotel L'Avenir and Hotel Stanislas.

Jenny has already made it to Paris by now, but for anyone traveling in the future, Hotel Henri IV is an experience that should not be missed, as it will be a memorable one. On my first trip to Paris I paid $20 pp in a double room, in the early-80's. Reservations were made by smail mail 3 months in advance! A lovely square pointing to a lovely Pont Neuff, an area where Yves Montand and Simone Signoret once lived will be equally memorable. A suggestion for all the first-timers in Paris, and others---don't be necessarily so set on a location in Paris, as the key to enjoying Paris, seldom mentioned in guides, is the metro station location and its proximity, or relationship to your hotel or restaurant, or any point of interest in Paris. Learn how to use the metro and you will really love your stay in Paris. Of course you will walk miles in Paris, but should you get lost, and you will, a nearest metro station will easily bail you out of trouble. And finally, for the first-timers, always remember that the last 2 digits of a Paris zipcode will indicate your arrondissement. Cheers!