We need a little help!
 

Hello everyone. It has been a while since I have posted and I must say time flys. I haven't completed my full trip report from the month we were in Europe and the photos aren't even in an album. Eventually I will get a nice website built with all my trip reports on it. Until then, we need some help.

We were able to get a great fare out of Jacksonville, FL to Paris, France in March. We only had to pay $461.00 r/t. on American. I am sure some of you are tired of the same old questions. I have done a complete search on Fodor's and Tripadvisor on hotels in Paris. I do not want to land another bad deal on a Paris hotel. These are the hotels we are thinking about.

Ibis Paris Cambronne Tour Eiffel (2star, 75E)

http://www.ibishotel.com/ibis/ficheh...he_hotel.shtml

Hotel Residence Monge (2star, 75-95E)

http://www.hotelmonge.com

Holiday Inn Paris Tour Eiffel (117E)

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/hd/pargr?irs=y

Holiday Inn Montparnasse (87E)

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/hd/parrg?irs=y

Holiday Inn Paris La Villette (100E)

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/hd/parpn?irs=y

Holiday Inn Express Paris-Place D'Itali (87E)

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/hd/parpi?irs=y

You may ask why a Holiday Inn? I have been very impressed with Holiday Inn's in Europe. My heart is set on the Holiday Inn Paris La Villette. It is a four star hotel and have read good reviews on it. However, people say that it is in an industrial part of Paris. I don't really think I am looking for that "Paris Charm" hotel. I want a hotel that is similar to an American Hotel. I don't want to hear a scooter go by my window at 3:00 a.m. If anyone has any suggestions about any of these hotels listed, please respond.

Hi
If you've already read the customer comments, I'm not sure what else you are looking for.
The Monge has been often praised here and elsewhere as you know, but it doesn't sound like an American-style hotel to me. What makes you still consider it?

By the way, a scooter going by at 3am is unrelated, at least to my mind, to what style or type of services the hotel has.
What you want in that case is a room not facing a busy street, no matter where it is or what kind of hotel it is.

If your heart is set, then just get on with it already.

Just don't whine later about the killer smog in the industrial zone and it taking an hour to get into town every morning! I heard it was a long distance call from that place to Paris! And I'm sure that green, stinking stuff in the gutters is harmless if you'll only be there a week or so.

Seriously, you need to do what feels right, but only after you have done a proper amount of research and weighed reviews from all these places.

Ibis Tour eiffel or Holiday inn eiffel are relatively good choices...
La villette is not good and for a 5* you can also take an airport hotel...
Better to be in the heart of paris in a good 2* like the Ibis but better in the Holiday inn Eiffel.
You can also try the hotel Chopin near the musée Grévin.It's in a "passage" and it's certainly the quietest hotel of Paris...Problem is that it has only 32 rooms so you have to reserv long in advance. It is in the fodor's choice and for me it's really a very good one.
A little more expensive, but always affordable try hotel de la Bourdonnais, near Eiffel tower...Rooms on the rear are really quiet : 011 33 1 47 05 75 54
and fax : 011 33 1 45 55 75 54.
Enjoy your stay.
Erik.

http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/pivi/f_pivi.htm

I went to the website for the public transportation in Paris...here is a sample of how to get pretty much to the center of Paris...the 1st arrondisement and how long it would take....
Now if you plan on leaving your hotel for the day and just lollygagging around Paris and you don't mind the length of travel...then go for it...
Personally I would want to be able to get to my hotel in a reasonable amount of time if I decided to take a nap or something...just my two cents..
I think mon petit gives some great advice...
Anyway the bottom line is have a great trip. Whatever you decide report back and let us know if it fit the bill for you. Good luck on your planning!

I do have some thoughts, which is I'd go with one of the first two for locaiton, probably, and I'd choose Hotel Monge as best and best hotel. Ibis is fine if you understand what you are getting, there are plenty of photos and websites so no surprises.

HOliday Inns vary all over the place in Paris so that name doesn't really mean a lot, not like in the US. They can be modern lower-budget chain hotels in some cases, often on the outskirts or less charming areas of cities, and others are just normal midsize French hotels (sometimes called Garden Express) and others can be larger 4* nicer French hotels, like the one at Republique. It's just a franchise. The hotels are French, so I don't know what you are expecting to be more similar to American hotels in comparison to a French hotel in the same category and price range. Maybe they do vary somewhat given they figure they might appeal more to tour groups and American tourists because of the name, but I don't know what that would be.

La Villette is way on the edge of Paris, that's the main problem. It's a large modern hotel for business and conventions. It is near the Music Museum, as I understand it, so that's not as bad as it could be. However, I don't understand your options, going from rock-bottom Ibis 2* hotels to expensive 4* hotels. If that's what you want to spend and the style of hotel you want, why don't you get the 4* Holiday Inn Republique instead? That is nicer than the one at La Villette and a convenient in-city location.

The HI Montparnasse is kind of far back in the 15th around VOlontieres metro stop. It would be better than where La Villete is, howeer. I've seen the outside of HI Express place d'Italie. This is a typical boxy new modern chain hotel, small, not the luxurious variety. I don't like that location, zero on the charm-scale around place d'Italie. If you don't want to hear scooters going by your windows, that might be tough in many of these places. You will near them on rue Monge, but being a HI doesn't ensure scooter-free streets.

What exactly is your budget, I can't figure it out? My best suggestion is for your to consider the HI Republique from your requirements and preferences.