Keren

Audrey,
I stayed up in the attic, in a small single room. Was it cute? I guess. It wasn't particularly charming, but it was nice and fine for me, and very quiet. Clean? definitely. Search fodors.com, which recommends the hotel, and also triadvisor.com, for reviews of people who have stayed there. Most are very positive.
You have to walk for about 2 min. to reach the metro station. The line no. 7 goes to Place Monge in the Latin Quarter, it has a stop called Sully-Morland, from where you can wander the lovely, lovely lower Marais area and also reach the Bastille, and it also stops in Chatelet, not far from the Hotel de Ville and upper Marais, the Louvre, Opera and the Printemps department store.
I went back to the hotel during the day only once, had no problem doing that and don't see why it should be; if you stay, in a more central area, you will still have to use the metro or buses to reach places like the department stores on blvd. Haussman, parc Monceau, Musees Camondo and Jacquemart-Andre, Montmartre, Canal St. Martin, Promenade Plantee, Arc de Triomphe, La Defense.
Look, when I go to Paris, I like to feel Parisian, if only for a few days. I like a neighbourhood that isn't touristy and that is more residential. I enjoy coming back to a nice and quiet place where Parisians live.
I like walking the Marais, the Latin Quarter and St. Germain, especially the first two, but they are touristy and noisy at night, and would be my last choice for a place to stay. But that's me - if you want to stay in an area that is a bit more central, go ahead.

Keren

Hi Audrey,
Just wanted to clarify something and correct myself: the line 7 goes to Chatelet, THEN goes on to the Louvre, Opera and Chaussee d'Antin Lafayette (this stop is just under Les Galeries Lafayette department store, not the Printemps, although both are situated close to each other on the same street).

ira

>is a "double" with one bed really big enough for two people?<

If they are very good friends, yes.

caroline_edinburgh

I have booked to stay at the Royal Cardinal Hotel in the Latin Quarter - www.hotel-royal-cardinal.com.

I had tried the Hotel Saint-Jacques which many recommend : it was full but they offered me the Royal Cardinal instead (presumably under the same ownership).

Single/double = E86 pn, twin = E97pn, + optional breakfast at E5.72 pppd + Paris city tax @ E0.78 pppd.

I'll be able to tell you next week what it was like !

mclaurie

Why not consider an apartment? You'd have a bit more room, kitchen and they're usually cheaper? If you're there a weeek it's easy, for less time there are still options.

mclaurie

Here are some websites others here have mentioned for apt rentals

rentparis.com
vacationinparis.com
www.beau-paris.com

You may find reviews on specific apts here or on slowtrav.com

audreyleigh99

LOL, Ira, I guess that would be the obvious answer. Well, I'm having a case of indecisiveness, but I think I'm going to bite the bullet and go with Hotel Jeanne d'Arc. If we can get the double for 80 euros that is right at our budget, and it seems to be the best combination of location, charm and price. Besides, I really don't care if it is a bit small.

Beatchick

Audrey, I was given a double when I was there and it seemed to be about a queen size; it would definitely fit 2 people just fine.

Stephan will take care of you. He's a little droll & dry but very nice and very knowledgable. He'd help me out with my pronunciations and he made all my reservations for me via e-mail before I came to Paris. When I walked in to sign in he presented me with a listing of every place he'd reserved and pointed out where he needed to make time changes based on the availability at the restaurant. I think you'll be very happy there!

audreyleigh99

Thanks for the reassurance Beatchick, I definitely think I am making the right decision now. One question - do you have an email address for Hotel Jeanne d'Arc? All I can find is a form to submit a reservation to them on parishotels.com, I'd rather contact them directly if I can.

bardo1

Hotel Chevruse is a nice hotel in the 6th, one block to Vavin metro, and well under $100/night. Clean, small rooms w/ modern furnishings and private bath. 5 floors and no elevator so ask for a lower floor if you need it.

suze

Audrey, I have no experience with the hotel but typed the name in a Google search for you and this is what came up:

www.hotel-jeanne-darc.com

Underhill

A recent post on the bonjourparis.com site recommends the "very simple"Hotel Montebello in the 7th. Comments are "by no means fancy...no elevator...the owner and his son are super nice and speak English. Located only a 5-minute walk from Bon Marché...between the Eiffel Tower and Montparnasse." The address is 18, Pierre Leroux; roms are 39€ for one person and 49 for two.

WillTravel

That sounds like a fabulous budget option, Underhill. Thanks for sharing that.

Bree

Audrey, try this for the e-mail address of the Hotel Jeanne d'Arc:

[email protected]

I found that address in a May 2004 article in the San Francisco Chronicle about budget hotels in Paris, so it should be up-to-date. If you're interested in the article, it's at

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...RGBJ6G5R31.DTL

audreyleigh99

The www.hotel-jeanne-darc.com
address actually directs me to another Jeanne d'Arc (how many Jeanne d'Arc's are there!?!). The www.hoteljeannedarc.com address gives me the right hotel, but oddly enough redirects me to parishotels.com. I will try the [email protected] address and see what happens!

suze

Oops, so so sorry, didn't mean to throw you off track!! If you can find a telephone or fax number, that might be the best way to contact their front desk directly.

Some smaller budget hotels are not set up for making email arrangements themselves but only thru booking sites. I have no idea if this is the case, but it's a possibility.

audreyleigh99

No problem, Suze, all these different hotels with the same name confuse me too!

elle

Another vote for the Grande Hotel Jeanne d'Arc on rue Jarente--just doublecheck the address, because there's another Jeanne d'Arc in some other part of the city.

If you can't get in (although you probably will, you're certainly booking far enough in advance), you might try the Hotel Monge on rue Monge in the Latin Quarter. It should be just about 100 U.S.$, depending on the exchange rate, is clean and well-located, and whilte not quite as high on the charm factor as the GHJDA, it does have rooms that look out over the ancient Roman arena, which is pretty cool.

Beatchick

Unfortunately, Audrey, the address that the website redirects you to, parishotels.com, is the only website the Jeanne d'Arc has available. I DO have a direct e-mail to Stephan and I can post that here when I get home tonight. I would deal with him directly since he seems to be the person with whom to negotiate.

Beatchick

[email protected]

Here's the contact info listed at the bottom of their e-mail:
THE HOTEL JEANNE D'ARC
Hotel Jeanne d'Arc
3, rue de Jarente, 75004 Paris
tél : 00 33 (0)1 48 87 62 11 - fax : 00 33 (0)1 48 87 37 31
[email protected]
www.hoteljeannedarc.com