which: Ste. Beuve, de l'Abbaye, Villa Madame,
 

We can afford +/- EU 260 (US$300) per night for a week in Paris, and for reasons not worth explaining, need to be within walking distance of the Marie d'Issy/Porte de la Chapelle line 12 on the Left Bank (in Sept.). One of us will be out on business much of the time while the other will be doing more touristy things mostly solo. (We need twin beds, howsoever the hotel defines that.)

We have booked cancellable rooms as follows:

1. Basic level at de l'Abbaye for EU 225 (translates to about $1880/wk, including that teeny other tax they mention on the confirmation)
2 Ssecond (superior) level at Ste. Beuve for EU 234 (includes bkfast) (translates to $1950/week, ditto)

We've looked at the A La Villa Madame, which seemed to push our budget, at basic for EU 302 (US$2500.)
And an upgrade at de l'Abbaye to next level (with breakfast) is EU 325 (US$2700.)

Considerations: L'Abbaye and Villa Madame seem best for the neighborhood (-- roughly between Vaugirard and Rennes). Have been to Paris 4 times but not closely familiar with areas of the 6e away from the river. Ste.Beuve seems to offer best value and it seems as well-liked as L'Abbaye, but it is located further away toward Montparnasse (near ND des Champs metro( -- comments about that? The ideal street would be off main throroughfares (to reduce noise) but within safe walking distance to/from cafes, etc., esp. after dark..

Experience suggests that breakfast is a tricky question: one can get tired of the same offerings, esp. if the quality isn't tops, and exploring the local cafes is sometimes part of the joy of Paris -- can go either way on that.

Size of room is always mentioned in all reviews, esp. from Americans used to spacious motel rooms. We can handle the coziness, but esp. with twin beds, serious tightness can be a problem. L'Abbaye's basic level seems to draw the most comments about size.

Anyone have wisdom about the neighborhoods and, esp. the specific hotels if they've been there? Merci, mes amis de Fodor!

I have stayed at l'Abbaye many times (most recently in November and December) and it is my go to hotel. Beautiful hotel, great location (very quiet) and staff. Close to the St. Sulpice metro stop on Line 4. Standard rooms are indeed small but very comfortable. The deluxe rooms are much larger and would certainly be more comfortable. L'Abbaye has a very nice bar and a lovely patio. We skipped the hotel breakfast (which until recently was included) and had breakfast at the cafe just down the street.

Have stayed at the Ste. Beuve as well. A very nice hotel but prefer the location of l'Abbaye.

The Villa Madame is just around the corner from l'Abbaye on rue Madame.

We usually stay at Ste-Beuve, which is a lovely hotel. It is nicely situated in that it's on a relatively quiet street and it's a short walk to le Jardin du Luxembourg, various metros, bus stop, restos and cafés.

Use Google Earth to "walk" the area to see if it pleases you.

Thank you both, very much -- very helpful.

Still hoping to hear a few more comments, esp. about La Villa Madame. Some older reviews here and there mention the dominance of perfumed air and showers, not just in the lobby but also in the rooms. Has anyone been there in the last couple of years and noticed this?

I know you want to hear about Villa Madame so I will say up front that I have no experience with that property so that way you can stop reading if at this point you only want to hear about Villa Madame. As between the Hotel Sainte-Beuve and Hotel de l"Abbaye, I'd choose the Abbaye if I wanted to have access to a lovely lounge/bar in the hotel itself. Both hotels are very nice properties. Both are close to stops on Line 4 and Line 12. I recommend both often to friends but I find the Sainte-Beuve a bit homier (if that is even a word) and I mean that in a good way. Because both hotels are excellent, in this case the lower cost would be the determining factor for me.

My sister loves L' Abbaye. She always stays here whist in Paris. She has very good taste. Years ago she was one of Halston's assistants. Gerard Mulot is close by as is Dalloyau. You can go over to St Sulpice to hear the organ at Sunday 10:30 mass.

I like the Crillon, but that is beyond the beyond.

Thin

Thank you, Thin, esp. for suggestion re: St. Sulpice! Since we are nowhere the first beyond, it is better we not even ponder the second.

Thanks to others for all added comments -- all read gratefully, including yours JAMH.