richardab

I just got quoted a rate of 95 euro for a twin bedded room at the Hotel Jeanne d'Arc in Paris which sounds like a great deal. I have tried to book here in the past but never got a room. So will I like it?

As a comparison here are the other hotels I stayed in in Paris... The Britannique (loved), The Relais du Louvre (cheap and comfortable but shabby and small), The Castex (not bad but very rustic and cheap) and the Le Grand Intercontinental (what a dump!).

It would be nice to save some money so we can spend it on food and shopping! By staying at the Jeanne d'Arc we can save about $420 or $210 each! Is it worth it?

Here are my options...

Hotel Jeanne d'Arc 95 euro
Axial Beaubourg 155 euro
Relais du Louvre 145 euro
Caron de Beaumarchais 152 euro
Libertel Grand Turenne 109 euro (cheap for a chain hotel!)
Hôtel de la Bretonnerie 145 euro

As you can see I am looking to stay in the Marais/Louvre area.

So?

elle

We have friends who stay there every time they go to Paris. Their last trip coincided with ours, so we got to see their room and what the inside of the hotel was like.

I thought it was one of the nicer two stars I had seen. I haven't stayed at any of the other hotels you mention, but I suspect it's a step up from the old Castex, which recently renovated and upgraded to three stars, I believe.

I love the location of the Grand Hotel Jeanne d'Arc. I think it's much better than that of the Castex. And while I'm intrigued by the Caron de Beaumarchais and will probably stay there someday, it's location actually seems a little <i>too</i> central--it is really just a few steps off busy rue de Rivoli.

The Jeanne d'Arc, on the other hand, is on a smaller street, just around the corner from the atmospheric Place de Marche St. Catherine.

Our friends' room was much larger than ours was (at a comparably priced Marais hotel), cheerful, clean, with a good-sized armoire and a decent sized bathroom. I'm not sure if there's a lift; we used the stairs. The breakfast room is on the ground floor, not in the basement as it is in so many places, so it had some good natural light.

I'd stay there, especially at that price. More money to spend on food, wine, and all the other lovely things that Paris has to offer.

elle

ahem--that's supposed to be &quot;its&quot; location, not &quot;it's&quot;. Too much muscadet, I think.

Beatchick

Richardab,

I LOVED the Jeanne d'Arc; you are talking about the one on rue Jarente, correct?

Here's some notes I've compiled on it:
Grande Hotel Jeanne d'Arc - 3 r. Jarente, 5 minutes walk to the Place de Vosges

Loved my room, though it was QUITE small but charming with beamed ceiling, French windows, blue/green oriental carpet, coral bedspread/wallpaper, little desk, quaint light fixtures, &amp; 6th floor ROOFTOP view!

At night I'd meander home along the northern street of Notre Dame, cross the bridge to the &Icirc;le St-Louis, then halfway down the rue St-Louis-en-l'Ile to cross the Pont Marie to eventually reach my little hotel in the Marais. I'd pass many couples &amp; young groups of people along the way. The wonderful thing about this area is that I'd feel completely safe &amp; comfortable as a single woman walking through it late at night. What immense freedom.

Another great thing is that it is 5 minutes from the Metro station St. Paul on the #1 line, so it's very convenient to everything. From that station, I'd easily find my way back to the hotel by walking along rue St-Antoine to the huge St. Louis-St. Paul church, just past it on the left would be rue Caron which would take me right through the middle of Place St-Catherine (a beautiful little square with restaurants lining it and tons of people hanging out - prime location for people watching) then around the corner to the Grand Hotel Jeanne d'Arc. The Place St-Catherine, incidentally, was one of the locations used for the film The Bourne Identity. You see it flash very briefly on the screen but I recognized it. The safe house for the organization in the movie is above one of the restaurants on the square on the east side.

BOULANGERIES/PATISSIERS
Miss Manon - Patissier/Boulanger/Traiteur - for breakfast (a real pain au chocolat &amp; caf&eacute; - somehow they just don't taste like this at Panera in Cincy!). Miss Manon is open from 7am 'til 10pm every day except Monday.
Boulangerie Paul - sits next to Miss Manon on rue Saint-Antoine just a 3-minute walk from the hotel. (Directions from the hotel: go through Place-St- Cath&eacute;rine &amp; down rue Caron &amp; directly across the street at #87).

CAF&Eacute;
Also there is the Caf&eacute; Tabac Jean Bart for cigarettes, late-night caf&eacute; or frites &amp; cidre!!
One night, I hadn't eaten since 5 that afternoon and it was close to midnight so I was starving. I popped into the Tabac Jean Bart to see if I could just get some frites and they said o.k. Wonderful people, they are! Noticed they had cidre on tap so ordered one of those as well. Ah, a perfect combination to end the day!!

FOOD MARKET
Just a little further west is a Supermarch&eacute; at #115, rue St-Antoine.

WEB ACCESS
Akyrion (www.akyrion.com), a web bar, is just a 5-10 minute walk away from the hotel at 19, rue Charlemagne; this is a street behind the St.-Paul-St.-Louis church that lies parallel to rue Saint Antoine and Quai des C&eacute;l&eacute;stins.

MARCH&Eacute; PLACE-ST-CATHERINE
At night I'd grab my CD player, sit on a bench in the Place-St-Catherine, smoke my cigs, listen to Coldplay &amp; people-watch!! Sheer heaven!!!

VILLAGE ST-PAUL
If you cross the rue Saint-Antoine and continue down rue St-Paul within a few minutes you'll reach the Village St-Paul, a quaint little area where they sell antiques.

Margie

The location of the Jeanne d'Arc is fabulous! We stayed around the corner from the Jd'A last fall and I just loved the area. Nice reasonably priced restaurants at Place St-Catherine (if Soprano is still on the corner at 5 Rue Caron stop in for a wonderful truffle risotto), lots of boutiques, easy walk to Place des Voges, and as Beatchick said it's very convenient to the Metro. We wanted to try Miss Manon's, but there were 4 of us and there were not tables, so we went a little further down the street toward Bastille on the opposite side of the street and had several wonderful caf&eacute; creams and pain au chocolates throughout the week. I think the cafe was called Arsenal and we would sit there each morning savoring our breakfast goodies where we would watch the children walk to school, the people bike to work and the locals would stop in here to have a quick coffee at the bar. Madame didn't speak very much English which only enhanced our experience as we tried our French and managed to communicate just fine with this kind lady. I am hoping that when we return we will be able to stay at the Jd'A. Nice safe, active but not rowdy, neighborhood.

richardab

So far it sounds good.... I just have to convince my friend (Mr Gucci) thats it will be decent!

Kristinelaine

I also had the experience of trying three times to get a room there and finally did this past June. Perhaps by that time my expectations were too high. We had a room on the ground floor. It was good-sized, but quite dark and I felt quite let down compared to what I had hoped for. Again this may have been due to my heightened expectations. I thought the decorating was unappealing. The location is very good. I stayed some years ago at the old Castex and was completely satisfied, but I had no expectations at the time that it would be something special (for the money). Hope this makes sense.

elle

I think it makes sense, Kristilaine. I had a similar experience with the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles. Had tried for years to get a room there, then when I finally did, I found it to be less charming than some of the other, less touted two stars than I had stayed in. Did love the garden setting, though.

For me, a lot of the problem is having a ground floor room. We've now had ground floor rooms at the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles and the Hotel du Champs de Mars. They're a little too close to the day-to-day business of the hotel and lack the sense of &quot;apartness&quot; that I like to have when I'm on vacation.

SuzieC

I may be out of line, but the Relais du Louvre is a 3* and the Jean d'Arc is a 2*... and so its not a comparison of apples to apples, oranges to oranges

In November of 2003, the Relais du Louvre wasn't shabby in the least by my definition. Yes small hotel, only about 26 rooms, and while my single was narrow, it was really pretty posh! And the suite I peeked into was just LOVELY!

elle

Suzie--get back in line!

elaine

richardab
Take a look at the Hotel St-Jacques in the 5th. Decor according to the website looks charming, and I've not read any negative comments about it anywhere. It has an elevator. Prices perhaps 5 or 10 euro more than Jeanne's place.

I understand Le Grand Intercontinental was recently completely redone and that it is now gorgeous.

craisin

I stayed at the Jeanne d'Arc twice last fall. I really enjoyed the somewhat eclectic decor and the location is wonderful!!! I never had breakfast there but they serve them at the pretty little breakfast room or in-room service. There are so many little bakeries at the rue de Turenne or the street on the opposite side that turns into rue de Rivoli (forgot the name, sorry) where I buy my pain du chocolat then a cup of coffee and take it to Place du Marche St. Catherine or Place des Vosges (sp?). It's a wonderful neighborhood. By the way, there is a lift.

craisin

I must add that the staff is wonderful...very accommodating and very friendly.

capo

<i>Suzie--get back in line!</i>

Oui! Then we can call her Suzie Queue.

SuzieC

Are you guys my Happy Hour buddies???

And, I never but in line either...and have been known to let elderly people (well, a whole lot older than me), mothers with children and physically challenged get in line afore me without whopping them around the ankles and knees with my cane or umbrella! Oh...that's a whole other post... &lt;GRIN&gt; Wanna talk politics???

elle

capo, vous etes drole .

&gt;&gt;<i>and have been known to let elderly people (well, a whole lot older than me), mothers with children and physically challenged get in line afore me without whopping them around the ankles and knees with my cane</i>

Suzie, what kind of a happy hour buddie are you if you never <b>raise cane</b>?

<i>ba-dum-bum. I'm here all week folks. </i>

Patty

richardab,
I may be staying at the Le Grand Intercontinental for a couple of nights next March. Could you elaborate on why you thought it was a dump? Were you there pre or post renovation? I was thinking of booking a club level room. I heard the classic rooms are tiny. Thanks.

richardab

I stayed at the Le Grand before it was renovated. It was a nice place but I thought it was rough for an &quot;Intercontinental&quot;. I am sure that now that they renovated is is truely &quot;LE GRAND&quot;. The location is great!