justretired

Hi,

My husband and I are finalizing our long planned trip to Paris and Provence. We have already booked the Bastide de Martial Denier in Bonnieux for a 3 week stay in late Septemeber and October and are trying to figure out hotel in Paris. It has been years since we have stayed in Paris, usually by-passing the city as we head to the countryside. Here are some hotels we've contacted in Paris. Any thoughts? Does anyone have experience with these? We do not need a huge room, but do need either a large bed (queen or king) or 2 beds. I also need a quiet rooom, since I am such a light sleeper.

Hotel Bonaparte
Hotel des Marronniers
Grand Hotel de L'Univers

Or the Hotel Regent- is it worth the extra cost?

Another hotel we've looked at is in an area a kilometer or so away and we were wondering if this is in a good area:

Hotel des Grandes Ecoles

Thanks in advance for your help,

Margret

ira

Hi Jus,

We always stay at the Bonapart.

susanna

Hotel des Marronniers is extremely quiet. The hotel is set back in a courtyard off of the street and the back rooms facing what they call a garden are even quieter. I like to sleep with the window open and I can do it here. The rooms are small but have everything you would need, nicely decorated.

Mimar

The Hotel des Grandes Ecoles is in a very nice area. Partly residential with small streets, a nice small square (the Place de la Contrascarpe), the the street market along the Rue Mouffetard, plenty of interesting restaurants.

And the hotel's rooms are set back from the street around a courtyard/garden, so it's very quiet.

However, the rooms are rather plain, and there's no TV. But it's a popular place so you have to book early.

Finally, if you want to check out the neighborhood around a hotel, go to www.pagesjaunes.fr. There's an option to show the streetscape (photographs) of an address. You can "walk" up and down a street, turn around, turn the corner.... This is available for several French cities, not just Paris.

grandmere

We've stayed at the Marronniers, Bonaparte, and the Regent. The Marronniers was several years ago; liked it (and it is very quiet, as Susanna says), but some of the rooms are very small.

The Bonaparte is good value for the $$ and the location is great. Very friendly staff.

We splurged and stayed at the Regent last Aug/Sept, and it's hard to say if it's "worth the extra cost", but it was a lovely hotel. Very friendly and helpful staff here, too.

I'm sure I've not given any helpful advice, but they're all good hotels; my decision would be made by how much I wanted to spend. You can't go wrong with any these choices, IMO.

Bettina222

I know someone who just came back from Hotel Des Grandes Ecole and loved it!

Christina

I haven't stayed at those, but just wanted to warn you that you say you want a "large bed", and if you are using that term with French hotels, and they say yes -- that is the term they use for a double bed (in French, of course). A std. double bed will be called a "grand lit". So, if you want something bigger, you are going to have to be more specific in booking a room and making inquiries -- cite cm in width (queen around 160 cm, a std double is only 140 cm).

Travelnut

It would be easier to just book a twin room, which should eliminate any misunderstanding about the bedsize.

wheretogonext

I've stayed at the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles. It's a great hotel and very popular so book early. As Mimar said, the rooms are set off the street around a courtyard so it is quiet, and I don't think you'll miss the TV. I don't think you can go wrong with any of your choices, though.

justretired

Thanks so much for your replies. We are aware of the size differences in French beds- in fact, my husband, the engineer, has made a chart with the sizes of US beds versus Europeann beds. Lots of hotels we've stayed at have requested a copy!

Ira, I know you recommned the Bonaparte, and I've found your recommendations on this board very helpful. Thanks for all your advice- it has been so valuable over the years. I'm curious, htough, how you came to like this hotel more than others.

Does anyone know the Hoel d'Univers?

Thanks again,

M

klondike

If it is the Grand Hotel de l'Univers on r. Grégoire de Tours...we stayed there about 4 years ago on an Expedia special for around $150/night. One couple we were with stayed on the back side and slept well, we stayed on the front side and didn't--there is a disco/night club directly across from it and the windows aren't insulated. Still, the foyer is lovely and the breakfast room, like that of Le Regent, is located in the former cave and is beautiful w/stained glass lights and embroidered chairs.

We returned the next year and were given a very tired, old room with iron marks burned through the carpet thin carpet and could not change rooms--they were upgrading supposedly, but didn't have any of those rooms available. They also are one of those hotels that have air conditioning supposedly, but they control it, not you, and it doesn't get cooler than 75. If you open the windows at night you get the disco noise. Lastly, the prices are higher now, and I wouldn't go back for $150.00.

I hate to be negative, but we have stayed in Paris every year since and have never wanted to try it again. Hopefully someone can give you a more recent update (that all the rooms have been refurbished, etc.) But we LOVE the area!

We will be there September, and can hardly wait! Have fun.

justretired

Klondike, thanks for the inforamtion. I had haeard that the Grand Hotel d'Univers was nice from my French teacher- maybe it has been refurbished since you were there.

I don't know why I'm having trouble with this decision. Venere and Tripadvisor give conflicting reports of the hotels, but, that usually is the case. People have differeent excpectations and experiences. For example, most people love the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles, but someone reported bed bugs in March on tripadvisor, which kind of creeps me out, though I know it is a hotel problem all over.

In any case, I'll keep mulling it over, and look forward to any other comments. Thanks.

ira

Hi just,

>..how you came to like this hotel more than others.

They were very, very good to us, in 1981, on our first stay and all of our subsequent stays, and we have seen no need to go elsewhere.

klondike

Hotel des Grandes Ecoles is an old standard, but I personally prefer the St. Germain area the others are located in.

I talked to Hotel Bonaparte recently to help my sister with her reservation there in September; they were most pleasant to deal with. We also have walked by this hotel several times and it looks appropriate. So based on our visual "visit" and others' reports I suggested she stay at Hotel Bonaparte the first few nights, then change to our hotel after our arrival. Because they wanted as good a quality for as reasonable a price, and like you they like a quieter environment, the HB was the choice. The locaton is near enough, but "set back" from the nightlife noise. I kind of find Eglise St. Germain to be romantic too and can't stay away from la Durées for a box of macarons. I'll be interested in hearing her impressions comparing the two hotels-but that's not until September, which won't help you.

If you don't mind spending more, Le Régent would be a tad more upscale perhaps than Hotel Bonaparte and I like the location a bit more--a little closer to the activity of the Buci Market, restaurant row on rue Gregoire de Tour and the cobblestoned Cour du Commerece and the little St. Andre des Arts that descends down to Place St. Michel-but if you have a front room you might get some noise.

I know nothing about Hotel des Marroniers, and I can't recommend the hotel WE enjoy... the St. Andre des Arts. It's ecclectic, funky meets working class. No elevator, no a/c, breakfast at a long communal table, and right across from an Irish pub that can get patriotic around 3 am, but for some reason it "speaks" to us!

You better hurry and decide though, September is a very busy time!