2019 France Guidebook lacking hotel recommendations for Latin Quarter

Only Rick's editors of the guidebook could give you an authoritative answer. You could probably contact them but not through this travel forum, those of us here would just be speculating.

I have the Paris 2019 guidebook which includes hotel recommendations in a lot more neighborhoods.

RS doesn't like the Latin Quarter. He feels its "touristy". Rick is in love with the Rue Cler market. There are many markets in Paris besides Rue Cler. I like the Latin quarter. I feel like I see more locals than tourists, and when in Rue Cler, I feel like I see mostly tourists (carrying a RS guide). The Latin Quarter is very close to many of the popular sites. I like to stay in Hotel Familia. It's a clean, modest property with great staff. If you'd like a step up in decor, etc., next door is its sister property, Minerve. A couple blocks away is a nice market area, in St. Germaine, and I believe on Saturdays, they have a number of pop up stalls with a variety of foods and other items. I have visited the Montmarte. I enjoyed the Montmarte museum and some of the backstreets. I feel like for most people, Montmarte might be inconvenient to other sites.

There are only so many pages in any guidebook and Rick's staff winnows out properties which have become either unsuitable or too touristy.

Traveling is about adventure and sometimes, uncertainty. I use Rick's guidebooks, but knowing that there are tens of thousands of potential tourists looking for the same number of hotel rooms, I have learned that my hotel searches (and restaurant searches, as well) are better made with other guidebooks like Lonely Planet, or through online services.

Google Maps is one of my "go to" resources. After deciding on a general area to sleep in, I zoom in on that area and many hotels materialize. Clicking on the reviews can give me an idea as to the potential suitability for me, and most have websites through which I can check prices and make bookings.

One factor I value is the relative scarcity of American tourists grasping their RS guidebooks in hand as they wander the touristy areas of any city. I have been awakened more than once when happy (read "loud") tourists return to their RS recommended rooms talking about what time they should meet for breakfast or asking if they might need an umbrella tomorrow. It is a symptom of success--RS discovered Europe and tourists have discovered RS--for not so independent travelers to follow in the well marked footprints of a master European guide.

I buy the books; I research the methods and highlights of travel in those books. In the end, however, I want to find my own backdoors and wondrous places. It's like doing a term paper in high school. You need more than one source for information.

Kent - Understood. Good point. Thanks.

Christine - will consider this. Thanks.

Jules - Agree. Thanks.

Wbfey1 - I feel the same way. Multiple avenues to find a property we like. I do use TripAdvisor as well as other websites. Have already started these. Had not thought of using Google Maps before but will definitely start looking at it. Thanks for the tip !

Thanks, all.

I use Booking.com. Reviews can only be left by people who have actually stayed there, ie they are trustworthy.

Rick leaves out huge areas of countries, Germany for example, let alone neighborhoods.

Ironic RS should love the Rue Cler neighborhood.

Until he started mentioning it in his guidebooks and videos it was Parisian. Now, far too Americanized for my taste.

Hotel Muget was my go to accommodation in Paris for years and years.

Sadly I had to bid it adieu as the neighborhood became over run with far too many travelers clutching RS guidebooks like bibles.

Agree completely with jules and Claudia. Rick’s been obsessed with rue Cler for over 20 yrs, it used to be the only neighborhood in his guidebook. Ruined it, just like Cinque Terre. I’m actually sad he now has the Marais in his book. Ugh.

I use Booking.com to check reviews, but know that some will mention “small rooms” as a negative when that’s just a part of Paris hotel rooms! Before reserving, I pull up my narrowed list of hotels on TripAdvisor and click on “Traveler’s photos” to see what hotel rooms actually look like vs. the professional hotel photos. Usually not an issue in central Paris, but I also do a quick Google Map “walk” down the street from the hotel to check out a neighborhood, too.

My favorite neighborhoods are the St. Germain/Luxembourg Garden area. I stayed near Rue Cler during the 1-week RS Paris tour. It wasn’t as handy to the metro stops but very nice to walk over to the Eiffel Tower in the evenings.

There are several people I know who recommend the Latin Quarter. I have not stayed in a hotel in that area but have rented three times. I enjoyed the area around rue Mouffetard best. The Travelling Professor has some recommendations on his blog that a few people I know have stayed at. Rue Mouffetard is a fabulous foodie street. Some of the oldest parts of the city are there like the Arenes Lutece.

Last year I stayed near Place St Michel. While it was not my favourite area, I now treasure the Notre Dame view I had from the apartment rental.

I have stayed in the 15th, near the Dupliex and Motte Piquet Grenelle metro stops and di love that area. I did rent apartments there.

I have stayed near rue Cler and did enjoy that too. I love the Eiffel Tower, so I like staying in the area.

We stayed in the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles years ago, in the Latin Quarter, and liked it a lot. It's probably in your 2014 guidebook. I understand that RS can't cover every neighborhood, but omitting the Latin Quarter (for sleeping) surprises me as there are many good-value hotels there and the location is central to so much else.

If our host ever abandons Rue Cler it may become a ghost town! ;-)

hey nygiants
we are flying to paris middle of september for 1 night near gard de lyon, train to geneva, annecy and back to paris for 8 nights. wanting an apartment with my friend's heart in the rue cler area, i spent lots of time looking nothing, then to latin quarter, nothing. she is french basque and from saint-jean-pied-de-port area. knowing september is a busy month told her my dilemma, agreed to some place out of her "comfort zone" and different. found an apt in the 14th, near montsouris parc with balcony (happy hour and coffee) 5th floor with elevator, washer. and very budget friendly.
we are happy and content with this decision, it's a fun and relaxing vacation. no museums, art, statues, been there done that. a boat ride further up the seine, train to andresy for lunch at auberge de la goelette, walk thru cite florale, rue cremieux, floral parc, maybe a street art tour, can can show (touristy, but finally with our trips there decided yes), eat souffles, on a "mission" for a great eclair.
i hope you find something you are looking for, how many days are you there? enjoy
aloha

10 years ago I received a wonderful hotel recommendation (in the area your are looking for) on this site. A kind person that lived there for several years emailed me detailed information. Can’t speak highly enough of our stay there, though it was 10 years ago thus September. https://henri-paris-hotel.com/

I've never used a guidebook to choose a hotel. Like several other posters above, booking.com - with double-checks of reviews on some other sites - has been my go-to for some years now and has yet to let us down. I usually make virtual "walks" around the locations of top choices on google maps too.

Presumably the Paris guidebook still includes hotels in the Latin quarter. We found the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles in a recent Paris book.

I've stayed in the Latin Quarter on both of my visits and it's never felt overly touristy. The cafes and restaurants were filled with locals. But, it's been a few years. Maybe it's changed. When I eventually go with my husband for his first time in Paris, I guess I assumed I'd stay in the the Latin Quarter again, but maybe I should consider another neighborhood this time...

I was there at the end of march, still lovely. Think I accidently walked Rue Cler once, not really sure, it was the right area, but it didn't really make an impression. Have been going to the Latin Quarter every year for the last 10 years, yes there are very touristy bits, then you step down a little side street, or into my favourite restaurant and its perfect ;-)

caro, that is really good to know! Having a somewhat familiar home base will allow me to show my husband Paris with a bit more ease :)

roubrat, i was also going to say the latin quarter has not changed. Still as wonderful as ever.

Thanks!