Budget Paris Latin Quarter Hotel for Older Women

Sorry but I think you are asking for too much for too little. In June it is unlikely you would need air conditioning so you can scratch that. I have never heard of a laptop safe myself, but it sounds like something available in higher priced hotels. You are only there for two nights after all, and if you aren't able to increase your budget you may just have to accept what two star hotels offer. I always stay at 2 star hotels in Paris and am happy as a clam. Have you by any chance asked the people at Cosmos for suggestions?

Thank you, Norma. Cosmos won't even tell you which hotel they are putting you in at the end of the tour until much closer to the date. And generally they are relatively far from the city center. A laptop safe is just an in-room safe. I'm open to suggestion, so if you have any 2 stars you like, please share the names; I'd like to check them out. Like I said, "ideally" the room would have airco, but I'm flexible to some extent. I have read many posts about excessive heat even in June, though; this last summer is a case in point.

We were happy with the Hotel de l'Esperance on rue Pascal. It was/is RS recommended, worked great for us; Euro 85 per night two years ago.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d194225-Reviews-Hotel_de_l_Esperance-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

If you would be interested in the 7th district, Rue Cler area, I stayed at the Hotel Beaugency on Rue du Vivier in September. I had stayed there previously on a Rick Steves tour. In looking at their website the quoted (non-cancellable, I think) rates for next June are 111€ excluding breakfast. The rooms all have ensuite baths, a mini fridge and a small safe but I do not think the safe is big enough to actually fit a laptop in if that is what you are looking for. I understand some of the single rooms are in the level below the ground floor so are a bit dark. I have never had one of them. As an older woman traveling solo I feel comfortable in this area although some think it is too touristy and it may be too far from what you feel is central. It takes me about an hour to stroll leisurely along the Seine from Notre Dame back to the hotel. There is a person on the desk 24 hours a day. The rooms are air conditioned.

I really like Hotel Jeanne d'Arc in the Marais. (Make sure of the location – it is not the Grand Hotel Jeanne d'Arc, which gets some really bad reviews.)

It's two stars, in the 4th, on a quiet side street, and in a wonderful area for walking. It's very central – an easy walk to the river, Notre Dame, and the museums in the Marais. I've also walked to the Louvre, but that depends on how much you want to walk. A metro stop is a couple of short blocks away. I don't know if it offers all your amenities – in fact it probably does not – but I've enjoyed my stays and felt very safe. It's in your price range, and I think it's a nicer area than the Latin Quarter – particularly for staying alone.

Hotel College de France meets a lot of your conditions it's in the right price range . I don't recall a safe or Fridge, but it's two nights. (seriously most hotels aren't going to have a "laptop" size safe so you might want to think about that for the cosmos tour)

I am currently staying in the 7th near Luxembourg Gardens and a metro stop 25 ft from my Hotel,location,location,location and it is north of 200 Euro a nite but well worth it in my estimation and they have a safe that would hold your laptop,we leave our I Pad on the desk in our room because we are staying in a reputable hotel.
Mike

I agree with the recommendation for the Hotel Jeanne d'Arc in the Marais. We had a good time there in May of 2015. It is walking distance to the metro, shops, museums and the Seine. We also enjoyed a nearby square with several restaurants with outside tables. This hotel is an exceptionally good value for single people. They have rooms that are too small for two people, so they are available to singles at a good price. Often single travelers end up paying for a double room. I was traveling with my husband and my sister in May. My sister's room had a double bed tucked under the slanting ceiling, and a private bathroom w/shower. She was comfortable there. No air conditioning however, which wasn't a problem in May.

Thank you all for such quick and detailed responses! I do realize I will probably not get everything on my wish list, but I figured I may as well put out the "ideal" and see how close I could come. I'll be checking into all the hotels suggested and weighing all the options. Thanks!

Two more to look into.

Hotel Caravelle in the 9th and
Hotel Campanile Nation in the 12th

Please ignore the advice above about leaving your iPad out because the hotel is reputable. Reputable or not that's a bad idea. Things get stolen from the Ritz Put your valuables out of site.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with Carol about leaving electronic devices in plain sight in a hotel. There's a known scam of people who search out rooms being cleaned and run in telling the maid they'd forgotten something, grab anything of value in sight and dash out again. The housekeeping staff generally don't know guests, so they don't realize it isn't their room. I realize room safes are not Fort Knox, but I do like to have one for my devices. I usually don't bring anything larger than my iPad, so pretty much any size room safe is sufficient for my needs; I really should have said in my original post "in-room" safe. It's encouraging to see all the suggestions for hotels in my general price range. Thanks!

In your situation I would go to booking.com and start shopping. The hotels can be arranged by price so you don't have to sort through all 1000+ hotels. I don't recall ever having a refrig in a Paris hotel room. I stayed at Hotel Familia this spring (2015). It was nice, close enough to three Metro stops; it had an elevator and a fair degree of French charm. The Sorbonne and other universities are nearby.

I agree with Swan, sites like booking.com or Expedia will present all accommodations available and you can sort by price, area, type, amenities, etc. A suggestion about refrigerators, which you are unlikely to see--depending on what you want to store just be sure your hotel has a mini-bar. I remove a couple of their over-priced items and put in my own juice or water, replacing theirs before I head out the next day.

I just booked a mid-range hotel with everything I want amenity and location-wise for mid-May in the 6th arr. and it was $193 a night--I travel solo and want to be very comfortable for my 6 nights, so to me, it's worth it.

I have been on a couple of Cosmos tours over the years and I hope you are not expecting the various Cosmos-chosen hotels to have all the amenities on your wish-list.

Thank you for the additional suggestions of using online booking agents; these are good up to a point, but not all hotels list with them because of fees. I put out the forum post to broaden my options, and it's turned out quite well. Some of the suggested hotels are listed, but many of the interesting, small hotels, which do have amenities, are not. I am following up on several mentioned in my forums in the Latin Quarter area, including Hotel Diana (doesn't accept reservations until April) and Hotel Familia. I've been pleasantly surprised to find quite a few that meet most, if not all, my ideal criteria, so, again, I thank all who shared on this post and another I have going. As for Cosmos hotels - yes, I know what I'm dealing with there, but they are mostly 1 -nighters, and during the day things will be stored on the bus. When I'm on my own in Paris, I would like the extra amenities, but was willing to compromise of some items. Luckily it seems I won't have to. Hotel Familia, for example, has airco, room safe, free wifi in rooms and TV as well as an elevator. The minifridge/bar seems to be questionable - the website says every room has one, but the hotel staff emailed me that they do not (they said access to a large refrigerator at reception is available for guest use). They also have free cancelation up to 72 hours prior to check-in. All for €105 a night. This is the advantage of looking into alternatives several months in advance, before all the affordable options have been scooped up, and learning from experienced travels, such as the posters to this forum. I appreciate the time and thought everyone has put into posting!

I second the L'esperance hotel. We stayed there June 2015, and it was perfect! In a nice area of the Latin Quarter, very clean room and 95E a night! (I was thrilled coming from London and feeling like we'd been fleeced!) I can't remember if the room had air conditioning, if it did we didn't need it anyway bc it was fairly cool each evening. No safe or minibar in our room....we used our moneybelt and didn't need a safe, and no restaurant in France gives portions large enough for a doggie bag! If you stay there walk a block to the St. Medard square and have breakfast at the boulangerie... We grabbed bkfst there each morning and sat in the St Medard church playground to eat it. Wonderful way to start the day!

Same scenario- middle aged woman traveler, traveling solo, same budget. I did indeed find one in the latin Quarter with those amenitites and that price
Hotel Dauphine St.Germain

I'm looking to stay there end of February and the price was 110E a night. Check that one out and see if it's your style.

We've stayed in Hotel L'Esperance several times. Love it, The rooms are small and simple, but pretty and comfortable. Just north across a busy street (buses) at the foot of rue Mouffetard are several places to eat, including a fine local bar/bistro. And just south of the hotel and on a street above rue Pascal (up stairs and right, don't ask me how THAT works) is one of our favorite family cafes, Longuedoc. Why not leave the laptop or valuables at the desk? The desk will call a cab for you, take it to a Roissybus stop and get to Charles de Gaulle easily.