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Centrally located neighborhoods and hotels in Paris for 70+ solo female traveler

I need help selecting a hotel for my 4 night stay in Paris before taking the train south to get to my Rhone river cruise. End of March 2026. Budget is +/- 250-300 euros. I prefer boutique hotels, ~25-50 rooms. Elevator. Breakfast available or included would be nice (yes I know there are wonderful places everywhere, but this is a comfort item for me). Want to avoid the most tiny of rooms - small and beautifully done is fine, teeny tiny like a prison cell is not. Safe for an older woman alone to get to and from good dinners at night. I'm planning a leisurely 4 days of walking (no Metro) - no Louvre, no monuments, no travel out of the city. Walking tours (Paris Greeter in my neighborhood, food tour, maybe WW2 historical tour), d'Orsay with private guide, maybe the l'Orangerie and/or the Picasso. I can see returning to Notre Dame, Ste Chapelle, Rodin museum, a Seine cruise - but these are optional.

15 years ago my daughter and I rented an apartment for 8 days in the Marais near Place des Vosges, and loved it. I'm happy to return to the Marais, or the 5th, 6th or 7th, preferably close to the Seine to minimize distances. I accept that these are the touristy areas, but I am indeed a tourist and I only have 4 days. The Rick Steves guide focuses on Rue Cler (not convinced) and Marais. I actually put my question to ChatGPT and it prioritized Sainte Germain. I'd like to hear what other travelers with Paris experience have to say. Thank you in advance to anyone who offers assistance.

Posted by
9922 posts

https://hotelparismuguet.com/

Over decades have stayed there more than one once. 7th arrondissement.

Small elevator. Easy stroll to metro station; Ecole Militaire. Invalides where Napoleon is buried is a 10 minute amble. Should check off all your boxes.

Posted by
1375 posts

For my last couple visits to Paris, I've stayed at Hotel du Jeu de Paume on the Ile Saint Louis. The staff is wonderful, my room has always been quiet and comfortable. Read the room descriptions carefully as it is a very old building (with an interesting history). They list room sizes. Some rooms have shower over the tub, some a separate shower. Breakfast can be added.

Your a few minutes walk to Notre Dame and within 15-20 minutes walk of Sainte-Chapelle and Vedettes du Pont Neuf. Cross the Seine to the Left bank and catch the bus to Musee d'Orsay and Musee Rodin. Cross to the Right bank and catch the bus to l'Orangerie or walk maybe 15 minutes minute walk to the Picasso.

There are several cafes and restaurants on the island and your just a short walk to the right or left banks.

Posted by
892 posts

I can recommend Bonsoir Madame. https://www.bonsoirmadame.paris/en/

I have stayed there as a solo traveller and with my spouse. I/we love the location in the 6th; quiet but very close to great restaurants, the Jardin du Luxembourg etc.

Posted by
3958 posts

Hi there,
Solo female your age here.
I’m just back from France and for my six nights in Paris I stayed here:

https://hotelabbatial.com/fr/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=fiche

It’s on booking.com, but I booked direct with the hotel.
Elevator to the very top, good breakfast each day, wonderfully friendly and helpful staff.
I asked for a room with a balcony and a walk in shower (bad knees: tubs are lethal for me!), which I got.
Very top floor in what would have originally been a “chambre des bonnes” or servants room.
It was small but not claustrophobic at all and had a small fridge, kettle, teabags,etc.
The whole place looks newly renovated and was spotless everywhere.
My tiny balcony looked out toward the street and the Pantheon and had one chair on it to sit on.
There are bigger rooms with balconies one floor below.
Notre Dame is very near, I could hear her bells….maybe a ten minute walk to the river.
Plenty of restaurants, cafes, boulangeries, grocery stores and an open market nearby on certain days.
I would absolutely stay there again!

Posted by
16196 posts

I’ve stayed at Hotel Muguet within the month. I love it BUT if you are not planning to use the Metro I don’t think this is a good option.

FWIW, I’m mid 70’s, solo, female. This is my preferred neighborhood but I use the Metro daily.

Posted by
1049 posts

Hi, I stayed at the 30-room Hotel de Londres Eiffel several years ago on an RS tour. I very much enjoyed it, and it’s walkable to plenty of restaurants. The hotel has a small lift and is near the Seine. Yes, it’s in the 7th but a few streets over from Rue Cler.

Posted by
9742 posts

I recently stayed in St Germain at Hotel Le Regent. The location was excellent. Just a few blocks from a Metro Station, many restaurants and bakeries nearby, Short walk to either Notre Dame, San Chapelle, and the departure point for Seine river cruise trips. We walked to Musee D'Orsay along the river in about 15 min. https://hotelleregent.com/

Rooms were small (paris style). There was air conditioning and an elevator. Neighborhood is quite lively at night, but inside your room you hear nothing.

Breakfast is available, but honestly, walk around the corner and choose from 3 bakeries......

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you for all the replies. I've started researching your recommendations and others on my list. I realize that places like Hotel Muguet, Bonsoir Madame, Relais Bosquet look wonderful but they are further than I want to be from my planned activities. I do not plan to use the Metro or visit any of the monuments on this trip. So far my favorites are Signature Saint Germain (which appears to straddle the 6th and 7th) and Hotel Left Bank in the 6th. The former is above budget but maybe I can stretch, and the latter looks a bit old fashioned (but I'm visiting not living there).

If anyone has additional recommendations, probably not in the 7th and not a distance from the Seine, I'd love to see them. Also, no one mentioned anything in the Marais. Do you have any favorites there? I enjoyed the neighborhood years ago, had good food and took a tour with a Paris Greeter that was outstanding.

Thanks again for al the help.

Posted by
1437 posts

Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais is in the Marais, small, boutique, quaint and exceptionally located. We didn't have the breakfast, but it looked fantastic, reasonably priced and can be delivered to your room for free. The staff was marvelous. We had their largest room which faces the street and has a balcony. We returned later after having stayed in an apartment for a week but had a much smaller room that time. It was still a very nice experience. I'm unsure if it is in the price range that you mentioned.

Posted by
863 posts

Another vote for Hotel le Regent. It's been our go-to for any number of Paris visits. Note there are a couple of steps up from the lobby to get the elevator.

Posted by
10524 posts

Hi, DSG, I stayed at the Hotel Left Bank in April of this year and liked it a lot. I usually travel solo, so I always get hotels that make me feel comfortable. I did have my two grandchildren with me on this trip, and of course was concerned for their safety as well, since they are both under 18. So I felt very safe in this neighborhood and in the building. And yes, it's a bit old-fashioned but very clean and comfortable. Here is my review from my trip report:

Hotel Left Bank is in a very old building in St. Germain, which is a really lovely area in the 6th Arrondissement. The streets were lined with trees and flowers, and people were sitting in cafes, walking around and riding bikes. It was a very colorful scene. The hotel was very nice with a vintage vibe to it. Once we checked in, we took the lift to the 3rd floor to check out our room. It was large, very clean, with two single beds placed side by side, and another single in a more secluded area of the room. This was nice as it gave my grandson a bit of privacy. And it had A/C. The weather was as nice in Paris as it had been in London, but it did get a bit warm in the room, so it was great having that A/C option. The bathroom was also quite large.

The breakfast was an additional cost, but when I booked the hotel, they were offering it for €5 pp, so we got breakfast both mornings, and it was quite good. There were not only breads and pastries, but creamy scrambled eggs, crisp sausage links, fruit, cereal, yogurt, and tomatoes and cucumbers.

The location was outstanding. I think I really got lucky with both hotels when it came to location. I loved this area, and it was so convenient to sights, cafes, boulangeries, pastry shops and much more. I would definitely stay here again.

FYI, I took some photos of the room for my personal blog, if you'd like to look at it. Keep in mind this was a room for 1 adult and 2 kids, but it will give you an idea of what the hotel rooms look like. https://mostlytraveled.wordpress.com/2025/04/10/day-eleven-onward-to-paris/

Posted by
297 posts

We've stayed at Hotel Abbatial and would highly recommend it, especially given how much you enjoyed staying in the Marais. The hotel is perfectly located between the Marais and the Latin Quarter. From the hotel you'll be in the Marais in less than 10 minutes and the walk itself is lovely.

Posted by
9742 posts

Hotel Le Regent i mentioned earlier continues to fit your requirements is on the border of Latin Quarter and St. Germain.

Posted by
3296 posts

Another vote for Hotel du Jeu de Paume ... I always like to stay on Île Saint-Louis. It's a great central location convenient to public transportation.

Posted by
17 posts

Hi! I was a solo traveler in Paris and stayed at the Left Bank Saint Germain in the Latin Quartet. Wonderful staff, comfortable bed, delicious breakfast and great location for walking. I used the metro which was 5 minutes away. There is also bus stops nearby. It was 400.00 euro a night, breakfast 5 euro in September. I felt safe and the staff were helpful. Rooms are comfortable and there is a nice sitting area on the first floor.

Posted by
10524 posts

DSG, have you made any decision? If you have, can you let us know? 😊