Looking for inexpensive, but safe and clean hotels in Paris. I am considering Hotel Pratic, which Rick Steves recommends in his 2017 Paris book, but saw some bad reviews in trip adviser. Any recommendations?
Posted by
Franklin, TN, USA
920 posts
Is this your first Paris visit?
We have been there twice....our first visit we stayed in Hotel Empereur near the Eiffel Tower. We loved being so close to the Rue Cler neighborhood where we ate at a charming bakery every morning and had our clothes laundered. It was also near a great grocery and the subway and was very convenient. We used the subway to travel to all of the tourist spots we needed to visit. We felt very safe and it was clean with a very large room and bathroom.
Our second visit we stayed at a pricier hotel on the Ile St. Louis called Hotel Lutece. We purposely wanted a hotel with a more central location and it was great. The rom was smaller but the location made it worth it. We did not have to take the subway once because we could walk everywhere. We felt this new location put us in a place to discover a brand new side of Paris we did not see on the first trip.
Posted by
183 posts
I"ll second Jane's comments about Hotel De Le'Empereur. Stayed there about 10 years ago and absolutely loved it. I believe that it has been sold since then and dramatically upgraded and redecorated (plus AC has been added). My fiance and I will be staying there this fall.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Hotel Pratic is in an excellent location in the Marais. Rick's 2017 book indicates that hallways can be dark and rooms small and characterless but clean. If recent bad reviews said they weren't clean, that would be something to consider. Or if recent reviews talked about construction noise, that issue appears to be over. In fact, the hotel's web site says that all rooms have been remodeled! So Rick's description will change in the next book, and prices may also change. They also have a true single room, which would usually be cheaper than the rate for a single person in a double room.
Posted by
northern CA
2766 posts
Hotel du Vieux Marais also has true singles and excellent location. And dark narrow halls and staircases. Pick the bakery to your left rather than the one to your right as you exit, though.
Posted by
NYC
490 posts
First trip do not stay near Eiffel tower...it requires metro travel to most OTHER sights.. I lived 2 blocks from the Eiffel tower and hated having to metro everywhere...it was built at what was and still is the edge of Paris proper...
IMHO..stay in Marais for convenience. There is always a risk in a budget hotel at least it has RS reviews.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon...Formerly Ventura, CA
2262 posts
A friend stayed at Hotel Jeanne d'Arc, and said it was fine. Two years ago it was about 100 euro/night, they were doing some light remodeling at the time...
Posted by
3439 posts
I'm one of those people who hated the Rue Cler area and didn't start liking Paris until we stayed here:
Posted by
Fallbrook, CA, USA
48 posts
Regarding the Rue Cler neighborhood, if you are over 140 pounds and/or taller than 6 foot, the Hotel Leveque is not for you. Just returned from Paris having stayed there and could not bend over in the shower. I am 5'6". My husband s 6' 2". The toilet in the tiny bathroom requires sitting sideways, or resting your knees against the wall in front of the toilet. The room was clean and comfortable except for the size of the bathroom which I figure is about the same size as the room in my home that houses only the toilet!
Rue Cler is a lovely exciting neighborhood and the Tribeca restaurant just terrific in terms of food and pleasant service. Next trip? We're going to find out if the bathroom in the hotel we're considering can accommodate average sized people!