Accommodatios in Paris close to the Louvre.

Your budget is low for Paris and you are looking in a very central i.e. expensive area. The only hotel that I have heard of in that area in your price range is Hotel du Pont Neuf and it gets horrible reviews. You might want to try searching on booking.com or eurocheapo.com. If you are willing to bump up your budget, try Hotel Montpensier.

I think the only way you can possibly do this is by renting an apartment. Try airbnb.com or VRBO.com Paris is an expensive city like New York, and in this price range you may be in a dump! Less expensive, but still nice, apartments will likely not be in this area, either, but more likely in Montmartre area. If you rent an apartment, you can save $$ by having breakfast or dinner in.

"Google" search Paris Arrondisements, (sp?) and you will see the districts that comprise Paris. It will let you know what neighborhood the apartment is in, and what sites are in that district. The Louvre is an expensive district. Montmartre is the 18th? It's a vibrant, young neighborhood, although a bit edgy. As long as you're all adults, you'll be fine. No dangerous people, but some shops that I wouldn't want to walk past with kids in tow!

The metro does a great job of moving people quickly through the city, so you can sleep in any district and still spend your touring hours in whatever neighborhood you wish to be in. The bus offers multiple day tickets which will also save money. I don't have the specifics on that, so you may want to post another thread "multiple day bus pass/Paris" or something like that.

This may be the best trip of your life!

Well that is a tough budget.. if you can up a bit to 110 euros a night ( about 76 dollars per person) I know a great place.. have stayed there . Its clean, it has A GREAT LOCATION, near to many sites.. walk to Louvre( 10-15) Notre Dame( 5 ins) Cluny Medival Museum ( 4 mintues) .. Orsay and Rodin ( 20 minutes) You are steps from the busy bustling area of the Latin Quarter.. but off on a quiet side street. There are cafes shops and within a 2 minute walk. There are several good metro stations nearby and the RER station St Michels which will bring you in from airport . many main lines go through it.. There is a good grocers within a block ( its a Monoprix. on top entrance floor you will just see take out food and beverages,, go to back of store and down escalator to a proper grocery department ,, everything you need!)

Some people like to spend more and have big American rooms,, I made a choice years ago.. smaller room ( must be clean) with private bathroom in good areas for cheap price means more money for longer visits.. I prefer longer visits!

This hotels rooms are SMALL. If you are a bigger person ( over 200 lbs ) you will find the showers small. I loved the place , its old character hotel alright. but the staff were so nice and kind, the location was so central, and the price for the area so good that I would stay there again in a heartbeat.

If however you want a big fancy place forget it.. you will need to look at paying at very least 150-200 euros a night

PS May tends to be busy and expensive on some dates as there are alot of holiday weekends in that month in France.

www.saintpierre-hotel.com/en

PPS Have stayed at a hotel right beside Louvre ( actually have stayed in two. .. they are way over your budget) .. I got deals for visits in August.. but still payed 140 euros for one and 180 for the other.

I agree with Donna and Pat, hotels near the Louvre will be way over your budget. But "close to" is a relative concept when you have the Metro to whisk you anywhere. Find a place in a double-digit arrondissement near a Metro station. Buy a carnet (packet) of ten tickets at a time, you can share them as you approach the end of your stay. They work on the buses too. Buses are fun and let you see the street scene, but take longer.

We rented an apartment in the 14th near gare Montparnasse for around your budget, it would have been too small for two couples but you could find a bigger one via Homeaway, VRBO, airbnb, or other services. A two-bedroom apartment would let you spread out, have a kitchen and maybe laundry, and live in a "real" neighborhood. On the other hand, with only five nights a hotel might be easier if you're not familiar with European appliances and want someone in the lobby to help you with things.

For late May I'd advise lining up your lodgings as soon as you can. The best value places will fill up fast. Have a good trip!

Seconding the recommendation for St. Pierre -- not an inch of wasted space in the room, but great location.

Question: Must you be, is it imperative that you be close to the Louvre? Not the liveliest part of Paris. If you would consider elsewhere, look at Hotel Ideal, rue Emile-Zola, in the 15th. Bus stop a few meters away and a 3 minute walk to the Metro and definitely within your budget.

I stayed at a pleasant place in the Marais that's probably in your range: Grande Hotel Jeanne d'Arc. Maybe a 20 min walk from the Louvre, or an easy Metro ride. It's very basic, but clean and pleasant.

We had a package so I'm not sure how close to your price range you will be, but we had a lovely stay at the Holiday Inn - Paris Notre Dame. It was a 10-15 minute walk to the Louvre. Are you a member of any hotel clubs? I know everyone loves the small botique hotels, but this chain was perfect for us as we were on a budget.

Great location and clean room/friendly staff. Also had free wi-fi and a great rooftop terrace with views of the city for hotel guests only.

I believe Sherry meant to recommend the Hotel Jeanne d'Arc... not the Hotel Grand Jeanne d'Arc. The Hotel Jeanne d'Arc is in the Marais (3rd/4th arrondissment), gets great reviews and is on the New York Times list of best budget hotels in Paris. The Hotel Grand Jeanne d'Arc is in the 13th arrondissement and gets terrible reviews on TripAdvisor.