Advice for making hotel reservation in Paris

I believe June 2022 is too far away to reserve now. Try in Dec, and even that might be too early. But generally email is a good way to reserve if you don’t want to use the website reservation form.

I believe I’ve read posts on this forum from people who like this hotel. It’s a perfectly fine, safe area. All of Paris is safe, actually. It’s not my favorite area of Paris, it’s not central, but there’s nothing wrong with it. I prefer Ile St Louis in the 4th arrondissement (it’s the little island next to the bigger island where Notre Dame is). Notre Dame is the center of Paris, so Ile St Louis is the most central you can get. It’s super charming with views of the Seine river all around you. I also love the Marais (also in the 4th). I like parts of the Latin Quarter in the 5th, and St Germain des Prés in the 6th. But Ile St Louis is best, imo.

You are way too early to made reservations. More likely the hotel has not open it reservation system for your time period so that is way it didn't response.

I'd book more centrally. The Eiffel Tower is on the edge of Paris. Our favorite for a few nights in Paris is Henri IV Rive Gauche -- great location near the river and central museums and sights. Pleasant little boutique hotel with a few onto an old church. Nice place.

I agree that the Eiffel Tower is out of the way from most of the other desirable places to visit in Paris. We found the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles in the RS guidebook back in 2015 (seems so long ago now!) and absolutely loved it. Their reservation system opens up for a certain limited time window before your desired dates and it fills up quickly.

https://en.hoteldesgrandesecoles.com/

The beauty of this location is that some of the loveliest places in Paris are within walking distance. There are also several nice restaurants of different levels from sit-down white tablecloth to bistro to ethnic (Asian, as I recall) within easy walking distance.

I stayed at Hotel des Grandes Ecoles for a month, not my favorite area or hotel.

While I do not know the hotel itself (google reviews are decidedly mixed!), I agree with the other comments regarding Hotel de la Tour Eiffel's location. The immediate area is very nice, with some great restaurants (on the expensive side), but besides the Eiffel Tower and the Invalides, there is nothing within walking distance. I would stay further east towards the city center, somewhere like Saint Germain des Prés, the Marais, Palais Royal, Grands Boulevards... hard to go wrong really.

I have stayed all over Paris, from the Opera (9th) arrondissment, Republique ( 11th) , the Marais, to the 17th and 18th…. Everone who responded is correct- Eiffel is probably not great for 1st timers, and the 4th-5th 7th is probably your best bet- the metro is very easy to use but you should read up on all the rules about ticket validation and carnets, metro cards and the Navigo passes you can purchase at the airport. Just be aware of your surroundings, keep valuables hidden, and you will be fine. Paris has great bus transportation as well.

I would email the hotel directly and make sure to tell them you found them in a Rick Steves guidebook as they may give you a discount. I don’t think it’s too early to make hotel reservations, I’ve already made mine and my RS tour is in May 2022.

I don’t know this hotel you mention or its location but I have stayed in a hotel on the Ile-St.Louis which is a perfect place, like a charming small village in the middle of Paris. We simply loved it! Hotel de Lutece. Run, don’t walk, email them and make your reservation. I have friends who are planning to stay there in January right after New Years. So, I know the hotel is still in business. You will thank me!
Enjoy, the Eastern France tour sounds amazing!

We stayed in this area in 2019 (Hotel Dusquene Eiffel) with the RS Best of Paris tour, which we took just prior to the Best of Eastern France. It was our first stay in Paris, and we managed to navigate our way around for several days prior to the start of the tour (my husband is a city guy). When the tour began, we were well oriented by our tour guide who showed us how to use the metro and buses to get around. The location was fine for our stay, but when we go back in the future, I'd follow the advice of the posters above to stay in a more central location.

Both tours were great, even though we had wet, rainy weather for our week in Paris.

We are aso taking the Eastern France tour - in September - and will spend a few days in Paris prior to tour.
Agree with suggestions to stay in a more central location. In our case we like the ile St Louis and stayed at Hotel de Lutece on prior trip to Paris. Before the tour next year we will be staying at Hotel du Jeu de Paume also on ile St Louis. Found that the booking web sites are not handling reservations that far in advance. So e-mailed the hotel directly and have a confirmed stay.
Bear in mind that $250 USD is a tad on the low side for 3 & 4 star hotels in Paris; particularly in high season. If you look at it from a euro perspective - 250 euros - brings it to the $300 USD range, which will give you a much better selection of hotels to choose from.

FYI, if you want to stay additional nights at a tour hotel, it is best to email them directly. Tour hotels have a working relationship with RSE which includes knowing that there will be RSE guests who will be requesting additional nights. They will often save a block of rooms for this purpose, which means not making them available to the public through their own or third party booking sites. You have to tell them you are on the RSE tour, and they will (in our experience) give you the same room you'll have on the tour, and possibly a better rate.

Hi Vonnie, I like the area surrounding the Eiffel Tower (7th arrondissement). There are many nice cafes and brasseries that are moderately priced (for Paris). I love being able to walk over to see the ET light up every night. My two favorite hotels are the Londres Eiffel and the Hotel de l’Empereur (by Napoleon’s Tomb). Paris is very walkable and there are metro and bus stations everywhere, so no problem getting around town. We already made reservations for June so I don’t think it’s too early to book. We’ve never stayed at the hotel you mentioned, but the neighborhood is fine. Try emailing to follow up.

PS - we’ve done all the RS tours in France. You’ll ❤️ Eastern France! Bon voyage!

Ile St Louis gets my vote for good central location

We have stayed at the Hotel des Grand Ecoles twice -- we loved it the first time -- the garden where you can bring in your take out and picnic is lovely. And we were there during lovely spring weather.

The second time was in June and it was warm -- our room on the unventilated, no cross draft upper floor measured 100F in the afternoon and did not get comfortable at night even though the air outside dropped into a comfortable zone. The room was also very warn and shabby with a scary stain on the carpet outside the bathroom. Perhaps they have refurbished but beware the room you choose in this un air conditioned place in any warm month. The garden is its big draw -- the location is good.

Even the garden at Hotel des Grandes Ecoles was shabby and overgrown each time I’ve stopped in there in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Maybe it’s gotten better since then.

I like the Le Citizen Hotel in the 10th Arr. It is a very easy walk from the Le Citizen to the Gare de l'Est, where you will catch the train to Reims. The neighborhood is fun and well-served by public transportation to take you the popular attractions. We have stayed there twice, the last time in September 2019.

https://lecitizenhotel.com/en/les-chambres/#point-la-petite

The Métro is great, I love it, but it does take time out of your day, and there can be lots of stairs and long tunnel walks. I prefer staying in the heart of Paris, per my recs above, so I am already in the most beautiful part of Paris (by the river) and close to many sites that I can easily walk to.

I have to say that if you are in shape, active, and the weather is agreeable, almost everything is within walking distance of that hotel's location, and it really becomes just a time constraint. Walking (or the metro) takes time, but Paris is a VERY walkable city, and it is on those walks - to and from various attractions - where a TON of the MAGIC of a city takes place. A small park, an interesting church, a tasty bakery, or just strolling amid interesting architecture or along the Seine.
So, sure, you'll need to budget time to get to Notre Dame or the Louvre or Luxembourg Gardens or wherever, but that "time" is actually a great part of the visit.

Of course, if walking is not your thing or easy for you, sure, picking a spot closer to your key sites is helpful, but if you can do it, walking is the best way to see Paris and a lot of other cities.
And, yes, the reservation window is likely too far out still. However, you can always CALL the hotel - they will speak English - as well as e-mail with general questions, so even without getting that reservation locked down, you can have some idea when the window opens and get any other questions answered too (breakfast, types of rooms, elevator access, bag storage, whatever).

My top 4 Paris hotels are as follows: All are independant hotels.

1. Saint-Petersbourg Opera - 3 min walk from the Opera and in a great little neighbourhood near les grands magasins.
2. Hotel Lyric - Near the Opera but also a 8 minute walk from the Louvre. Really a remarkable location. I've walked from there to the Louvre and aux Halles. They also have a great hamman and pool which is very comforting after a long day of sight seeing.
3. Hotel Louvois - right next to the above hotel but a bit ritzier. The pool is also top.
4. Hotel Yllen Eiffel - 3 stars, whimsical decor, and perhaps the best breakfast of my life.
   

I've come to realize that as much as I enjoy riding subways, their big advantage is also their big disadvantage - they're buried underground! So no sightseeing, but rapid transit.

Don't forget the Metro alternatives -- the bus system goes through scenic (and less-scenic) areas above ground, where you can see the sights and enter at street level, no stairs.

Check out Hotel Relais Bosquet https://hotel-paris-bosquet.com/

It is also a Rick Steves recommended hotel and just wonderful. Five minute walk to the Tower, and one block from the Rue Cler markets and restaurants. Very nice neighborhood. Less than a 10-minute walk to the Seine, They do run specials that include breakfast. They even have rooms with Eiffel Tower views.

We have stayed twice at Signature St. Germain in the sixth arrondissement. It’s a lovely boutique hotel and conveniently located. The staff is wonderful … always willing to go above and beyond to help. I personally preferred that area to the neighborhood surrounding the Eiffel Tower. I found the Eiffel Tower magnificent from a distance but not all that impressive up close (and far too crowded), but I know I’m probably in the minority with that opinion.

Wherever you stay, enjoy your trip. Paris is a magical city!