Needing inexpensive hotels in Paris

My niece (solo traveler in 30's) stays at Caulincourt Hotel which could best be described as an upscale boutique hostel. It does have ensuite private rooms which are very reasonable. Website is http://Caulincourt.com.

September is peak season for Paris (lots of trade shows), so book something refundable as soon as you can, which you can then cancel if you find something better.

I like the EuroCheapo website, but be aware that the hotels it lists are not secrets, so again, you have to act fast to get a room. The site also has descriptions of neighborhoods, which you may find useful even if the hotels they list are not suitable or not available: http://www.eurocheapo.com/paris/

For a daughter and friend traveling alone, be a little careful looking for, as you called it, "inexpensive" hotels in Paris. Paris is a moderately expensive hotel European city. And you will of course want to use caution to insure the lodging is suitable and that safety and reasonable comfort have not been unknowingly sacrificed to find a cheap hotel.

I would start with the accommodations described in Rick's Paris book and check availability at the cheapest ones; at least you can see what he says about the area. If no luck, then you may need to move on to other online resources and/or neighborhoods. Proximity to a metro or bus stop is also useful info before booking.

September is one of the most expensive months of the year to be in Paris. Along with numerous trade shows and beautiful weather, Fashion Week descends in the middle of the month with a flurry, driving prices of hotels pretty high.

Your daughter and her friend would be wise to not ignore hostels. Hostels are nice for people of all ages, but especially those in college and under 30. They usually include breakfast and many have private baths in some rooms and bars in the lobby. It's a great way to meet interesting people from all over the world without breaking the bank. Hostelworld.com is a good place to start.

Thank you for all your wonderful advice, everyone!!!

Hotel St Pierre on Rue Ecole Du Medicine ( there are a few hotels with similar name).

This is a great cheap hotel in an excellent central location. Staff are nice. Rooms are clean and have ac .

Rooms are however VERY small and plainly decorated. Lobby is cute though and it has a very cool old fashioned elevator.. so hotel has character.

Staff are nice.

Location is so central they will walk to most sites.. walk to river.. across street from the bustling Latin Quarter. but on a quiet side street.

If you strike out with the indie hotels, Paris seems to have a dozen Ibis Hotels in every arrondissement, and for somewhere around $100 usd a night (sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less) you generally get a basic but clean room with bathroom ensuite, wifi, central heat/air, 24 hour front desk and security and a small bar/restaurant area.

http://www.accorhotels.com/hotel-directory/gb/europe/france/paris/paris-hotel.htm

I would try a site like Booking,com they have a very large number of hotels and their map system is really slick. Plug in your dates, location preference and price range and see what comes up. If you don't like what it shows you can make adjustments in your screening parameters and just keep looking. We have liked staying in the Latin Quarter it is pleasant and off the main drags it is quiet and well located to a lot of the places of interest. We have found their ratings to be reasonably reliable since you have to have booked through them to rate the establishment. I generally discard the highest and lowest and go with what the majority says. Forget Rick's books, you are six months late for that.

I recommend Hotel de l'Avre in the 15th arrondissement. Very safe area, metro stop close, wonderful, clean hotel with a nice garden, wonderful owner and staff.

Check the Reviews section of this forum for more recs.

If you're looking for something inexpensive, I would recommend an Airbnb as they're usually much cheaper than hotels and we've never had a problem with one (so far!). We used it in Paris last month and stayed near the Pompidou Center and thought it was a great area -- safe and it has enough places to eat/shop that you don't have to go far (unless you want to!). And it's not too far form metro stops so you can get around the city quickly.