Overwhelmed choosing a Paris area and hotel

Look at the Hotel de Seine: https://hoteldeseine.com/?lang=en. It might be slightly above your budget in mid June which is in peak season.

Stayed here twice and would stay again. Just down the road from Notre Dame and a couple of blocks from the Musee de Cluny.

http://www.hotel-collegedefrance.com/en/

The good news is that Paris is so easy to get around, it really doesn't matter which area you choose. The ones you listed are all fine. I can recommend the Hotel Duquesne in the 7th and Hotel Du Jeu De Paume on Ile Saint Louis.

Many shy away from staying in the very heart of Paris on Ile St. Louis because they assume the rates will be out the roof. There are times, however, depending on vacancies, that the rates are very comparable with other parts of town. We've stayed at Hotel des Deux-Iles and will probably stay there again. It is a quiet place with friendly and helpful front desk personnel. Very well located -- cross the river one way and you will be in the Marais -- cross it the other way and you'll be in The Latin Quarter. Email them directly with a request for rates, booking, and such you'll probably get a quote within 24 hours.We did not eat breakfast there as it seemed a bit expensive for what was offered.

If they can't accommodate you, they have a sister hotel a few doors away named Hotel de Lutece. Based on our experience at Hotel des Deux-Iles we wouldn't hesitate to stay there.

There is another hotel on the island named Hôtel Saint-Louis en l´Isle, but we haven't stayed there. I think they have a dedicated shuttle that will pick you up at the airport, but I'm not sure what the charge is. Of course the taxis into the city from the airport are now a flat rate price so that may be the way to go.

If you do stay on the island we can tell you about a local place where you can get a great little breakfast for a good price.

It shouldn't take but a few minutes to see if staying on the island is a possibility or to rule it out.

A lot of your decision making should be based upon the general character of the various Arrondissements you are evaluating. First consideration is that most of Paris is only a 20 to 30 minute Metro or bus ride from every place else. That means that if you like the area near the Pantheon or near Les Halles, you should not be dissuaded from finding a home base in that part of town. I have stayed in the 4th, 5th, and the 10th over the years, while others prefer the area near the Eiffel Tower or Montmartre for their adventure.

Suggestion: Buy a paper map of Paris. It can be as big as you want, because you are just using it for planning purposes. Armed with your map and a good guide of Paris, either RS's books or the Lonely Planet guides, you can now map out which attractions suit your lifestyle and desired sights to see. RS loves the Rue Cler area, while I find it boring and cutesy. Others love the Marais district, but it seems over-touristed to me (for a very good reason) so I tend to visit, rather than stay there. The 11th is a place where a number of really great restaurants are landing, while the 10th seems to be an area in transition, more of a neighborhood than a tourist destination.

There are no bad choices, but I encourage you to read a little on the various neighborhoods across the city and then to focus on one or two for a fact finding investigation before settling on a home base. Some areas are sketchy to me, so I try to imagine what it would be like to come home in the early evening to that particular area, and if it doesn't appeal, I reject it. When you look for your hotel, look also for amenities, like restaurants and cafes, parks and shopping. I would never pick an area close to the Louvre, for example, because it seems a bit too lifeless at night. Just my impression--I am sure it is okay. As a guideline, the closer you are to activities and to the river, the more Parisian things will be. The farther out you get, the more like a large city it will seem, which isn't always a good thing.

Good luck!

We've come to prefer staying in the Latin Quarter. Great restaurants that won't break the bank. Lively in the evenings (the Sorbonne is there). Close to the gorgeous Luxembourg gardens. And easy access to the bus, Metro, and RER. Last fall we stayed at Hotel Des Grandes Hommes, across the street from the Pantheon. It's a small hotel, with small rooms. But the service was excellent, with a very helpful staff, and the decor is classic Parisian. It was like staying in a beautiful candy box. Plenty of electrical outlets and quite decent bathroom. I think this will be our "go to" place from now on.

If you stay in the Marais nearer to the Rambuteau metro than to the Hotel de Ville metro then you get all the benefits of the 3eme arr. mentioned above with out the tourist pressure. What I mean is pick a spot in the Marais but just not so close to Rue de Rivoli.

Lots of great choices -- stay in the 4th 5th or 6th near the river and make sure there is AC. Our favorite is not far from Notre Dame in the 5th. Hotel Henri IV Rive Gauche -- nice little boutique hotel with views on the front out onto a pretty old church. But there are many nice hotels and it doesn't matter all that much precisely where you are.

If you were overwhelmed before, just wait till you get all the free advice coming your way -- but you asked for it! Truth is, there are many good choices, some of which no one on this board even knows about, I'm sure. You don't need the perfect hotel, just one within your budget in a nice area -- and there are many.

We stayed years ago at the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles in the Latin Quarter and liked it a lot. Others swear by other places. The guidebooks you're reading have good recommendations (DK runs toward the more expensive). Look for a low floor or elevator, a room facing the back or a courtyard, proximity to a Metro station (preferably one where two lines connect). Use the "street view" feature in Google Earth to "eyeball" a candidate hotel's surroundings. The arrondissements you've chosen are centrally located for sightseeing and filled with good places to eat and people-watch. Searching this site for Paris hotels will give you dozens of recent threads with people's recommendations. Plus the dozens you're about to receive! ;-)

But don't wait too long to pull the trigger and make a reservation, because June is coming up and places will fill up. If you want to keep looking for the best possible choice, pick what looks like a good enough choice and make a reservation you can cancel later if necessary. Or just make that good enough choice and move on with your planning. Hope you have a great trip.

It seems Paris is a bit more tricky and frankly am overwhelmed trying to choose an arr. and hotel for our 6 nights in Paris. I have guidebooks including 2 RS and DK Eyewitness, have watched youtube, travel reviews and on information overload.

You're probably overthinking this. As others have pointed, you can get anywhere in Paris from any hotel. So pick one at random. Read the online reviews to make sure it isn't too noisy, then book.

The Latin Quarter is popular area and that's where we always stay. In June you never know if you'll need AC, but I would prefer to have it in case I needed it. AC also allows you to close the windows to keep insects out as well as cigarette smoke from nearby outdoor restaurants. It also keeps the noise out.

The Hotel Excelsior Latin sits between Notre Dame and the Pantheon in a vibrant area with lots of university students. It was nice rooms with air conditioning and they bake homemade croissants on site in their own kitchen for breakfast. It's probably my favorite place to stay in Paris (that I can afford).

http://www.excelsior-paris-hotel.com/en/

The Hotel du College de France is another popular choice not far from the Excelsior, but the HCF doesn't have AC and is therefore a bit cheaper, but still ticks the remaining boxes.
http://www.hotel-collegedefrance.com/en/

My personal fave is the Grand Hotel des Balcons. Great location. Very close to the Odeon metro stop. Luxembourg Gardens. Staff is courteous and speak perfect english. And they do have balconies. No AC though. Very nice breakfast if you chose to eat in. It's in the 6th.

I've always wanted to stay at Hotel Diana, mostly because of the name. LOL If you book in the Latin Quarter, be sure and ask for a room not facing the street as it can be very noisy at night.

I appreciate all of your replies and love the tips. Keep them coming :) Oh and btw we do want a room with AC, considering the heatwave they had last June with several days in the 90's. I'm hoping that doesn't happen while we're there, but just to be safer than sorry.

We've stayed at these hotels and liked them all, each in a different area. We used the metro and uber to get around.

Hotel Londres near EiffelTour and rue cler

Hotel Jeanne d'Arc stayed here twice, loved the square right around the corner with restaurants.

Hotel Appollon near Gare Montparnasse...lots of restaurants nearby

Hotel Hellussi staff so helpful! very neighborhoody in a real Parisian sort of way...so maybe not a good choice for first timers.

Hotel Relais Bosquet. Has air conditioning. If you "like " them on facebook you get a free breakfast included in your stay.
You can ask (and pay a slight premium for) a room with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

Good location for walking places, many cafes, shops nearby.

My husband and I will be in Paris mid May of next year. We are newly retired 65 year olds. This will be our 3rd visit there. We LOVE Paris....and have traveled a lot through Europe. It is a great city. We like to travel in spring and summer and always insist on AC......you just never know so its worth finding a room with it. We were in Paris 5 years ago in their terrible July heat wave so we were thankful for our AC. The first visit we stayed at Hotel de l'Empereur, near Rue Cler and the Eiffel Tower. We walked a lot to see this city for our first visit but used the metro very near our hotel when needed. It is very easy to use and get accustomed to. We saw all of the sights and museums. Loved having fresh croissants every morning in a Rue Cler bakery.
On our second visit we wanted to be closer to the center of the city so we stayed on the Ile St. Louis. Hotel Lutece was a little more expensive than Hotel de l'Empereur but we felt worth the difference for its location. We loved being so close to the Marias, the falafels at L'Falafel, Notre Dame and the quaint shops close by. Because we were so near the city center we did not have to take the metro even once....which was stress-free for us. Seeing Paris as we walked was a new pleasure.
In May we will be staying at the Westin across for the Tuileries Gardens. This hotel is a Starwood property and we are using points to stay there. I am excited about being so near the gardens, a new area for us to explore.
Hope this advice helps! You will love Paris and its many, many sides to see and enjoy!!!!

What Dick said about making a cancelable reservation at an "okay" hotel and then looking for "perfect" -- once you know you won't be sleeping on a park bench, the choices won't look as overwhelming.

The Hotel Ile-Saint-Louis has air-conditioning and was renovated about 2 years ago.
It's under your budget, too.

Hotel Relais Bosquet includes breakfast--a very nice buffet. Our room was large and recently renovated with a nice bathroom. On the previous trip we stayed at Hotel St Louis on the Isle and our room was very tiny with outdated tiny bathroom. Breakfast was not included and this hotel cost more than the Bosquet. There are great restaurants within walking distance including three Christian Constant ones.

As others have said, relax. Picking an arrondissement is not critical, as long as the hotel has easy access to a Metro station (one with two lines gives you more access to the city's attractions.) Remember that the arrondissements are arranged in a concentric swirl so the 11th, for instance, is right next the 3rd and 4th.
I like the 10th, 11th, 12th areas, from Republic around to Gare de Lyon, not necessarily tourist choices but with lots of life. Place de la Republique is very lively indeed, particularly along the St-Martin canal. Use the maps on booking sites to see what's near the hotel. Rooming on a major avenue invites traffic noise so I look for a side street. Air conditioning may or may not be important when you are there, but allows windows to stay shut if someone on the block is partying Saturday night.

What I like to do is go to hotels.com and narrow things down based on criteria (location, AC, budget, ratings etc) then i look through the list and see what appeals to me. Then I look on the map and see exactly where the location is (btw, you can do a custom google map if you go to google/mymaps. You can pinpoint all the attractions you want to go to, then in a different color put all the hotels you're considering). After all that, I start reading reviews. I never book through hotels.com, I go straight to the hotels website and book there...it's usually less money.

Thank you all for your advice and tips. After just about making myself crazy, I finally booked our room at The Hotel la Perle. It's more than we initially wanted to spend, but I decided it was worth it, if we are going to be there for 6 nights. The rooms a bit larger than some of the nearby hotels and seems to be a great location, so hopefully we'll get more bang for our buck. Now on to planning the rest of the trip!

Also prefer the Latin Quarter area.
I think the La Perle where you booked will be an ideal location.

Oddly when I booked for a short trip this summer I choose a hotel I never thought I would.
Lacked the Parsian charm I wanted but was the only thing I found that could guarantee me a balcony with Eiffel Tower views from the Latin Quarter plus had a really nice roof deck with great views to Notre Dame and Eiffel Tower.
What hotel is that.... The Holiday Inn Notre Dame

Still a little shocked at myself for booking it but one main motivation was how late sunset is but really wanted my young daughter traveling with us to be able to see the Eiffel tower sparkling after dark.
I really did not want to stay near the Eiffel Tower and wanted to be in the Latin Quarter general area ideally near the river.

Will see, I think we could potentially love it or hate it...

I think you'll be very happy with your location at La Perle, and those rooms look beautiful! It looks like a great choice. There will be so much for you within walking distance, and great metro connections to other sites (and a quick taxi/Uber if necessary when you are tired or lazy!).

I can't remember whether anyone else has recommended them yet, but check out the website for Paris Walks.
http://www.paris-walks.com/index_m.html

They offer a variety of walks throughout the week. For most of them you just show up at the appointed time and place and pay your 15 euros and go with the group; for a few of the special walks (chocolate tour, etc.), reservations are required, spaces are limited, and they're more expensive. But just the regular walks are great, and you learn so much more about the neighborhood than you would on your own. Definitely browse their selection and see what appeals!

Thank you Kim that sounds like a great idea!
I do love the idea of showing up and just going with the flow. I’ll check it out =>