Paris - 5 days - Hotel recommendation?

As a solo woman I have stayed at this hotel. It is cheap, clean, and VERY central.. loved the location. The staff were helpful and friendly.
The rooms are SMALL,, if you are over 200 lbs you may not like the shower stalls. Everything however was perfectly clean and adequate.

Hotel St Pierre , on Rue D'Ecole du Medicine, in the 6th on border of 5th.. easy walking from RER from airport, Notre Dame, Cluny ( Medieval museum) etc..

Am staying there again this summer for one night till our apartment is ready.

Try booking.com to look for hotels. Not sure what your actual budget is in euros but check out Hotel des Grandes Ecoles, Hotel de Grands Hommes and Hotel Design de la Sorbonne. All are good choices. If those are above the budget try the website eurocheapo.com, which my brother swears by. Here is a link to the founder's top 8 budget hotels in Paris: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-meyers/8-cheap-hotels-in-paris-with-good-location_b_1601385.html. Have a great trip.

We loved the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles but it might be too pricey for your plans. The RS Guide lists a lot of places in various price ranges. Booking.com is a comprehensive site for hotels in many ranges. You'll probably get a slew of recommendations on this board. I don't know Pat's hotel but she's a savvy traveler.

As you probably already know, generally the closer you are to the river the more it will cost, other things being equal, and the easier it will be to get around to the sights. I think the left bank is more convenient than the right bank simply because it's inside the curve of the river so you can get more places quicker. I haven't used the Velib bikes, they could be very convenient, but I wouldn't count on great weather in early March. The metro is fast, convenient, and reliable. Buses are a good alternative to see the streets, but slower.

Happy birthday, and don't let this be your last visit to Paris!

welcome mrolaw,

and congrats on making it to 60 and Paris.

when it comes to travel and such i use everything i can. i will try them and see if they fit how i do it or not and dump them if they dont fit me.

Booking.com is okay to use. I use it to look for hotels where i want to stay. I will use them for INFO. I will then check the hotels web site and see what price they offer for the same days. If the hotels cheaper or the same, i use them. I will use booking.com the last since they charge the hotel.

since you speck french, you wont or shouldnt have a problem getting around or asking for directions. the subway system is really nice there and in my opinion easy to use. Ive never used a subway system until i went to Europe.

what i would do is to plot the things you want to do/see on a map. You can print one off of google maps or go to some travel/bookstore and buy one. There are some BORCH maps that are laminated and they have one for PARIS. whats nice is that you can use a marker on it and use isopropyl alcohol to erase it. Im sure there are other laminated maps too. then look for places to stay "centrally " to what you want to do/see.

happy trails.

We were very happy with the Hotel d'lesperance on rue Pascal in the 5th. It is just slightly out of the main left bank areas, but it's two blocks from Censier Daubenton Metro station and the rue Mouffetard. It was about 85 euro per night, clean, and had a very courteous staff, 24 hour front desk, they'll hold your key for you while you're out. We stayed on the 5th floor, yes there's an elevator. Could not have been happier with this hotel, and the price was very fair. There's a laundromat (with a great French speaking machine!) just a few blocks away. I do believe there was a Velib station in the area as well.
Dave

Thank-you so much for these responses and recommendations from a great group of experts. I'm checking them all out and will probably have a tough time choosing. Getting excited, and will appreciate any other thoughts you good folks wish to share.

hey Mrolaw,

I will be going to Paris for 7 days in May, would love to hear about your stay and which hotel you end up choosing!

Just to let some of you know .. its very normal for the hotel to "hold your key". Especially older hotels.. they don't use electronic key cards so losing a key to an old lock is a pain in the butt.. they expect you to leave the key at the desk when you go out.. I actually like it,,one less thing to worry about losing!
I just wanted to point this out as some folks find it so strange and unsettling... not sure why but some do. .

You might want to give Hotwire a try. I used it on my last solo Paris trip and was very happy with the result. You do not get the name of the hotel when you book, just the neighborhood and general star rating for level of service, hotel amenities, and a few reviews. You do, of course get the exact price (in US$), including taxes, which will be immediately charged to your credit card when you book.
I ended up at the Libertel Austerlitz, very small rooms, soundproofing not the best, but for my purposes, exactly what I needed. Metro station right down the street, plenty of eating spots next door, including typical cafes, kabob shop, Golden Arches. Clean, 24 hour front desk, free in-room wifi. A place to sleep, store my stuff, take a shower etc.

In 2011 I stayed in the Hotel du Loiret. It's just off the Rue du Rivoli in the Marais. Very central, great location. It's since been renovated, and a single has gone from 70 euro to 100 euro. I don't think you can book it directly online, but I emailed them and booked it easily. Very clean, small bathroom, lots of cafes and restaurants nearby.

Another option is Hotel de l'Avre, singles are 95 euros. Nice people, nice rooms, on the edge of the 15th.

Pat-when the clerk asked me for our key on the way out, I was ready, having seen Rick point this out in his show. It was nice not having to carry it around, we had enough to keep up with ;-))

Thanks again for the input -- I'll let you know what I decide on and how it works out. A month from today I'll be there!--very excited. I'm going to post another question now . . . .

We stayed at the Hotel Beaugency in the rue Cler area in October 2012 and plan to return in August. It is a recommended hotel from RS and we got a discount by mentioning the RS book. Very clean and neat - small room but we didn't spend much time there. Great location - close to Metro and walking distance to Eiffel Tower and lovely cafés and restaurants just a block or two away along with the street side markets.

Do not use Priceline or Hotwire to blindly book. We wound up in the boon docks, use tripadvisor and this site.

Hi Ruthie,

Have you considered renting an apartment? My husband and I went to Paris for twelve days in early September, and we rented a small apartment in the 7th, and it was wonderful. This was our first trip to Paris, but found the apartment experience delightful. Loved going out to get fresh croissants every morning, and living like a local. Shopping at the super marche and local specialty shops was fun. We rented from Parisperfect, and they were wonderful.

Hotel Cluny Sorbonne in the 5th is fantastically located - just off Place de la Sorbonne (with nice cafes) and Blvd St Michel, but actually quite quiet at night. Small rooms, tiny baths, but comfortable beds, and when my daughter and I stayed it was 92 euros per night! It is 2 blocks from the RER B (either Luxembourg stop or St Michel-Notre Dame - Luxembourg is a bit closer) which comes direct from the airport, so no changing trains to and from the airport, which we liked. Metro/Bus stops for many routes within 2-3 blocks, and easy 5-10 minute walk to Pantheon, Notre Dame, etc. My daughter and I were out until 12:30-1 every night and always felt safe walking around back to our hotel from the bus or metro. Oh and it did have wifi in the rooms! Breakfast was expensive, so we always just walked a couple of blocks and got a croissant and coffee at the Brioche Doree on Blvd St Michel. For more cafes, turn right out of the hotel, walk a block and a half to rue Soufflot, and turn left - we found a delicious creperie and several yummy cafes! Wherever you stay, have a great trip!

Deanna thats a good find,, and I notice it has quad rooms, hard to find in Paris sometimes.. I know the location and it is excellent as you say. My only quibble.. and even then only for july and august.. would be no a./c.. but otherwise.. I have bookmarked that hotel..may check it out while there this summer ( when I see an interesting hotel I have just asked to be shown a room and have only been refused once when all rooms were full) .. I have found a few great hotels this way.. check them out one year, stay in them the next.

I've stayed in a couple of hotels in the Montparnasse area recently and I think it's a good alternative to the more popular parts of Paris because of the excellent transportation connections. The hotel you choose will depend on who has space and a good deal for the dates you choose.

Another possibility is to consider some of the Accor Group hotels (Mercure, Ibis and many others). These cater more to businessmen and locals but can have good deals. You might end up a little further from the center but they are generally dependable and clean.

Hi Ruthie -- You've likely already booked, but if not, let me offer my recommendation. I "splurged" for my trip last September and stayed at the 3 *** Hotel du Quai Voltaire, which overlooks the Seine. It's technically in the 7th, but borders the 6th. I was also solo -- paid 112 Euro/night for a typically tiny single Parisian room. Nevertheless, it was perfect. Lovely room, amazing view overlooking the river, the Louvre, the bouqinistes. It was my 12th trip to Paris -- and it's the only hotel I've wanted to return to! I booked it through booking.com -- the nice thing about this site is many of the bookings are cancellable with 24-48 hours notice -- so if you find a better deal, just cancel the other(s).
And I'll toss in a couple restaurant reservations, too! Le Petit Saint Benoit, 4 rue St Benoît, 01 42 60 27 92 (10 minute walk from the hotel, in the 6th); and Café de Musees: 49 rue de Turenne, 01-42-72-96-17 (reserve!). Have a wonderful trip!

Pat, I didn't even think of the a/c question - I guess because we stayed in February it didn't even occur to me! Good catch - and luckily, Ruthie, in March it wouldn't matter, but I would have hated to recommend it and have someone be unhappy! And I have never thought to ask to be shown a room at a hotel for the next trip, but what a great idea - I passed by a few that looked interesting - next trip I will make sure to pop in and ask!

Hello again all . . . I continue to appreciate the recommendations and tips not only for hotels, but dinner spots, etc. I have booked the hotel. I was less than a month out from my trip and as I started to check some of the recommended hotels for my dates, was finding some that weren't available for all 5 nights. One that I was considering had all 5 nights available, then when I went back a few hours later/same day, they were booked--so I decided I'd better quit studying and book a room! I'll be at Hotel St Pierre -- and I WILL let you folks know how it goes. While my natural tendency is to over-schedule myself, I'm resisting the urge and have only booked one particular activity--the last single ticket remaining for the Eiffel Tower on the afternoon of my birthday--figure I must have been meant to get that ticket! Rather, I'm compiling my list of want-to-see's & want-to-do's (including just sitting at a cafe) with pertinent details & locations . . . kind of making myself a deck of cards, and figure that I'll watch the weather and my moods, be open to serendipity and happenstance, and I know it'll be a wonderful trip. Sorta can't believe I'm doing this and am so excited.

Hi Ruthie, I am so happy for you. Let me know how your trip was and what you saw and did. I have 4 nights in Paris in September. Haven't booked a hotel yet but St Pierre has come up several times.
Have a wonderful Bithday and enjoy every mintute
Happy Travels
Margaret (Pat)

My trip report is coming very soon -- but I just wanted to again say thanks for these good recommendations and report that I spent my 5 nights at the Hotel St Pierre as recommended by Pat. This was a great choice for me. Paid 482E for 5 nights and loved the location down a side street but so conveniently located to where I wanted to be. There's little café/restaurant/bar next door, and the Patisserie Vienoisse (that David Leibovitz recommends for their Chocolate Chaud (it is heavenly!)) two doors in the other direction. There was NO view from my 4th-floor window, but I wasn’t there much. However, somebody in the building (close) next door was practicing piano in the morning and I'd get a little concert through my open window -- it was so Parisian. :) Tiny elevator, room and shower – no problem for me, but be aware – I know people that would not fit into the shower and would have a tough time in the elevator. I like that they want you to leave your key when you go out -- I didn't have to worry about inadvertently losing it. In my trip report you'll find a note about a little issue with paying the night before, but I think it was a problem with the clerk, not my card or the hotel. I would stay here again.