Paris Hotel or Apartment?

I stayed at Hotel Saint-Louis en L'Isle, located of course on Ile Saint-Louis. Very good location, 5 minute walk to Notre Dame, 7-10 minute walk to the Latin Quarter.
www.saintlouisenlisle.com

Hotel du Jeu de Paume is also located on the same block and I believe is a little more upscale.
www.jeudepaumehotel.com

Have you been to Paris before? If it is your first visit you may prefer the convenience of having someone at a Reception desk to ask questions to and who can arrange transport back to the airport for you. Or not, lol, depending on your travel style.

Happy Anniversary! What a terrific place to spend it!

Next May I will be staying in an apartment on Ile de Saint-Louis through Cobblestone Paris Rentals, www.cobblestoneparis.com, they offer Studio and 1-Bedrooom units and one of the pluses is that they meet you at the apartment. No need to located an office to receive your keys then head to the apartment.
Enjoy your trip.

We have never been to Paris. We are very excited to travel there. Thanks

For that short period of time we would suggest a hotel for one simple reason. Less hassle and more enjoyment. The hotel mentioned above (Hotel Saint-Louis en L'Isle) has (I believe) their own van which will pick you up at the airport (for a price of course). We stayed just down the street at Hotel des Deux Iles and loved it. The location is great and you would probably like either one. Google them and see what you think.

I like the idea of a hotel on the Ile Saint Louis, and your budget will allow it.

Do be sure to book early (at least a few months ahead to get your first choice); September is a busy month in Paris. If you want a specific apartment, you may need even more lead time.

The question of "hotel or apartment?" is not one with a "correct" answer. Some people have a strong preference for one or the other; others use them both depending on the situation.

Advantages of apartments are:
You get a kitchen (even if you're not going to cook, it's handy to store breakfast stuff or snacks, or to be able to pick up items to microwave). You usually get a washer (not always a dryer), which makes laundry much easier, and therefore enables packing lighter. You often get more space. Particularly for a family, you can be in one apartment instead of multiple rooms that are often needed with hotels

Disadvantages of apartments are:
There's a minimum stay (you shouldn't have any problem finding lots of choices for 7 days, but shorter stays are harder). You often can't store luggage before check-in time or after check-out time. You often have to find and get in contact with the apartment owner/manager to get the key (no check in desk), which may require a working cell phone on arrival. Some owners are more available, but you're often on your own if you need restaurant reservations or help with directions, or want to book an early morning taxi back to the airport. And of course, no maid service.

Of course, all these things vary tremendously. The one time I stayed at an Airbnb, in Siracusa in Sicily, the apartment owner ran a shop just down the street, and lived across the street from his shop, so he was always available and very interested in helping us with logistics (like where to park the car to avoid tickets) and sightseeing. Other landlords are much more hands-off - you only see them when you get your key and when you return it.

Ile St. Louis (4th arrondissement) is my favorite neighborhood in Paris and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's the little island next to the larger island where Notre Dame is. I think it's the perfect location for a first visit... you cannot get more central than ISL making it easy to walk to many places you'll want to see, you're surrounded by the river with amazing views, it's like a little village in the heart of Paris with a grocery store, produce store, bakeries, pharmacies, post office, cafes, restaurants, fun stores and the best 2 ice cream/gelato places in the world (Berthillon & Amarino). The western end of the main street can be crowded with tourists, but the entire rest of the island is quiet and where locals live, the eastern end has a beautiful park and along the eastern end of the main street, a beautiful church and a grammar school (where you see moms waiting to pick up their children.. and can often hear the children playing or singing as you walk by).

4 hotels on the island, all great. We've also rented 2 apts there but neither one is rented out anymore.

Have you been to Europe before? If this is your first time I would suggest you get RS "Europe Thru The Back Door" guide book. If you are experienced in traveling in Europe and this is you first trip to Paris, do you have RS Paris Guide Book yet? If so, great. If not, it can be ordered elsewhere on this web site. We found it very helpful when we visited Paris in June and again in July of this year.

Love Love Love apartments especially in Paris. I've done both and still prefer apartments. It's getting trickier though as a lot of rentals aren't legal and you need to do due diligence to make sure the rental is on the up and up and you are financially protected from any crackdown.. I rented several through VRBO in the past but went with an agency for the one I'm staying at in a few weeks. First time I've been nervous. Even with all this I still prefer an apartment especially for a week stay. This is totally objective but I don't see the need for any assistance or daily cleaning service vs. spread out room, laundry, breakfast/ wine & cheese platters at my own pace I get in an apartment. I totally get why others like hotels. I'm just jaded and have to suffer through them for work so it's not my idea of vacation. For locations my favorite in this order has been Arrondissements 3,4,5,6,7. Ile St. Louis is great. I rented an apartment there a couple of years ago. I'm actually staying on Ile de la Cite this time. The Rue Cler area was my least favorite. Not a bad area at all, I just don't agree with all the love it gets.

It's your honeymoon, get a hotel..way less hassle ( you MUST do alot more research and homework renting an apartment) ...

A hotel room with a mini fridge ( so you can still store wine and snacks) and AIR CONDITIONING... Hard to find in apartments, easier in hotles.
No taking out the garbage, washing your bath towels,or making your beds for a week, its a honeymoon, make it easier and fun.

I rent apartments in Paris, as well as do hotel stays ( so many variables as to when I do one or the other, won't elaborate) bit I think for a first time visit and a honeymoon, the choice is clear.

PS September is likely one of the busiest months of the year for Paris( its not just tourists, its fashion week and trade show season). So doing some research now for hotels is a good idea, I would book sooner then later.

Book a hotel with the refundable rate and a decent cancellation policy, then if you see something better as time goes on you can change, but do not leave booking much past Feb ...good places will be booked up.

for 7 days I would get an apartment through a well regarded agency like Parisbestlodge (Those apartments tend to be very central). 7 days is a long time to go without a kitchen if only for breakfast and snacks.

But I love apartments and eating restaurant food day in and day out doesn't agree with me. We recently spent 9 nights in Russia and got an apartment there.

The one caution is that as in many big cities, holiday rentals are generally illegal and there is currently more enforcement of this, so some apartments are being pulled off the market and there is always the chance of that happening in which case you'd have to scramble for a hotel. September is the most difficult hotel month in Paris, so being set well in advance is important here.

I think the Mayor is naive to think that enforcing this will free up apartments for locals -- what it will do of course is make more apartments dead zones -- empty investment units for billionaires that rather hollows out a community. We see that now in my American city where many of the condos around us are empty being held by foreign investors. Empty apartments don't spend money in local shops and keep a community vibrant.

"I think the mayor (of Paris) is naive ..." That a mayor of Paris could be naive is mind boggling.

Thank You everyone for the recommendations. I think we have decided to book a hotel for the first time in Paris. Hopefully on Ile-Saint Louis. Thanks Again

"seven days is a long time to go without a kitchen".. funny,, millions of tourists vacation all over the world with out a kitchen for a week or two at a time.

I can happily go without a kitchen for a week.. we in fact spend a month or so each year on vacation and out of 4-5 weeks often only get an apartment for one of the weeks.. I love dining out!

jsdisalvo I think you have made a wise decision.

I'm with Pat. I think it's great that you've decided on a hotel. Who wants to wash dishes, make the bed and take out the trash on vacation? If your hotel rate includes breakfast, great. If it doesn't, don't buy it separately. It will be cheaper to eat out. What could be better than starting each day at a sidewalk cafe with coffee and fresh croissants?

Laughing, I'm with Pat....I just spent 5.5 weeks in UK and France eating out or getting picnic stuff for every meal. I still wasn't all that ready to be back in the kitchen when I got home! Ditto last year when I was able to travel for 8 weeks! Don't even care if I have a fridge in the hotel room.