Paris hotel recommendations for family of 4

My family of 5 (myself, husband, kids 15 & 16, and my mother) are going to Paris next week. We discovered that the Hotel du Jeu de Paume on Ile Saint Louis has, in addition to its normal guest rooms, a 2 bedroom and a 3 bedroom apartment. The 2 bedroom might be something you could look into. We got a relatively good price, but it might be more during the summer. And unfortunately they don't have AC. But the space to spread out and a kitchenette may make up for it. I'm happy to report back when we return.

My advice is to use Booking.com or Hotels.com. Be sure to read reviews.
You can filter by your criteria. I would look in the 4th to the 15th arrondissement. My favorite is the 4th, where Ile St Louis is (the little island next to the bigger island where Notre Dame is) and the Marais. Hotel Jeu de Paume is normally expensive. I suspect the good price epj mentioned is b/c it’s November. You are smart to get AC, in July you will probably need it.
You might also consider renting an apartment through Vacation in Paris, an American company and very reputable.

I am not sure what you mean by most places require you to get a very large room -- maybe you mean places require you to get a room for four people which is what is required so no surprise there, but the room will probably not be "very large." Assuming you mean US$300, that amounts to around 265€ per night. I suggest that you get two rooms at a lower priced hotel so you have more space and two bathrooms. Take a look at Hotel Diana on Rue Saint Jacques. Another option could be Hotel Excelsior Latin Rue Cujas, which has a variety of room types ranging from a quad (one bathroom), two doubles (2 bathrooms), and family rooms or suites (toilet separated from the shower/bath) that could meet your needs.

Of course you have to get a quad room if you have 4 people for one room. It will not be large; you may have trouble finding a place for suitcases or walking around the beds to get to the bathroom. I don't know what you mean by a taste of the culture; certainly you aren't going to be making French friends in a week in a hotel. I would book an apartment for a week but current crackdowns on illegal apartments (most of them) coupled with the need for AC which you will almost certainly not get in an apartment may make that problematic. I would look for a 2 or 3 star hotel a bit out from the center and get a twin and a double room. We have stayed at the Hotel Delambre in Montparnasse in a convenient area for markets, cafes, brasseries and transport for your budget (hotel prices vary dramatically by demand -- so for example they can be MUCH higher in September and high in June and July, but there are lots of small hotels with not outrageous prices many of which have AC). The room was fine with safe, decent shower, wifi and AC -- nothing fancy. We often stay in an apartment near the Butte Aux Cailles which is less conveniently located than Montparnasse but have noticed hotels in your price range in that general area which has a lot of local character.

JHK’s two hotel recs are very good, and in a central location. Less need for mêtro/bus than the higher numbered arrondissements. I would try to reserve two rooms (two bathrooms is a huge plus with 4 people) with either hotel today, before they get booked up.

I have stayed at Hotel Excelsior Paris in a triple room. They have quad rooms. AC worked perfectly well for late August/early September. Did not pay for breakfast so I can't comment on quality. The hotel is located close to Luxembourg Gardens. 15-minute walk to Notre Dame.

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

For a family of 4 or more, I really recommend Air B&B or VRBO. We stayed in Paris with another couple in 2015 and managed to snag a beautiful second floor apartment with a terrace and air conditioning for $250. It was an unforgettable experience.

Paris is spread out, but the Metro and city buses link all the desired sights so assuming that you are in Arrondissements 1 through 11, you will not have to travel very far at all to see things. The area around the Eiffel Tower is not as much fun as some of the other areas of town. The culture is everywhere, and the key to enjoying the City of Lights is to research your trip before you go so you will be able to hit the ground running and enjoy the city. Truthfully, I spent a number of years renting motel rooms with my kids and ex wife, and the experience was never very comfortable--two queen beds and one bathroom--not my idea of a vacation.

Really explore what is available to rent. Here are two I found in only 5 minutes searching:

https://www.vrbo.com/1632620a
https://www.vrbo.com/1524737a

Both of these properties have the 13 digit registration numbers, so you are legal.

Be careful with VRBO. We rented a bad apt in 2017 and we refused to stay there. That apt is listed on VRBO.

Try renting an apartment. I am sure your teenage kids are always hungry. You can save a lot of money doing breakfast and snacks at home. We always use vacationinparis.com. It is based in New Jersey. We had a problem with our shower this summer and it was fixed within 2 hours. We do stay in the 2 arrondisement. Totally French, no souvenir shopping. Very similar to Rue Cler. Handy laundermat, grocery, patisseries. Have fun!

VRBO and AirBNB are basically the classifieds; they are not agencies and no one vets the apartments so your experience depends on the particular owner and you have to judge their character and arrange directly with them. In our experience, VRBO apartments have been more professionally managed even by individual owners than AirBNB where we have found places less well prepared and cleaned etc. But each case is separate. VRBO doesn't manage apartments and a good experience with one does not relate to the experience with the nextone.

My son and I have been traveling in Europe since the end of June, staying primarily in AirBnBs. We have had only minor problems along the way. The key to this site and VRBO (which I found didn't have a great selection over here, like it did in the US) is to read the listing and the reviews very thoroughly. My process is to run a search and look at each property to determine whether it meets our basic criteria and put it on a "wish list." The site then generates a map of my picks and shows their prices. I pick off the ones that are too expensive and/or too far out and then begin winnowing. You can share your wish list with others in your party (or not--maybe you have a friend who would be helpful with this process). It takes time and effort and can be tedious at times, but we've had some great stays and are looking forward to spending Xmas in Paris with some friends from back home. I think we're paying between $300 and $400/night for a 3BR/3BA house in Montmartre. Enjoy your trip!

We stayed at Hotel de la Bretonnerie in the Mariais with our family of 4. They have adjoining rooms, which is wonderful as long as your kids don't mind bunking together. It was close to Notre Dame and the Metro. We loved it. Its in the RS France book.

Hi, last week we stayed at the Hotel D'Angleterre St. Germain. We had a suite on the top floor, room 51 I think, that would be perfect for your family. It has a little loft and a separate master bedroom, living room and small kitchen. It is all wood timbers and charm. Tres cool. It's in the heart of the left bank, about four blocks to the Seine.

Enjoy!

I would not consider staying a week in Paris in July without having air conditioning - whether it's a hotel or an apartment. There are apartments that have a/c - but they tend to cost more than $300/night if you are insisting on staying somewhere that you don't need to spend much time in transit. You might have better luck with the pricing if you expand your search to include some of the neighborhoods that are further out in the double-digit arrondissements (e.g., 10th). Otherwise, look at getting adjoining hotel rooms in a modern business class chain hotel like Ibis, Ibis Styles or Mercure - what they lack in "Parisian Charm", they make up for with elevators, more English speaking cable TV channels and reliable air conditioning.

If budget concerns and wanting to stay as central as possible override your need for A/C, then you may also want to consider looking into some of the hostels in Paris and book a family room, a quad or adjoining double rooms. Many now feature en-suite private bathrooms and you will have the added bonus of being able to use common area spaces to spread out, watch tv, cook a simple meal, use the lounges for WiFi or just reading a book and having on-site laundry facilities enabling your family to pack much lighter as you can do a few loads of laundry during the week. Read reviews carefully on HostelWorld.com before you book anything to understand what other people have to say about location, noise levels and cleanliness. Some hostels are a very good fit for families, others not so much.