Paris lodging

Your budget is tough in Paris. A B&B might be closer to what you need in terms of budget. Check out http://www.bed-and-breakfast-in-paris.com/Dicillin.php?ob=c0299900001std1000. We had a delightful place in the 8th arriondisment a few years ago.

Check out the Hotel Residence des Artes. We stayed there in November 2019. The junior suites have what your looking for: separate sitting room (separated from bedroom by a curtain) with sofa, desk, chair, mini fridge, microwave & electric stovetop. The rooms are HUGE for Paris. Our bathroom had a separate tub and shower. And the beds are actual huge king size beds. Tons of storage, too. This was our third trip to Paris and I literally squealed with delight when we checked in to what felt like a palatial room in comparison to previous places we’ve stayed.

Plenty of character, including a teeny tiny elevator. Breakfast is extra (about 18€ or some ridiculous price) and served at their sister hotel across the street. But the location is FABULOUS and there are dozens of cafes, crepe shops, boulangeries nearby (check out Circus for the most amazing cinnamon rolls you’ll ever experience). Eat at a cafe for better ambiance and better food.

The hotel is half a block from the Seine, in the oldest part of Paris. It’s a lively area, but the hotel is on a quiet street. There is a metro stop a block away, along with an RER stop. They have a deal for 3+ nights starting at 155€/night.

Most displayed price you see in France will include all taxes and fees. Hotels add a city tax which is about 2€ per person per night. Your budget, about 120€, is very modest for the September/October timeframe, peak season for hotels in Paris. Prices could rise above historical norms once Paris fully reopens.

Rooms at this price point will likely be very small, but there should be good options. Look along rue des Ecoles in the 5th arrondissement. Several hotels you might want to consider in the 5th arrondissement.

Hôtel André Latin- 124€ per night

Hôtel Diana - 120€

Hotel Marignan - pricing not yet available, typically priced within your budget.

Hotels in the 6th tend to be a bit more expensive. I strongly recommend the Hôtel Clément, the most charming 2 star hotel in Paris and extremely well located:

Hôtel Clément - 135€

Hotel options increase substantially if you can augment your budget to a window of 150€ to 200€.

Avoid breakfast at the hotel, this can add 15€ to 20€ per person per night. There are plenty of boulangeries where you can purchase croissants or pains au chocolat for breakfast for a faction of the cost of the petit déjeuner in a hotel. Coffee and tea are available at cafés always nearby. If you are really hungry, try Breakfast in America (owned by an American). Probably the only place in Paris where you can buy American style coffee with free refills (just like in America).

Book directly with the hotel if you can and book early. Your stay is during high season.

Just a warning about Hotel Marignan... it is a very budget hotel and looks like it on the inside. It’s perfectly fine, great location, no elevator, old carpeting, needs paint, small rooms, nothing charming about it.
Hotel Diana’s rooms (not lobby though) is nicer.

We have a favorite hotel (above your budget) that charges €15 for breakfast but it’s fabulous, high quality and worth every penny. Fresh squeezed OJ, tomato juice, grapefruit juice, cheeses, meats, hard boiled eggs, fruit, cereal, yogurt, nespresso coffees, fresh croissants, fresh bread, sweet butter, wonderful jams, huge tea selection. So, some hotel breakfasts are excellent and worth what they charge.

If it's character you want, take a look at Hotel de Nesle. It's not my cup of tea, but the price is great and the location is excellent and it has loads of character. I don't think they have a website but the review that I linked to at Eurocheapo is pretty accurate. Breakfast is not provided. You do not specify where on the Left Bank you wish to stay, but if you are willing to stay in Montparnasse, you may want to consider the currently temporarily (I hope) closed, Hotel Aiglon.

Just a warning about Hotel Marignan... it is a very budget hotel

Let´s be honest, during peak season, 120€ for a hotel means a budget hotel. All my recommendations are budget hotels but they are well located in the 5th or 6th arrondissements and are among the best in this class. There are a number of hotels in the Marais which would also fit randalltremain´s stated requirements but the request was for Left Bank.

The real strength of the Hotel Marignan is in what they offer families as they have rooms for up to 5 people. It offers basic accommodations but it is family owned and operated and a great solution for many people.

I have a feeling that hotel demand this fall will be stronger than it usually is (Sept/Oct is already peak season) and that those with budget windows even at 150€ to 200€ per night will need to start early (booking now would be good) and remain very flexible.

On the topic of breakfast: I've found single-serving quiches available at many bakeries in France. I don't know whether the shops are set up to re-heat one for you; I've just eaten mine at room temperature. All have been tasty; they're an inexpensive way to get some protein in the morning. Even small grocery stores often have cups of cut-up fruit, and all have yogurt. In most neighborhoods it will be quite easy to put together a tasty, reasonably healthy breakfast for just a few euros per person. I cannot address the hot-beverage situation, though, because I usually just drink water.

Tocard, I agree with you about your hotel recs, but I don’t think the OP realized €120 is a budget hotel price. Just don’t want them to be disappointed when they get there if they book a hotel at that price point.

Try the Hotel Familia. 2-stars. Not glitz. No glamour. But character, yes. Stayed there back in 2008 and apparently it's not been updated since. It was comfortable (tiny), clean, and breakfast was lovely. Stayed there back when I was a student and over the hostel days.

There are (or at least there were) many choices in the Quartier Latin, Left Bank, of which a number in the price range. We like to stay in the Buci area and I would recommend this as opposed to staying in the Rue de La Harpe area because that is full of roudy restaurants open late along the Rue Saint-Andre des Arts. You also tend to have crowds of roudy youth from the Banlieues who get off at RER St. Michel or Cluny Station and party late on weekends. Buci is also busy later at night but it is more of a restaurant crowd than the boite-de nuit crowd (disco) you find in the above. I would expect this type of activity to be greater than normal in late June/July as the French have been cooped up and are anxious to get back to cafe and street life. I am surprised they lasted this long!!!

On the other side of the Blvd St. Germain, behind Odeon, there are some equally nice choices in the area around Saint-Sulpice/Rue du Four/ R. Bonaparte etc. This is quieter still than Buci, but a bit pricier.

If you want much, much more quiet still, then you can look around Place Monge and the Ste. Genevieve area. This is actually in the 5th, at the level of Notre Dame. There are places like Hotel Henri IV and others such as Hotel du Pantheon. Less to do around here but still easily accessible to the rest of the 6th. This area also places you much closer to the Isle-Saint-Louis and the Marais (3eme et 4eme arrondissements).

Lately, we typically stay at Hotel Le Regent (Rue Deauphine in Buci), or Hotel La Perle (Rue des Canettes, near St. Sulpice), or Relais Madame (rue Madame, Mabillon). All three are charming, well located, and offer nice breakfasts included (or did). You will be surrounded by many great great and classic Parisian restaurants including Brasserie Lipp (it's not pricey but it's an institution... dress to the nines for this one), Le Procope, Vagenende, Les Deux Magots, Cafe de Flore, and myriad smaller restaurants as well as the famous chef restaurants in Paris such as Helene Darroze, La Tour D'argent, La Mediterranee, Laperouse, and so forth.

Your best bet is to browse Booking.com to get a sense of what places and prices are like, then contact the property directly by email to confirm they are operating etc. You may also want to make your arrangement directly with the property for your reservations. Take advantage to enquire with the hotel what local conditions are like and what restaurants nearby are open. Nearly everyone in the service industry speak English now.

Also, don't forget to stop by Laduree for their famous macarons and pastries, and take the time for an afternoon stroll through the Jardin Du Luxembourg. C'est comme ca que font les Parisiens (That's how Parisians do it!!)

randal, you still here?