Recommendation of central hotel in Paris

I'm sure you will get good recommendations from others, but you could start with a search on booking.com, which has good filters like price and location, as well as a map. You may like climbing stairs, but I (in your age group) would also look for an elevator under "amenities" I believe, especially because the cheaper rooms and singles tend to be on higher floors. (Remember that in Europe the "first floor" is what Americans would call the second.) EDIT -- Another tip -- if the room has a "bath," that means a bathtub and likely more expensive than just a shower ("douche"). Also, try to book the room directly with the hotel itself instead of through booking.com or another search site. That way the hotel gets your whole payment, and it may be easier to cancel or adjust if a problem arises.

Your price is on the low side for Paris, especially the central areas where you can walk to many sights. But the Metro is easy to use, and you might look for a place within a few blocks of a Metro station, preferably one where two lines intersect. Google Earth's "street view" feature will let you "explore" the street and neighborhood of any hotel. Cafes, bakeries, and restaurants are pretty much everywhere.

Have fun planning this trip and I hope conditions will allow you to do it eleven months from now.

Thank you Dick for your swift response. I had reviewed Rick Steve’s recommendations for booking hotel rooms. I’ll remember to use the term douche when searching amenities. Are you able to suggest any one district over another (safety, convenience) for my age bracket?

I'd try to start thinking in Euro as that is how you'll pay for your hotel. On your next trip, lol, you'll naturally think in Euro! Right now they are pretty close together but unknown what the currency situation will be for next spring.

The hotel I usually stay in in the 7th, Hotel Beaugency, usually has rooms in your price range HOWEVER it looks like they are not accepting reservations that far out. I checked for October and the single room I usually get is 150E. This is a hotel that RS 21 day Best of Europe tours stay in so it is often full. I am 70 and often will take the Metro to my destination then work my way back to the hotel on foot during the day. It's in the Rue Cler area which many on this forum pooh-pooh but I enjoy it. I like watching parents walk their kiddos to school in the AM and like watching the older kids head to the gelato shop in the afternoon when school lets out, lol! I like having a glass of wine on the cafe terraces in the late afternoon and seeing the waiters greet the locals and their dogs. Very nice feeling to me. People complain that it's filled with Rikniks bearing their blue and yellow books but I've not noticed that at all.

I will caution you to check cancellation policies and do NOT, no matter how attractive, book a non-refundable rate. I think a lot of hotels refunded them this time but in future I wonder if they will be as generous. I'd want to be able to cancel up to shortly before my travel dates.

I think with your budget, you should consider one of the chain hotels. Our Paris hotel of choice (Le Citizen) is over your budget.

In 2014, we stayed at this hotel near the Gare de Lyon - Ibis Paris Gare de Lyon Ledru Rollin. Good sized room with efficient, if small, bathroom. Surprisingly good breakfast given the price of the room.

https://all.accor.com/hotel/1937/index.en.shtml

Crowdernl, welcome to the forum. I haven’t been to Paris since 1969 and have no clue where we stayed. However I am planning a similar Paris visit sometime in 2021 before going on RS Loire Valley tour. When depends on so many things right now.

But since I like planning and day dreaming, I’m looking at hotels and day trips. So far I found three possibilities, feedback welcome:
https://www.paris-hotel-lutece.com/
https://www.hoteleurope.net/m/en/
https://hotelleregent.com/en/
I have not done lots of research yet. What I did when planning for Italy last year was first look at Google maps to find location, research on Booking.com and TripAdvisor. That worked well. Book cancellable rooms only preferably direct from the hotel because you may change your mind as plans, hotel reviews change. (I had booked a hotel in Venice and a couple weeks later a review popped up saying bedbugs so I cancelled that immediately.)

Enjoy your trip. Another option for you is the RS Paris tour. I thought about it but there are side trips to Versailles and Saumur I am thinking about.

Hotel Muget. Rue Cler neighborhood. Clean, quiet and comfortable. Teeny elevator so pack light. Cant recall if breakfast was extra or included in the rate. Rooms are small but perfectly laid out.

Learned of it from a flight attendant and have stayed there on Paris visits since the early 90’s. 10 minute stroll from the Ecole Militaire metro stop. If memory serves about a 30 minute taxi ride from Orly.

Easy walk one way to the Invalides and to the Eiffel Tower the other. To get to the River Seine is a 15 minute stroll.

Always felt safe walking to and from at night.

We really enjoyed the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles;

https://en.hoteldesgrandesecoles.com/

On our last visit, we met a number of guests who had been coming to the hotel for years, including a woman from Canada who visited every year for the last 40. She said: I have been all over the world, and this is my favorite spot.

Like Pam, we've stayed a the Beaugency several times. Last May we had a double room for €150 per night. Breakfast was extra, €8.50. The hotel is in the Rue Cler area, but is a block away, and is surprisingly quiet.

You'll get a better rate by emailing. Be sure to ask for the Rick Steves rate. Tell them you're using his guidebook and website, and that's where you learned about the hotel.

Do that for any hotel you're checking with.

And yes, welcome to the Forum!

I've stayed at Hotel Muguet as well but for a single last Fall it was closer to 190-200E per night so a bit more than the Beaugency. It does have nicer bed linen, more upscale bathroom fittings, rooms were a bit larger. The breakfast is separate - was 12E or maybe 12.50E as opposed to the Beaugency at 8.50E.

We checked out the Grandes Ecoles before our last trip to Paris, and it does look great. But it came in well over our budget, which was similar to crowderni's.

Oh, the €150 rate for the Beaugency allowed cancellations; that's something else to look for, wherever you end up.

hey hey crowdernl
you can also look at alcoves&agapes.com
aloha

I stayed at Hotel Beaugency in 2017 during a trip to France with a budget-minded friend. It's not luxurious, but it's functional, clean, well-located, and less expensive than other nearby hotels. The staff at the front desk were helpful and kind. I would stay there again and definitely would choose it over a soulless discount chain.

Worst night we spent in Paris was at Hotel des Grandes Ecoles on an upper floor in June -- we measured it well over 100F during the day and it didn't get below 85 at night -- and it was not that hot outside at night but these dowdy rarely refurbished rooms also have terrible ventilation. The place has a lovely garden and we had stayed there twice before on lower floors and earlier in spring. Location and garden great -- rooms not so great last time we were there and lack of ventilation or AC makes them unsuitable in warm weather.

We like Henri IV Rive Gauche for location and room but it is above the budget here.

For a first trip I could try to be in the 5th or 6th near the river -- or perhaps the Marais -- all make walking to key tourist sights easy and are themselves charming areas. Rue Cler is IMHO too out of the way and too poorly served by transport for a first trip. We have stayed there and it was one of our least favorite areas for those reasons.

You are optimistic planning for April 21 -- we had to cancel our April/May 20 2 months stay and doubt we will be able to be back before April 22.

Don't rule out staying right in the center of Paris. The Hotel des Deux-Iles is as centrally located as can be. Cross the river and you will be in the Marais -- cross it the other way and you'll be in The Latin Quarter. Walk to the end of the island, cross the bridge, and you'll be at the back of Notre Dame -- such as it is now as some of the immediate area is closed off. The Metro is near enough that getting anywhere is not a problem. Not sure if their rates will fit your budget almost a year from now, but it's definitely worth checking our.

Try the Hotel Habitual. It's across the street from the Gare du Nord and should be in your price range. We stayed there last December and were happy. You can walk to Montmartre but may need public transportation to get down to Seine.

Another nod for Le Marais, 4th ARR. We stayed at the charming 19 room Hôtel Caron De Beaumarchais in the heart of Le Marais. Rates are $130-250. Centrally located to explore locations, museums and restaurants nearby. One block to public transportation. hotel@carondebeaumarchais.cor.

Not fancy but look at Grand Hôtel Lévêque which overlooks Rue Cler markets and restaurants and it has air conditioning and is in your price range. Another option is Hotel Tourisme Avenue (https://www.hoteltourismeavenue.com/en/) on the backside of the Eiffel Tower/Champs de Mars (5 min walk) and across from the La Motte-Piquet Grenelle Metro Station. Also has air conditioning and many restaurants, market and a laundry nearby. Also on Wednesdays and Sundays from 7 am-2:30 is the Grenelle Open Air Market https://www.free-city-guides.com/paris/grenelle-market/. It's truly amazing with all types of bargains and the most fantastic meat, fruit, sweets food market you will ever see. We plan our trip to Paris every time around these days. It's an easy area to get around and with the metro station a 1 minute walk away, you can get anywhere. Not big rooms, but not many in Paris are. These two currently fit your budget.

Last November I traveled to Paris solo and had a great stay at Hotel La Perle for €135 a night. I got this by booking directly through their website and using the promo code "direct". By booking on their site I also got a very generous breakfast for an additional €5. Perfectly located in the beautiful Saint Germain neighborhood, just a few feet from Saint Sulpice, it's very central and I always felt safe. As others have said, don't be lured in by the cheaper "non-cancellable" rates, especially during these uncertain times. You will absolutely fall in love with Paris! April is a great time to go, the weather is usually good and you will get to see the cherry blossoms. Have a great time!

I wouldn't think air conditioning would be a requirement in April. I guess it would depend, though, on where you're from and what temp you like to keep the room.

Is France like Italy in that the dates for heat and a/c are set by law in hotels?

I know many are OK with the Gare du Nord area but as a 70+ solo woman traveler, first time to Paris, this would not be a comfortable location in my book.

I do live in Idaho and don’t have a huge amount of big city smarts but have been to Paris 7 times since 2014....lol...apparently I’m hooked!

OP’s mileage may vary as to what her comfort level might be.

You might also look at the Hotel Diana in the 5th.
It's modern and comfortable, has air conditioning, and the owner is friendly. I stayed there once on a solo trip and enjoyed chatting with her over breakfast.
Also, the rooms have small fridges which is nice for keeping snacks or a bottle of wine.
Registration doesn't open for months before, but it's worth emailing the hotel to see what the price might be for your time frame.
I'm also over 70 and Paris is my favorite city.

I wouldn't recommend the Gare du Nord neighborhood except for convenience to the station, which probably doesn't matter to the OP. Not much charm and not very close to anything else.

We loved the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles on a September visit years ago, but I think it would be over your price range. Lack of AC shouldn't be an issue in April.

I stayed at the Hotel du Quai Voltaire in April 2018. They are closed right now for renovation, but will open in 2021. It is on the left bank right across the street/river from the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden. Walk to Orsay Museum, Metro, RER, Bus stop right across the street (#69-recommended by Rick) . Very walkable area. Very nice hotel, (old). The concierge was wonderful. Lots of restaurants nearby. (Cocorico on Rue du Bac) and Boulangerie (Eric Kayser also on Rue du Bac) Price under $150.00 per night