Paris Paris Paris...Hotel...Fraud...Single Traveler...Frustration

adel

Check out the Hotel Plessis--11th Arrondisment, 73 Euros per night, rated 101 out of about 1900 Parisian Hotels

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d529918-Reviews-Hotel_Plessis-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

Or the Hotel Langlois--rated number 113 of 1900 Parisian Hotels at 75 Euros per day.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d233611-Reviews-Hotel_Langlois-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

Good reviews and very reasonable prices.

There is an Ibis Hotel just off Place de la Bastille. The Ibis chain recently had a promotion called Happy 30, which may or may not still be available. 40 euro a night if you book 30 days ahead. Worth googling.

Sorry, that should have read "49 euro a night" for the Happy 30 promotion.

BTW I have never found that Travel agents are all that helpful when it comes to hotels in Europe.

Ibis hotels aren't bad. If you want unique charm, look elsewhere, but if you want a consistent level of service for a reasonable price, Ibis fits the bill. If I can't find anything better, I usually fall back on Ibis.

Thanks, Bill I tried to book the Hotel Plessis online but no luck. Can't find email address for them. The rates must have gone up for Hotel Langlois

http://www.hotel-langlois.com/en/index.html

Single Room 110 € to 120 €

Double Room 140 € to 150 €

Twin Room 150 €

Suite Room 190 €

Extra Bed 20 €

Continental Breakfast 13 €

City tax is included in our prices.

Cancellation without penalty will be accepted until 72 hours prior to

Hotel Marignan in the 5th should do. 50 Euro for a single, includes breakfast, free laundry, access to kitchen... free wifi.

http://www.hotel-marignan.com/html/p1_a.htm

Adel....regarding rates, don't go by what is published on their website. Contact the hotel and ask. Most hotels publish their highest rate or "rack" rate on the internet but may give a better deal if contacted directly. You're going off-season so it doesn't hurt to ask.

Hotel Marignan was booked.

Try Hotel de Nevers on Rue de Malte. You can Google them. Should be around 65 Euros for a single.

Gemut.com has a couple of booking engines that might be worth a try:

http://www.gemut.com/external/book-a-hotel-in-europe.html

Hotel Royal Phare is very nice with simple clean rooms which are extremely cheap. It's located in the 7th about 20 steps from the Ecole Militaire Metro.

Try Hotel du Commerce, in the 5th. €59/night for a private.

Oh, and the last time I was in Paris we stayed at Hotel Perfect and had a pleasant visit. The area wasn't at all unsafe and the metro was only a few minutes away. The €60 is still within your budget, so don't rule it out.

First of all, calm down, I don't think there is any fraud going on,, that is a bit of an overreaction...

Hotel prices do vary from day to day,, based on how busy they are.. it would help if you told us your exact dates,, perhaps they fall during some sort holiday or some such thing.Plus many of us have time on our hands and don't mind looking up websites and finding rates,, LOL

I went and looked at the HOtel Perfect website, and the prices are not changed?? So I don't know what you mean??

It is unusual they are all booked, something may be going on.. but also, many hotels only have 1 or 2 single rooms. You do realize a single room is not a double room for one person,, it is generally a VERY small room with one single bed in it.. so I guess they go fast.

Your budget is very tight, and you continue to think in dollars, when really you need to think in euros..
500 dollars may seem like a lot to you but thats less then 400 euros,, and well, trying for 300 dollars for 5 nights is really, really ambitious.. good luck with that,, I think a hostel would be the only way to go that low..

http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/france/paris/

Now, you should be able to find something to fit your budget here. If you do not want a hostel, then go to www.hrs.com, or type in B&B or pension or apt. at google.

Adel, check out Hotel de Turenne which is near the Eiffel tower & Les Invalides. A single is 65 eurors. I travel by myself & have stayed there many times. You can't beat the price & location.

Thanks for all the responses. I was frustrated. Still kinda frustrated.

Hotel Perfect had a different price before I email them. I wrote down the price and had made plans until I emailed them and was quoted a different price. I later rechecked the site and the "new" pricing was apparent.

I am frustrated because I see a price on a website and I expected by contacting these places directly in email I might get a better deal or at least the prices on the website. For at least three hotels the price quoted were above what was on the website. At least two sites said they were available online during Mid-march and when I sent the email they were no longer available. ...

I am very calm... just alittle miffed.

You are looking at their 2008 website prices and you are trying to book for 2009. I'm not surprised they are quoting you different rates. That's not fraud.

Reality check: You are visiting one of the most touristed cities in the world and only booking 3 months ahead, AND asking for a very cheap but good and safe hotel. Everyone wants a cheap, good and safe hotel and the decent ones book far in advance! When we go to Paris,I book at least 6 months out and email between 12-15 different hotels at once. When I get a good response I book it immediately. So, don't get frustrated after 3 denials--you need to try many more than that. Email every single suggestion you get. (Also, I wonder if that Hotel Perfect 30E rate was a mistake on their website--for private facilities that is WAY too good to be true).

You might also look at the Lonely Planet books and message board--it's more focused on budget travel.

Keep in mind too that you are trying to book a single. As someone mentioned, most small hotels have very few true singles, and to put you in what would be a double, at a single price, this early, means they would potentially turn away a double booking later, losing money. Also valid is what you may see now on a website may be 2008 or very off season prices, I would expect that both 2009 and shoulder season (March is starting to see tourists, after all "April in Paris") would be more. If you continue to have issues booking a single, but see a price for a double that looks appealing, you may try the same place again, but ask to book a double instead (no need to explain that it will only be one person)

Adel, you have been giving great assistance here and out and out hand holding by a few, and yet you continue to whine. Part of the trip should be doing a little more homework on your part.Perhaps this trip should be delayed until you feel better and more positive.

Don't chalk off the Ibis chain. I've stayed at Ibis Chateau Landon as a single traveler and got a room online well within your price range that was great. Did it ooze European charm? No. It's Ibis - and their rooms are on par with any Best Western/Hampton Inn you'd find in the U.S.

What it lacked in terms of decor, it more than made up for with the amount of space (I booked a single and got a room that had a double bed, air conditioning and a half tub with a shower - far bigger than the tiny showers most people complain about). It had a 24 hour front desk and several elevators.

And the location, while not right next to the Eiffel Tower or the overly-touristy Rue Cler, was excellent. 5 minutes walking to Gare du Nord, RER trains and many major Paris Metro lines that will get you to all the sights you'll probably want to see in 10 to 15 minutes. Some people will say the neighborhood around Gare du Nord is sketchy. Wrong...I stayed in that neighborhood for 2 weeks and had no problems whatsoever, even coming back on the Metro late at night. The neighborhood is a mix of white and blue collar working Parisians. Decent restaurants and cafes nearby offer good dinners at better prices than you'll find in the heavily touristed neighborhoods. Something else to consider if you are on a tight budget.

Find your "inviting" Paris outside of the hotel...you're going to Paris to explore the city, not the inside of your hotel room.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions. I appreciate it. I am now considering renting a studio.... I found one for 400/week plus 100 booking fee. I might also go back to the Ibis or etap idea (i really don't understand the difference between the two...maybe one is alittle better). I appreciate everyones input. This was my very first post and I very happy with the advice you have all given. Thanks.

adel,

First of all, have you checked Rick's books for suggested Hotel listings? There are always lots of choices in different areas of the city and different price ranges. These are all checked out by Rick or his staff and listings are updated yearly.

Although some feel it's "too touristy", you might consider the Rue Cler area. I stayed at the Grand Hotel Leveque on my last visit and would certainly recommend them. I just checked their website using arbitrary dates for March 2009, and they list a single room at Eu$345-360 for a five night stay (not sure if the more expensive listing includes a shower?). The Hotel de Champs du Mars (also Rue Cler) is also popular with RS readers.

Rue Cler is within walking distance to the Eiffel Tower, has a good selection of Deli's and Restaurants, ATM machines and good access to the Metro. Something to consider.

Don't despair, there's lots of time to get this sorted. I'm a solo traveller also, so can appreciate your position.

Happy travels!