Help! Paris Hotel for 3 Women??

I would check into the rates for some triple rooms in hotels and also some apartments. If the apartments are a better price I'm sure your friends wouldn't mind. And they don't HAVE to use the kitchen just because it's there. Do a search here (and trip advisor also) for Paris apartments, there have been several threads with good suggestions for apartment rental companies you can check out.

I agree with Nancy's suggestion to not rule out apartments. Most of them definitely have more space. Even if you don't want to cook, it is great to have a place that comes with wine glasses, a cork screw, a knife, and plates so you can come home and enjoy a little wine, fresh baguette, and some of that wonderful cheese. And where are you going to eat those pastries? Maybe you could sell it that way. I've rented twice from vacationinparis.com. They've been very easy to deal with. Send them an email with your dates and asking for 3 beds and see what they have.

Although some budget hotels may be cheaper for 3 sharing a room, sounds like you need some space from each other and most Paris hotel rooms are fairly small. No idea what your budget is per person, per night. You could Priceline it or see what kind of cheap Internet specials you could get for 2 hotel rooms (1 double, 1 single) then rotate rooms so each of you gets to have the single room for a few nights (also gives you 2 bathrooms because it sucks trying to get mirror time with just 1 bathroom for 3 women). Other option would be consider a hostel. Read reviews at Hostelworld.com before you book to make sure it's got decent ratings for location & not being a party hostel (unless you like to party). Some hostels have triples or you could pay the extra for a quad & guarantee you are the only 3 in the room. The hostel would solve a few problems - you can all have your own bed, there are lounges, tv rooms, computer rooms, etc where you can get away if you find things are getting a little too claustrophobic. You'll have access to a kitchen to cook a meal if you want, or at least use the fridge & be able to store a few things for breakfast, picnic lunches and some snacks to save $$. You also will have access to laundry facilities so you can pack lighter and wash clothes in a machine during your 8 day trip. You can meet other travelers if you get sick of the ones you came with. Hostels aren't only for college students. A lot of people in their 30s, 40s and up, as well as families, use them in Europe.

Another plus to renting an apt is they usually have a washer and sometimes a dryer.

I'm getting on the apartment bandwagon! If you are coffee drinkers having a kitchen can't be beat. You don't get free refills in Paris and even if they bring out a small coffee pot that holds a couple of cups - the cups are not large. Tea, coffee, some hot soup out of a can, some cold cuts in the fridge, some flowers on the table and a separate bedroom for some time-out - for 8-9 days I wouldn't cram myself into a small hotel room with two friends. And trust me, the hotel rooms are not large. Did you see Midnight in Paris? I noticed that even the upscale hotel room the couple shared was quite small by American standards.

Wow, lots of lovers of the apartment idea. I stayed in an apartment for 2 nights while in Edinburgh with my mom a few years ago and I loved it. But I think I'm starting to come off as a broken record to my friends. So what I'd like to do is put together a list of hotels, apartments, hostels and other places and put them side by side so we can compare and contrast. I think one of my friends big worries is the apartments she's seen are expensive. Thanks so far for the good points, tips and ideas!! Ya'll rock! Keep 'em coming! maybe a few good hotel names for me to research. Looks like I've got a busy weekend of web searching ahead of me!

Michelle Sounds like your friends have never been to Europe before. Sometimes hotels have the size of their rooms (in square meters) on their websites. If not, you can email them. Then convert to square feet. Hope they have been on a cruise ship as their cabins are in square feet. Many European and Paris hotel rooms are the size of cruise cabins! That might change their minds.
Do you suppose your friends are concerned more about not having the "concierge" services of the front desk? It is a lifeline when you are newbies in a town. Where's the best cafe? The nearest bistro? The best way to get to .....? See if any of the apartment rentals companies (maybe based in Paris?) offer these services. Good luck! Bobbie

In response to Bobbie, one has not been to Europe before, but my other friend has. In fact she's been to Paris several times, either by herself or a family member. Emailing the hotels about the square footage is a fantastic idea. I'd thought about doing that to ask hotels if they offer camp beds in their rooms. Asking about space would go hand in hand with that. I'm willing to try different options that will work so we all have a good time.

No way would I share a triple room with even my best friends for 8 or 9 nights. You need some space. Check out the apartments at VacationInParis.com. They have them all over Paris and the company is very easy to deal with (American, takes credit cards, no language barrier, etc.) You can rent for any number of nights and there is a price drop for 5 or more nights. If you want to be in the Rue Cler area and close to the Eiffel Tower, take a look at the apartment called 'Eiffel Hideaway.' It is a 1-bdr. with a daybed and pull-out trundle in the living room, so you would have 3 separate beds. And it has 2 bathrooms (a big plus for 3 women) altho only one of them has a shower. You don't have to use the kitchen at all, but it is nice to have coffee in your own place in the morning. There is abakery a block away for your morning croissants.