Paris hotels: help! everything seems to be booked ...

Idea #1: Hotel Cluny - Sorbonne, Left Bank, NW corner of the university has quads for under two hundred bucks. Great area. Walk to everywhere.

Idea #2: Etap Hotel, Pte Montmartre, triples for less than a hundred bucks. Area that many neglect, but a personal favorite. Five minute walk to metro and ten - fifteen minute ride to center of city.

From either, metro is easy to any train station, suspect yours will be Gare de Lyon. Both areas are safe day or night. Daughter went to school near first; wife goes out to pick up stuff alone at night near second.

Lori, be sure to check tripadvisor.com for reviews of Etap Hotel, Porte Montmartre. Personally it's not an area I would want to be in at night.
May I suggest calling vacationinparis.com to see what they have available? I have not stayed at an apartment through them yet but will be this June...The company seems to have all good reviews.

Try parishotels.com. They will show you the rate for your stay along with rating and location. If $200 is what you want pay for the stay, I think you are out of luck.

Etap at Rue Dr. Babinski is en-suite for around 62E for a room. Sleeps 3. Hotelformule1 is around 48E for 3 person room, bath/toilet is down the hall. Two rooms at either is less than 100.00, each. Breakfast is 7 or 8 Euro. 10 minute walk to bus stop, 15 minutes or less to St. Ouen Metro stop.

For 5 days, have you looked at renting a 2 bedroom apt. Might be close to same price and lots more room. Try VRBO.com as a start.

Train station closeness is not a problem. Good services to either with Metro or Bus. Actually, I would stay from train station area. That is the only area in Paris in my 3 trips there that I saw confrontations-police arresting pick-pockets and loud drunks fighting until arrested.

Walking up St. Ouen is a wonderful experience. Great, cheap reataurants, shopping and general window shopping in general. Also, the St. Ouen flea market is 3 minute walk from Etap\Hotelformule1.

There is also great shopping past Pigalle area on Blvd. de la Chapelle.

When my wife and I are in Paris, we stay at the Hotel des Deux Avenues, on rue Poncelet in the 17th Arr. It's only a short walk from the Arc de Triumph, and is about 2 blocks from the Terne Metro stop. The rooms are small but clean, and the breakfast is very good. Rue Poncelet is a market street, with vendors selling fruits, vegetables, cheese, and all sorts of other foodstuffs. The vendors' stalls are about a block and a half from the hotel. There are a number of cafes and other places to eat very close by, and a laundromat about two blocks from the hotel.

Lori,

I'd also suggest you try vacationinparis.com. Just send them a message with your requirements and ask if they have anything available. I rented an apartment from them in October and was quite pleased.

Another option would be to try using a site like venere.com. The RS hotels often book up in advance. I typically will use venere to narrow down my search and then double check against reviews on tripadvisor.

You might also check some of the business class hotels (e.g. novotel, holiday inn, etc.) As you are there over Easter, you might find that they have vacancies or special rates given there are unlikely to be many business travelers.

Lori,

I book triples frequently and unless I book a RS recommended place really early, I am usually out of luck.

When that happens, I have found venere.com is a great resource. You can look for triples, lots of search options to narrow down by area/cost and spot-on reviews.

Check this out.

I just looked at the Hotel Royal Phare and they have rooms available for very cheap. Their website will only allow you to book doubles, but if you call you can ask for a triple (double + extra bed). Some rooms have a view to the Eiffel Tower, Ecole Militaire Metro entrance 15 steps from hotel door, 2 atms and supermarket right beside the hotel and rue Cler is about 50 steps left out the front door and turn the corner. It's not fancy, but it's clean and definitely UNDER your price range.

Telephone +33 (0) 1 47 05 57 30
Fax +33 (0) 1 45 51 64 41
Website http://www.hotel-royalphare-paris.com

I highly recommend an apartment! Try vrbo.com.
You are close to metros all over Paris so not worry about that. I suggest the 1, 3, 4, 5, or 6th arroundes. You cannot go wrong with any of these.
Everything is fairly safe in Paris, just like any big city! Watch your valuables and be aware of your surroundings!

Happy Travels!

Try Hotel Empereur on rue Chevert. It's across the street from les Invalides in a nice neighborhood. This is basic lodging for a very good price. For reviews, Google TripAdviser.

If you don't mind self-catering try the Citadines chain of self-catering apartment blocks. There are a number in Paris and they offer 4-person flats in your price range. I've stayed in several branches in different parts of France and always been happy. If you're going to southern France my favourite one (Bastille Nation) is quite close to the Gare de Lyons station.

www.citadines.com

Also try www.homeaway.com for apartment rentals.
Caroline

Check accorhotels.com for their Ibis and Etap hotels in Paris....good basic accommodations for three people in each room. The Ibis near Gare du Nord and Gare de l'est should be gettable for $100/night or less. You might also find a deal on some of their fancier hotels if they're not busy.
I've also stayed at the Ibis and Etap Montmartre hotels, and find them an excellent choice as well. They're just off Boul. Clichy in a very nice residential area on the slopes of Montmartre, just off Boul. Clichy, and I've never felt unsafe there. Tripadvisor reviews are generally positive.

I HIGHLY doubt everything in Paris is booked...

We are going in June and renting a small apartment in the rue Cler area through www.vrbo.com

This is new for us and so do not know what to expect, but we are looking forward to having a little more space, but a kitchen.

Our cost will be similar to a hotel room in the area.

Slow Travel is a wonderful resource to find apartments, since forum members post reviews. Hotels in Rick Steves guidebooks tend to book up well in advance. And I wonder if there just aren't very many triples out there.

http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/list.asp?r=Paris

Etap hotels are terrific for families and but no frills incl ensuite bathroom, brfst xtra. www.etap.com