Please tell me about the 8th arrondissement of Paris

Well that does seem strange. Wiki says this: "Situated on the right bank of the River Seine and centred on the Opéra, the 8th is, together with the 1st and 9th arrondissements and 16th arrondissement and 17th arrondissement, one of Paris's main business districts. According to the 1999 census, it was the place of employment of more people than any other single arrondissement of the capital. It is also the location of many places of interest, among them the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde, as well as the Élysée Palace, official residence of the President of France." Here's a list of stuff there: Grand Palais, Petit Palais (love the free museum! wonderful stuff!), Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Eglise de la Madeleine, Hotel de Crillon (one of the oldest luxury hotels in Paris), Maxim's Art Nouveau "Collection 1900" Museum (have never been - sounds great though, doesn't it?), Musée Jacquemart-André, Musée Cernuschi (Asian art museum), the Parc Monceau and the Pont Alexandre III (gorgeous and over-the-top). But more to the point - you don't really NOTICE when you cross from one arrondissement into another. It all flows together, pretty much seamlessly, so it isn't going to make a difference one way or the other, really. Just plan to go where you want to go, never mind what arrondissement it is in!

I've stayed in the 8th and rather liked it. The description of Kira referring to it as business district is very accurate. It's called "the Golden Triangle" because it is the area where you find the high end designer stores. But because it is a business district, it is not lively at night. It's really very quiet. But you don't have wander to far for night life, if that's what you are looking for. One of my stays there was with a group of friends (5 in all). I recommended the hotel because I liked it so much. Two of my friends did not like the area because you couldn't step out the door into a lively night scene. But I liked the quiet.

I've never stayed in the 8th but no reason not to if you have a place you like. I'm guessing it might be more expensive to eat and shop there than elsewhere, but you're mobile enough to have many options. Paris is a great walking city and you're in the heart of it, so enjoy.

The 8th (I guess like any arrondissement) has different "pockets" depending on how near you are to the Champs-élysées or Avenue Montaigne, or on the other side near the Élysée Palace (presidential residence). You'll have everything you need there, and best of all for a Paris visit, you could hardly be more centrally located, with EASY transport links to pretty much anywhere you want to go in the city. I bet you'll end up very happy with your choice.

We stayed very near the opera and were very happy. Convenient walking to a lot of what we wanted to see. Also stayed near rue rivoli which was a little quieter, but about as convenient