Sleeping in Paris

My 2 cents. I stayed in Grand Hotel Leveque and was less than pleased. Yes, I expected small rooms- but this was teensy tiny, a phone booth was bigger than our bathroom. We looked out on the "courtyard" which was nothing. Not so clean - not so charming. Next trip I stayed in the Marais and loved my room which had great view of the neighborhood. This trip I will be staying at a non-RS recommended hotel with a guaranteed view of the Eiffel tower - a Superior double cost 169 euros per night. The plus side of GHL is that it is inexpensive so if you are thinking it is expensive, perhaps a little adjustment in views may be necessary. The breakfast was fine. Have a great trip!

We always stay at l'Hotel Hameau, 48 rue de Passy. It's a 5 minute walk from Trocadero and the Eiffel Tower. It is convenient to Bus #72, and is directly between the Passy and la Muette Metro stops. The neighborhood is clean, safe, friendly, and full of families. There are many restaurants nearby (including McDo), as well as bakeries, a giant Monoprix, several cafes, a dry cleaner, and even a street market one day a week. One year we decided to stay someplace else - a highly recommended hostel near Canal Saint-Martin (my husband is a MAJOR "Amelie" fan) - and after one single night, got our deposit back and BOLTED for l'Hotel Hameau. We were in luck - they had a room! - and we have never stayed anywhere else since. It is clean. It is quiet (located off-street, on a small courtyard). It is not expensive (they do a discount for three nights or more). The staff is helpful and polite and charming. They answer emails promptly. The WiFi is free. The pix of the rooms on their website are accurate. I have no explanation for the very weird faux fur bedspreads - but they are cozy, albeit odd. :D http://www.paris-hotel-hameaudepassy.com/

From personal experience I highly recommend any of the three MIJE hostels in the Marais which both Rick Steves and Lonely Planet call "the best budget accommodations in Paris." They are renovated 17th-century private mansions and are centrally located. For example, you can easily walk to Notre-Dame from any of them. The rate for a triple is €32/person which includes a continental breakfast. There is a one-time membership fee of €2.50/person.

Thanks you all for giving me some ideas. I used to travel to Paris yearly but almost 10 years ago being the last time and I am a bit rusti. I will write later asking recommendations on subway travel, Visit Paris Carte, if the best exchange still is at the post offices etc. Thanks a lot

Maybe it's time for a new guidebook.

Depending on how long you are going to be there (4 or more nights), you might want to consider renting an apartment. I have found several one bedroom ones that are comparably priced to hotels. And most have a sofa bed that your niece could use. It will give everyone a little more space and you can use the kitchen for light breakfasts, late night snacks. We have rented in Europe a couple of times (not Paris, yet...) and always had a wonderful experience. www.vacationinparis.com is a site that is recommended by Rick Steves and several people on this site. They are American based, accept credit cards and will deliver the keys to you before you leave the States. Just a thought.

I agree that it's time for a new guidebook and believe me I always have one or two. However not always what the book says it delivers what it has been recommended.

Pat, I prefer to rely on the reviews of travelers on the various sites (Venere, Trip Advisor, etc.). In Paris I would always stay in the Marais or the Latin Quarter, closer to most of the major sites and much more interesting areas.

Hotel Eugenie,, rooms will be small, but only normal small, get a room with shower only , the showers are reasonable booth size, not super tiny,, but rooms with bath/shower combo have only handheld type shower head . No views,, but seriously great central location, rooms have mini fridge, some english tv, air conditioning( perhaps not so important in fall winter) . Your budget does restrain you a bit as getting a triple isn't going to cost less then 130-150 pretty well anywhere central,, and if going during Sept or October budget may have to stretch even higher as those are high season times for hotels in Paris( trade show and fashion show season). A slightly nicer hotel is the Hotel Des Grand Hommes, great location right across from the Pantheon,,so you could pay extra and get a view of that, I never do,, since just walking outside gives me a view for 50 euros less..
If you have 250 euros for a night then I do recommend the Hotel Brighton for triple, the room is a good size for Paris,, and its right across from the Tuilleries Gardens and the Louvre,, plus if you pay more for a view room you will see the ET light up at night.

If you are going to be staying for more than 3 days I recommend using airbnb.com to find a decent place to stay at a reasonable rate. Getting an apartment can be great. With needing two bedrooms this works great and adds a kitchen for a couple of meals as well.

I have used vrbo both in the U.S. and Europe for apartment rentals. My husband, daughter and I stayed in a fantastic one bedroom with sofa bed in the Latin Quarter. If you would like more information you can PM me.

I also have used VRBO for US, Mexico and Europe including Paris and have always been pleased. You can almost always get much more space than a hotel and usually it is cheaper. Have a great time.

In March 2010 we were in Paris for nine days and stayed at the Tim Hotel - Tour Eiffel. It was reasonably priced and included breakfast. It's located in a neighborhood about a five to ten minute walk to the Eiffel Tower and one block from the Dupleix metro. One thing we especially enjoyed was the fact that there were many shops around the corner where we could buy cooked vegetables and side dishes, cooked meats, seafood, a bakery, wine shop, etc. The hotel let us eat our 'picnic' dinners in the breakfast room. The food was great and we were able to rest after long days walking through the sites. We had a great time!