Suggestions for hotels in Paris for July 2010?

What concerns you about hotel you have booked? Is it price, location or amenties available?

Agree. You are booked in a great hotel in a great location. Why all the concern?

Thanks. I was just making sure because I had read some bad reviews about the hotel staff.

we spent 3 nights there last month. we were on the top floor with a small balcony facing the street. the room was spartan but fine. bring earplugs because the street noise is load at night with the windows open. there is a safe in the room which was a nice surprise. we skipped the breakfast and ate on the rue cler. my only gripe was i booked the room at 144 euros a night for 3 people and had a confirmation with that price also but when i got there they said the rate had changed to 155E per night. I showed them my confirmation and they were unimpressed. too bad too sad. i was afraid to argue so i just let it go. otherwise fine simple hotel.

jimlindalila,, I would be mighty p*ssed off about that, and I would leave after one night. That is baloney .

I know of too many other nicer and better located places to allow a switch like that.

brad,, I have heard some staff are not nice,, but frankly I think its partly BECAUSE its a RS recommended hotel,, they don't NEED your business,, plus the area is over hyped in my opinion.

Brad
I just returned from 15 days in Paris. I stayed in three different hotels( went to London in middle of trip and one place could only take me for 5 days) and they all had super nice staff and great locations. PM me if you want names.

Thanks. This is our first visit to Paris, and not sure where to stay. I choose this hotel from the RS book. For a first time visitor, is this the area we need to stay in to see the sights.

Jimlindalila - If there were no extenuating reasons the Leveque did not honor your confirmed rate (such as paying for breakfast or some other supplemental charge, I would post your complaint on the grafitti board and take time to send it in on Guidebook Feedback so that Rick's staff see this. They don't read this Helpline. You should include a scanned copy of your confirmation and your final bill.

The Leveque's entire business rests on its reputation with Rick Steves. It's probably the single best example of an otherwise marginal business finding prosperity because of Rick's favor.

I certainly hope this was all a reasonable misunderstanding (was your quote in Euros or dollars, for example), but you should let ETBD know.

As for location, there are plenty of people on this board who love Rue Cler. Rick Steves likes it, so what could be wrong with it? We stayed there our first trip to Paris and it was perfectly fine, if not all that close to anything besides the Eiffel Tower. For our second trip we decided to stay in the Latin Quarter. We found it to be much more central to many of the tourist sites. In my opinion the 4th, 5th and 6th arrondismonts are preferable for location.

I am staying at the Grand Hotel Leveque in July and this will be my third visit with this hotel. It is simple but clean. The staff has always been nice to us.
Jackie
Bowling Green, Ky

I have taken a RS tour, so has my friend, in neither case were our hotels in the Rue Cler area,, so evidently Rick like other areas as well.

There are so many choices, I don't think there is anything particularily horrible about the Rue Cler area,, but I do not think its the end all be all. I do wish people who visit multiple times might consider other areas as well( as some of you have) Its not that Rick thinks other areas are not agreeable ,, its just as he explains in his books, he chooses to focus on two or three areas and to do that well.. its not like he would know about every thing every where, and I respect that he says that.

We are staying in the 6th. In our 10 or so trips to Paris we have always stayed in the 6th (or 5th) and found that very central. A couple of trips ago we strolled over to Rue Cler to see what all the fuss was about. We found it (a) farther from what we wanted to see (except for the Eiffel T.) and (b) full of more Americans than other parts of town. Overall, we prefer the Luxembourg Gardens area ... just our personal preference.

And, wow. 155 euro? This year, we switched to an apt. when our favorite, 6th arr. hotel went over 135 euro a night. (Maybe others did too because I just checked their web site and they are now running a "special" for 99 euro a night for a stay of 3 nights!)

Yikes! I just booked 4 nights at Hotel Splendid for €186 (in September) - loved that it had a view of the Eiffel tower and just down the street from Rue Cler. Should I cancel and find other area? I think they have a 3% fee.

I returned from our first trip to Paris a month ago. We stayed at Hotel de la Motte Picquet right around the corner from Rue Cler. For a first visit to the city and especially if you are not a seasoned European traveler (like we were) Rue Cler was and is a great place to stay. It is a lovely area with markets and restaurants, laundry everything you need. The metro is steps away. It is very manageable for first timers. We met friends for dinner and they were staying in the 2nd arrond. and were very envious because we had so many great little markets near us. With all that said when we return I will stay somewhere different. Not because I did not love Rue Cler but because I just like different areas. Go, have a wonderful time!

We just returned from our trip. Spent six days at the Villa Beaumarchais in the Marais. Quiet street just off Beaumarchais Blvd. Close to the Place de Vosges and Place de la Bastille. We booked it thru Hotwire, so it was inexpensive. The breakfast buffet was worth the 15 euroes each and the staff was incredibly helpful. Room was a little shabby but the bathroom was wonderful.

Steve that article ( blog) doesn't actually offer anything but Ricks opinion, and does not justify it either..

If Rick says its the best its the best? And as for tourists saying so,, well, many novice tourists don't go anywhere not in Ricks books,, so I guess they would vote for what he says is the best as its all they know. I have read more then one poster on this board say " we found a hotel on Rue Cler recommended in the RS book and now we stay there everytime we go ..." .

They won't even try other areas.

Really , and truly its all personal tastes,, no one can define the best as it will always be an opinion( unless we are talking horses and racing)

Steve,, it not a matter of not trusting Rick. I know I don't agree with all his recommendations as i have tried some over the years, so I have no trouble saying take everthing with a grain of salt and don't be a blind follower.

I don't actually think anyones opinion of a site is more important then my own ,, since I am the one who has to see /eat/ sleep there..
A great example is how many hundreds of times I have read that other people love the Musee Orsay better then the Louvre. Totally valid for them to say,, but I love the Louvre better,, and guess what, there is no right or wrong to either side.

Just because Rick says something is the best,, doesn't mean it is the best.. it means it is HIS best . He would likely agree with me, and having met him I know what of his regrets is how many of his fans follow his books or advice to a T and not his philosophy,, which is get off the beaten track and make YOUR own back doors.

Based upon the prices others have suggested on this thread for this place, and the switcheroo on the rates mentioned in another post, I would be a little concerned about that. But on the other hand for every hotel you can find a bad review -- one of the reasons I do not go on Tripadvisor. In the same neighborhood and from Rick's book is Hotel Kensington, at around $110 per night. We stayed there in May and it was very good. Probably not available for this month but you never know.