Paris Hotel?

We stayed in the Hotel Castex in the Marais a few years ago. Nice hotel, good location.

In 2011 our tour stayed at Duquesne Eiffel and it was wonderful.

I participated in this tour in the spring of 2012. The tour hotel was Duquesne Eiffel; a wonderful location within easy walking distance from the metro and Rue Cler, as well as on a bus route.
I hope you enjoy the tour as much as I did. Try to arrive in Paris a few days before the tour in order to enjoy all that the "City of Light" has to offer. One of my most memorable trips!
Marlene

Hi Kathy, this was a great tour! We stayed at the Castex Hotel in May 2009.

We did this trip last year in September and stayed at the Hotel Montfleuri just west of the Arc de Triomphe. Nice location, midway between two metro stops, across the street from a bank and a supermarche...

We met our guide from that trip, when we were in Paris this June after doing the South of France tour, and they were staying somewhere near the Sorbonne, so locations do vary...

Castex Hotel, the best option.

They all look amazing! I'm so excited! Thank you!

We did the tour in May 2013 and our hotel was the Beausejour Montmartre (in Montmartre, of course). We loved it and we much prefer the Batignolles and Montmartre neighborhoods to the Rue Cler neighborhood that RS touts so much. After the tour we stayed at the Hotel Muget in Rue Cler (b/c the price was better), where another RS tour was based, so indeed, you really do need to wait for the hotel list for RS trip-planning purposes. We've stayed in 4 different hotels in Rue Cler and Montmartre over the last four years. The Rue Cler neighborhood is convenient to many sights that a first-timer in Paris wants to see, but possibly b/c of RS recommendations, it is now so frequented by tourists that it feels to us like a "Disneyland recreation" of a French neighborhood, whereas the neighborhoods in Montmartre feel "authentic.*" And for ppl seeking epiceries and top-rated boulangeries and patisseries, Montmartre is much better.
If you want to know about specific hotel amenities before your trip (and that includes the location of self-service laundromats), just write the hotel(s) as soon as you get the list from RS.
*;) my test for "authentic" - do laundry in the local self-service laundromat. If everyone in the laundromat speaks English, you're in the Disneyland recreation. if everyone but you speaks French, you're in a "real" neighborhood.

Kathy,

Another vote for Hotel Duqesne Eiffel, as it's really comfortable and the staff are wonderful. It's in the Rue Cler area, but not right at Rue Cler, so it's in a somewhat quieter location but still very close to the Ecole Militaire Metro stop.

Kathy, If you contact the RS office, they will be able to tell you the hotel they will use for the tour. If they can do so far enough ahead of the tour you might want to book a room there for your time in Paris before the tour. Sure beats having to switch hotels. TC

The automated mailing of your first and last tour hotel will probably go out in January, to those who have signed up. Tours may use any of several different locations, depending on availability. I was at the Montfleuri two years ago; the Beaugency is another likely suspect.

I just got the tour hotels! Yea! The two hotels in Paris will be Hotel Beausejour Montmartre (b Montmartre) and Hotel Montfleuri. I'm very excited since these hotels seem to be highly recommended. Did I read that emailing the hotel directly was the best way to reserve for pre-tour stay? Email or call?

Kathy,

I normally just book on the hotel website or use E-mail. A phone call would be a "last resort".

Hi Kathy,
I work in the Tour Department at Rick Steves' and we recommend emailing them directly with the email address provided (as Ken mentioned). I find that this is the best method because then you have the reservation in writing and it does not get lost in translation. We do provide the website but this is more for your viewing pleasure so you can see where the hotel is located, what the rooms look like and what amenities they provide. For most hotels, we recommend not to book through the website, because using a middle man can increase pricing (in most cases) and also, some of the hotels may provide a discount if you are on a Rick Steves' Tour, using his book or paying your room via cash at checkout. I always encourage you to ask. Be aware, that when emailing the hotel with your rooming desires, they will reply and let you know what they have. If this is acceptable, make sure to let them know that you agree to this to complete the reservation. If they do not hear back from you, they may assume that you have found a room elsewhere.