hi, sorry for being so new to this... i%26#39;m leaving with my husband of 1 yr to go to paris for my first time, his first time in 20 years... he spent summers there as a child... and remembers nothing! we%26#39;re leaving this july 19 - 25... and wondering where to stay! I don%26#39;t like modern, and i would like to FEEL like i%26#39;m in paris - looking at the terrass hotel in monmarte, but wondering if being out there in that area is to far from main attractions... also looking at Hotel Luxembourg Parc, Splendid Etoile, Holiday Inn Republique...
looking to spend between 175E - 250 E per night, depending on how great the hotel is - being american, i%26#39;m, embarrassingly, probably more apt to stay in a larger-ish paris hotel than smaller... any thoughts would help...
very excited! much thanks!
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Paris is such a personal experience, it%26#39;s hard to tell you where to stay as it so much depends on what you do and don%26#39;t like. Our first time we stayed at the Sainte Beauve. I loved it, didn%26#39;t know anything different. It%26#39;s a very short walk to the Vavin Metro stop, staff was like family, but the room was very small. It%26#39;s in a quiet neighborhood, within walking distance of Le Dome which is a fabulous cafe for late-night people watching. Second trip we got a super low rate at Hotel du Pantheon, directly across the street from the Pantheon. It exudes Paris charm, rooms are lovely(exactly like the photos), staff is first rate, but the Metro is five blocks away. In August we%26#39;re staying at Hotel du Lutece, close to Notre Dame. All three are on the small side. Seeing you%26#39;re from NJ, you must know NYC, right? I%26#39;d equate the two areas I%26#39;ve mentioned to the upper west side or nicer parts of the Village. Personally, I avoid Montmartre; I think it%26#39;s a little seedy. But I met a woman in B%26#39;dales at Bridgewater yesterday who stays only in Montmarte because it%26#39;s the best place to buy fabric...!
Perhaps for the first visit, it would be best to choose the sights you want to see and then find a hotel that%26#39;s most centrally located to all. And read the TA reviews, they%26#39;re generally pretty accurate. We also double check hotels in Great Paris Sleeps, a wonderful book.
Good luck. You%26#39;ll love it. And don%26#39;t forget comfortable shoes!
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Personally, I think you are cutting it a bit close to your trip departure date to not have a hotel booked by now. I hope you choose soon, Paris hotels tend to book pretty fast, at least the good ones do.
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It%26#39;s very surprising you are only now looking to book a hotel. No matter it%26#39;s low summer season in Paris, but a few weeks%26#39; planning is quite late. You may get openings luckily as it is low season, but I found Paris to be very crowded in July when I visited. Hope you find what you are seeking. One site to try is www.laterooms.com. Btw, have you even checked availability with the three hotels you mentioned?
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I highly recommend the St Germain Des Pres area (6th). It is very centrally located, has a lot of charm, tons of boutiques and cafes, and is very safe (not that the rest of Paris is not safe, but this area feels safe and cozy even in the wee hours of the night).. Here on the this forum, I find the most popular arrondissements are the 4th, 5th and 6th. But, since you are not on a tight budget, the 6th (which is usually a little more expensive than the other two) is probably a very safe bet for you. It is more central than the 4th, and the 5th is a bit younger and budget minded. I am speaking in general of course. But, take a look at the hotels below and see if any of them will work for you !! I think you will find a lot of charm in this area as opposed to some of the business districts, but also more central and touristy than some of the very quiet districts.
Good Luck !
3 star
http://www.regent-paris-hotel.com/
http://www.dauphine-st-germain.com/
4 star
http://www.bucihotel.com/
www.hotel-paris-relais-saint-germain.com/
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thank you all so much for your replies! Yes, I know it%26#39;s late... terribly late, but we%26#39;re feeling pretty good about it regardless --- thank you for your advice --- super helpful with the areas and the hotels... the three hotels i mentioned all had availability, yes, and i%26#39;m noticing there are some good deals when i look to book directly through the hotels%26#39; websites... i%26#39;m really liking the st. germain de pres area, it sounds like a good bet for us... thank you all -- i%26#39;ll keep you updated!
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p.s. decided to avoid montmarte for this hotel stay... we can visit it - but we%26#39;ll prefer to be closer to the main sights i think! thank you, bloomies%26#39; at bridgewater!! :-)
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