Paris hotels
In April we are taking the Seine plus London and Paris trip and have added several days at the end of the tour to see Paris. I am overwhelmed with all the hotels and would appreciate any recommendations. We are hoping to be in a walkable area close to museums, cafes and shops. I have looked at the hotels that Tauck uses and they are more than I want to spend for 2 rooms over several nights. The message board archives has a few older suggestions but I am open for more. There are so many hotels! Thanks, Ginny
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Birder -- I spent 5 nights in Paris on my own in June following back to back Tauck tours in Italy. I stayed in a small hotel in the 6th arrondissement (Saint Germain de Pres), the Hotel de l'Abbaye. It's not elegant like the Tauck hotels, but I loved it. They have a small garden/indoor restaurant and bar area. They have air conditioning and an elevator. I was able to walk to Notre Dame (the Louvre was between the hotel and Notre Dame) and into Le Marais in one direction and the Rodin Museum in the other direction. The Musee d'Orsay is even closer. I spent over an hour just relaxing in the Jardin du Luxembourg, just a few blocks from the hotel. The members of the staff were pleasant and the concierge (whom I had contacted in advance) was very helpful with arranging some special requests. You can get walking directions from the hotel to anywhere you want to go on maps.google.com. (No final period on the URL.)
I have also stayed in Paris on my own before meeting my husband to go on a tour. I stayed at the Hotel Dauphine. It’s a very modest no frills hotel that included a very good breakfast. It’s also in the 6th and very close to Notre Dame. The staff is very helpful. I walked everywhere. It’s not an elegant hotel or posh hotel by any means and I would stay there on my own again. The price was right. I also wanted to stay there with a girlfriend but when she researched it, it wasn’t elegant enough for her.
OurTravels34 and MCD -- thank you! I look forward to checking them both out. They both sound like what I am looking for.
Here's a recommendation that has worked for us - Citadines Apartment Hotels. They kind of offer the best of a basic hotel and an AirBnB. We've stayed at their's in Barcelona and Amsterdam and plan to use one in London next year. Paris has about a dozen locations most in the heart of the action.
They are no where near as fancy as Tauck hotels. The rooms vary from a basic hotel room, efficiency apartment with kitchenette and a one bedroom apartment. Amenities usually include self serve laundry, 24 hr reception desk, gym, breakfast, etc. Daily room cleaning is extra. Each is a little different so double check what is included. It's worked well for us at the end of tours because by then we've eaten so much we're ready to go a bit lighter and most/all of our clothes are dirty.
We have stayed in a small hotel in St. Germain de Pres. Highly recommend that area.