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PERSONAL REVIEWS....
Hotel de Suez
31 Boulevard Saint-Michel
PARIS 5th
Tel. : 33(0)1 53 10 34 00
Fax : 33(0)1 40 51 79 44
This hotel is by far and away one of the best kept secrets in all
of Paris. Even when I could afford to stay at The
Intercontinental, I chose to stay here. It has changed over
the last 20 years to become even more quaint than it was back then.
The hotel still looks pretty much the same, just nicer. New
bedspreads, paint, etc., have ensured that this hotel has remained
my favorite place to stay. They now have Internet access from
a computer in the lobby as well.
The hotel does not have A/C, so if you must have it, you won't want
to stay here. Personally, I've never found it to be a problem.
Once, when my sister and I stayed here, we had a room on the front
of the building overlooking the Boulevard St. Michel, and we would
be awakened each morning by the overwhelming exhaust fumes from the
morning rush hour traffic around 6am. We simply got up and
closed the windows, and went right back to sleep. Neither of
us considered it a big deal. But you might. If you take
one of the courtyard rooms, this won't be an issue. If you do
in the winter, you'll certainly want a Boulevard facing room.
Breakfast can be taken in the small dining area of the lobby or
delivered to you room. For 4€, you'll get a couple of pieces
of bread, a croissant and two cups of strong coffee with warmed
milk. My sister, not a big coffee addict like me, preferred
hot chocolate.
The staff here is one of the most hospitable I've ever come across.
Maid service is respectful and attentive, and the front desk staff
and management are absolutely marvelous. You
can also book directly with them (in fact, you won't find them on
any major booking services) by going to their website at
www.hoteldesuez.fr.
You also can't beat the location. A short walk from the Place
St. Michel, you're just a few minutes walk from Notre Dame, the
Luxembourg gardens, the Sorbonne and 3 different Metro stops.
$$ Rooms are moderately priced,
starting at around 95€ per night for two people.
Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say about Hotel de Suez
at TripAdvisor
The Grand
(Intercontinental)
2 Rue Scribe 9th Arr.
The Grand, and its sister hotel, the
Intercontinental (see below) are perfect for a romantic Paris
interlude. There are two things I find striking about this
hotel: The lobby, and the amazing buffet breakfast they put out
every morning. The one drawback is that there are a
significant number of rooms that are drab and look into the
courtyard. It has been said that this hotel is "all lobby."
The service is extraordinary, however, and if you're willing to pay
for a room that overlooks the Opera, you will enjoy your stay here
very much. In fact, if you're not going to pay for one of the
better rooms, you should stay somewhere else. The hotel is
located directly across from the old Paris Opera (Garnier),
overlooks the Place de l'Opera, and is conveniently situated on a
busy thoroughfare amongst many shops and airline offices. It
is also home to the famous Cafe de la Paix, which is certainly worth
a visit to sip on coffee or beer with an old friend and people-watch
for a couple of hours, if not to experience a full meal.
This hotel is not cheap. Their
website recently posted a romantic getaway including breakfast and
in-room dinner starting at $800+ for the first night. However,
if you can get the right room, it will be an experience you won't
soon forget.
$$$$$ A recent Internet search showed
a nightly rate of $421 for a deluxe room. No view was
indicated.
The Intercontinental
3 Rue de Castiglione 1st Arr.
Like the Grand, the most important
thing to know about this hotel is that if you aren't getting a room
with a view, you shouldn't waste your money. The hotel has
what I would consider to be one of the best locations from which to
tour Paris. Situated directly across from the Tuileries
gardens, a short trek from the Louvre, and in proximity to virtually
everything upscale Paris has to offer, you simply can't go wrong.
UNLESS...you unknowingly book a room at this hotel and end up with
one of the courtyard rooms that offers no view, and even less "room
to roam." For somewhere around $300 per night, you too
can be stuck in a matchbox-sized hotel room that looks out onto
nothing. I wouldn't bother. On the other hand, secure a
room overlooking the Tuilleries, and you'll have a spectacular view
of the gardens, and you'll be able to see the Eiffel Tower in the
distance. You won't find this for $300 a night, but if you're
willing to spend the extra cash, you won't be disappointed.
$$$$$
Le Jardin de Cluny
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PARIS HOTELS & APARTMENT
LINKS
In addition to the
many links here, you may want to visit the
Resources Page on
affordableplanet.com, where you can purchase a copy of Sandra
Gustafson's Great Sleeps Paris book, which I highly recommend.
Best Western - They
have a huge number of hotels throughout France. Many are
small hotels that use the Best Western name to make the
reservation process easier. Some hotels are extremely
popular, and you will need to book several months in advance.
Sofitel - A large French hotel chain with a variety of
choices.
ParisHotels.com -
Everything from A-Z
Le Meridien Hotels
Le Meridien Nice - Nice
One of my favorite hotels of all time. If you can afford
it, stay on the 7th or 8th floor in a room with a terrace
overlooking the gardens (it also offers an outstanding sea
view).
Le Meridien Montparnasse - Paris
This is an excellent hotel, however it may be too large and off
the beaten path for many visitors. Located across the
street from the Gare Montparnasse (14th arr.), one of its best
attributes is that it's located next to
Le Petit
Journal, possibly the best Jazz Club in Paris.
Le Meridien Etoile - Paris
Another great choice if you are looking for a luxury full
service hotel.
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