March, 2004 -- You'd be surprised what comfortable accommodations the budget traveler can find in Paris. If you don't mind the occasional oddly shaped (and usually tiny) room or lugging your baggage up some stairs, you'll find that staying in a hotel in Paris doesn't have to significantly lighten your wallet. These small, mostly family-run lodgings offer some things that most luxury hotels can't supply: hominess, intimacy, and a degree of authenticity.
These budget-priced French accommodations are all clean and comfortable. If you are used to the amenities offered for the same money in North American motels, you may be disappointed. Many hotels are in old buildings. Toiletries are minimal and towels are small and scratchy. Also, most do not have air-conditioning, but Parisian summers are not known for their high temperatures. (The summer of 2003 proved an exception to the rule, so if you're traveling to Paris in the late summer and are worried about a repeat performance, check to see if your hotel offers air-conditioning or consider booking earlier or later in the year.) Many hotels offer cable or satellite TV, which generally means access to English-language channels like CNN and the BBC. Our list below will help you coose a hotel best suited for your plans.
Best Affordable Hotel Bets
Best for Business Travelers: Ideally situated near one of the city's main business districts, the Hôtel Keppler, 12 rue Keppler, 16e (tel. 01/47/20-65-05; www.hotelkeppler.com), is a quiet, well-run hotel with a lot of amenities for the money. Its good address will impress your French business associates and show them that you're malin (shrewd).
Best for Romantic Atmosphere: A short stroll from the Eiffel Tower, the Hôtel du Champ de Mars, 7 rue du Champ de Mars, 7e (tel. 01/45/51-52-30; www.hotel-du-champ-de-mars.com), feels more like a luxury boutique hotel than a budget choice. Flowing curtains, fabric-covered headboards, throw pillows, and cushioned high-backed seats make each room ideal for a lazy breakfast in bed. With its 18th-century ceiling murals and wedding cake plasterwork, Hôtel St-Jacques, 35 rue des Ecoles, 5e (tel. 01/44/07-45-45; Hotelsaintjacques@wanadoo.fr), offers Second Empire romance at affordable rates.
Best for Families: Spacious doubles with connecting doors can be found at Hôtel Vivienne, 40 rue Vivienne, 2e (tel. 01/42/33-13-26; www.paris@hotel-vivienne.com), which also features cribs and family-friendly management.
Best Overall Values: On the Right Bank, Hôtel Little Regina, 89 bd. de Strasbourg, 9e (tel. 01/45/51-52-30; www.littleregina.com), near two of the city's train stations, offers incredible deals on spacious, recently renovated, and soundproofed rooms that come with new rugs and furniture, attractive burgundy wallpaper, ample wardrobe space, full-length mirrors, white-oak desks, and brand new bathrooms with shower doors. On the Left Bank, The Grand Hôtel Lévêque, 29 rue Cler, 7e (tel. 01/47/05-49-15; www.hotel-leveque.com), boasts a fantastic location on a pedestrian-only street, steps from one of the most charming open-air markets in the city. The clean, well-maintained rooms are soundproofed and come with new air-conditioning units; rooms on the fifth floor have balconies with views of the Eiffel Tower.
Best Location: Steps from the Ritz, Hôtel Mansart, 5 rue des Capucines, 1e (tel. 01/42/61-50-28; Hotel.mansart@wanadoo.fr), is located in the heart of the city, just off place de la Vendôme. From here, you are only a 10-minute walk from the Louvre, the Opéra, the Concorde, and the Left Bank.
Best for Travelers with Disabilities: Little Hôtel, 3 rue Pierre Chausson, 10e (tel. 01/42/08-21-57; Little-hotel@wanadoo.fr), is one of the only budget hotels in Paris to offer wheelchair-accessible rooms on the ground floor. The hotel is conveniently located near the Gare de l'Est and the Canal St-Martin.
Best for Flights of Fancy: The stone walls, colorful fabrics, and wacky bed curtains at the Hôtel du Globe, 15 rue des Quatre Vents, 6e (tel. 01/46/33-62-69), will make you think you're living in a comic book, but, in fact, the sleek St-Germain neighborhood is just outside the window.
Best Rooms with a View: Would you like to gaze over the city's rooftops while you have your morning croissants and coffee? Splurge on a room with a view at the Hôtel du Square d'Anvers, 6 place d'Anvers, 9e (tel. 01/42/81-20-74; www.hotel-paris-montmartre.com), overlooking a leafy park. From its top-floor rooms, you have a view that stretches from the Eiffel Tower to Sacré-Coeur. Up the hill, Hôtel Regyn's Montmartre, 18 place des Abbesses, 18e (tel. 01/42/54-45-21; www.regynsmontmartre.com), charges a little extra for the view from its fourth and fifth floors-and it's entirely worth it.
Best Splurge: The Hôtel du Bois, 11 rue du Dome, 16e (tel. 01/45/00-31-96; www.hoteldubois.com), has it all: a fantastic location just off elegant boulevard Victor Hugo, handsome rooms (with Laura Ashley fabric, marble bathrooms, cable TV, and hair dryers), peace and quiet, and a friendly staff. It's popular with the French when they come to the capital to enjoy a dose of metropolitan life.
Best Youth Hostel: In a historic mansion on a quiet side street in the Marais, Youth Hostel le Fauconnier, 17 rue de Fauconnier, 4e (tel. 01/42/74-23-45), has a pleasant courtyard, and all rooms have private showers! Reserve well in advance.
Best for Nightlife Lovers: Hôtel Beaumarchais, 3 rue Oberkampf, 11e (tel. 01/53/36-86-86; www.hotelbeaumarchais.com), is within walking distance of the city's three nightlife centers -- the Bastille, the Marais, and rue Oberkampf. Air-conditioning and double-glazed windows allow you to sleep late, and the bold color scheme will give you a jolt of energy in the morning.
Best for a Taste of the Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie: The Hôtel Nicolo, 3 rue Nicolo, 16e (tel. 01/42/88-83-40; hotel.nicolo@wanadoo.fr), is in the heart of one of Paris's most expensive residential districts. If you'd like to live in gilded surroundings, even on a budget, you might enjoy the hotel's traditional French charm.
Best for Serious Shoppers: The Hôtel Chopin, 10 bd. Montmartre, 9e (tel. 01/47/70-58-10) is tucked away in the Passage Jouffroy shopping arcade. Across the street is the Passage des Panoramas; Galeries Lafayette, Au Printemps, and other department stores are only a short walk away. The Hôtel Londres Saint-Honoré, 13, rue Saint Roch, 1e (tel. 01/42/15-62-60; Hotel.londres.st.Honore@gofornet.com), is a few steps off the most elegant shopping street in Paris, rue Saint Honoré. Here you'll find boutique after boutique packed with the latest fashions.
Best Family-Run Hotels: The very friendly and hard-working Eric and Sylvie Gaucheron own and run two hotels side by side, both highly recommended. The Familia Hôtel, 11 rue des Ecoles, 5e (tel. 01/43/54-55-27; www.hotel-paris-familia.com), and the Hôtel Minerve, 13 rue des Ecoles, 5e (tel. 01/43/26-26-04; www.hotel-paris-minerve.com), are both excellent values and boast comfortable, lovingly maintained accommodations, some with hand-painted sepia frescoes and others with exposed beams and tiny balconies with views of Notre Dame.
