Paris Hotels & Other Lodging Options
Paris, France

Paris boasts more guest accomodations than any other city in Europe. Hotels vary from magnificent luxurious places like the Hôtel de Crillon (the French call them palace hôtels) and exclusive establishments like L'Hotel to much simpler hotels - hôtels de charme - in charming older parts of Paris. We have researched hotels in all price brackets and selected a broad range, all of which will give you good value for you're money.

One should note that in Paris hôtel does not always mean "hotel". It can also mean a city hall (hôtel de ville), hospital (hôtel-dieu) or mansion.

Best Hotels in Paris

Where to Look for Hotels in Paris

Paris hotels tend to be clustered by type in particular areas, with the river separating the business and tourist districts. Luxury hotels tend to be on the north side, with hôtels de charme on the south side.

The Paris hotels listed on the following pages have been selected as some of the better hotels in their category.
	5 Star Hotels
	4 Star Hotels
	3 Star Hotels
	2 Star Hotels

 

In the fashionable districts near the Champs-Elysées lie many of the grandest hotels in Paris, including the Royal Monceau, the Bristol, the George V, the Meurice and the Plaza Athénée. Several less well-known but elegant hotels can be found in the residential and ambassadorial quarter near the Palais de Chaillot.

To the east, in the regenerated Marais on the Right Bank, a number of the old mansions and palaces have been converted into exceptionally attractive small hotels at reasonable prices. The nearby areas around Les Halles and the Rue St-Denis, however, attract prostitutes and drug addicts. Just south of the Marais, across the seine, the Ile St.-Louis and the Ile de la Cité have several delightful hotels.

Paris' Left Bank covers some of the most popular tourist areas and has an excellent range of small hotels of great character. The atmosphere subtly changes from the bohemian Latin Quarter to the chic and arty St-Germain-des-Présto the more staid institutional area toward Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. The hotels reflect the character of their areas.

Farther from the center of Paris, Montparnasse has several large business hotels in high-rise blocks. The station areas around Gare de Nord and Gare de Lyon offer a number of basic hotels (some are positively sleazy, so choose carefully). Montmartre has one or two pleasant hotels, if you don't mind the hilly location, but beware of hotels allegedly in Montmartre but actually in the red-light sex-show district of Pigalle. If you're looking for a hotel in person, the best times for inspecting are late morning (after checkout and cleaning time) or mid-afternoon. If the hotels are full, try again after 6pm, when unclaimed reservations become free. Don't rely on the impression of a hotel given by someone at the desk: ask to see the room yourself, and if it isn't acceptable, ask to be shown another.

Paris Hotel Prices

Hotel prices in Paris aren't always cheaper in low season (mid-November to March or July and August) because fashion shows and other major events throughout the year can fill hotels, raising prices. However, in the older hotels differences in room size and position can have a marked effect on cost. Small rooms tend to be the cheapest.

Twin rooms are slightly more expensive than doubles; single occupancy rates as high or nearly as high as for two people sharing (rates are nearly always posted per room, not per person). Single rooms are rare, and many are extremely tiny or poorly equipped. Rooms without a bathe tend to be about 20% cheaper than those with. You might find a room with a meal unnecessary with such a wide choice of good restaurants around.

It's always worth asking for a discount: you may get a corporate rate, for instance. In some hotels special deals are offered for students, families or senior citizens.

Hidden Extras

By law, tax and service must be included in the price quoted or displayed at the reception desk or in the rooms. Tips are unnecessary other than for exceptional service - if the concierge reserves show tickets, for instance, or if the maid sees to laundry for you. However, before you make a reservation you should always establish whether breakfast is included in the price. Beware of extras such as drinks or snacks from an in-room minibar, which will probably be expensive, as will laundry services, garage parking or telephone calls from your room - especially calls made through the switchboard.

Exchange rates in hotels invariably tend to be lower than those in banks, so make sure you have enough cash to pay your bill - unless you are paying by credit card or traveler's checks.

Paris Hotel Ratings

Paris Hotels are classified by the tourist authorities into five broad categories: one to four stars, plus a four-star deluxe rating. Some very simple places are unclassified. Star ratings indicate something about the level of facilities you can expect (for example, any hotel with more than three stars should have an elevator). But the rating system is no reliable guide to friendliness, cleanliness or tastefulness of decor.

Paris Hotel Facilities

Few Paris hotels below a four-star rating have a restaurant, although there is nearly always a breakfast room. Quite a few of the Paris hotel restaurants close in August. Many of the older hotels also lack a public lounge area. More modern or expensive hotels have correspondingly better facilities and generally some kind of bar. Inexpensive hotels may not have an elevator - significant when you are dragging suitcases upstairs. Usually only the more expensive of the Paris hotels have parking facilities. If you are driving you may prefer to stay in one of the peripheral motel-style chain hotels.

All but the very simplest of Paris hotels will have a telephone in the bedroom. Many Paris hotels also have televisions, though they rarely have radios. Double beds (grands lits) are common, but you must specify that you want one.

What To Expect Of Paris Hotels

Many Paris hotel beds still stick to the time-honored French bolster, a sausage-shaped headrest that can be uncomfortable if you are unused to it. If you prefer pillows, ask for oreillers. If you want to make sure you get a toilet, specify a WC, and if you want a bath, ask for a bain. Otherwise, you will get a cabinet de toilette, just a basin and bidet, or eau courant, which means simply a basin with hot and cold running water. A duplex room is a two-floor suite.

The traditional Paris hotel breakfast of fresh coffee, croissants, jam and orange juice is in Paris gradually changing into an elaborate buffet breakfast with cold meats and cheeses. Whatever the type, insist on an orange pressée (freshly-squeezed orange juice) and not a jus d'orange, which will usually be from a can. Some of the luxury Paris hotels are now such popular venues for breakfast that it is worth reserving a place in the breakfast area if you don't want to eat in your room. A pleasant alternative is to head for the nearest café, where French workers will be enjoying breakfast over a newspaper.

Checkout time is usually noon, and if you stay longer you will pay for an extra day.

Special Breaks

Since Paris is such a popular destination with leisure as well as business travelers, weekend packages are rare. Providing there are no major events taking place, you can reduce costs by visiting in low season and negotiating a discount or by seeking an all-inclusive package.

Traveling With Children in Paris

Families with young children will often find they can share a room at no or very little extra cost, and some operators offer packages with this in mind. Few Paris hotels refuse to accept children, though facilities specifically for children are not universal.

Disabled Travelers to Paris

Our information about wheelchair access at Paris hotels was gathered by questionnaire and therefore relies on each hotel's own assessment of its suitability. Not many are well geared for use by disabled visitors. The Association des Paralysés de France and the Comité Nationale Française de Liaison pour la Réadaptation des Handicapés both publish useful leaflets.

Apartment Hotels In Paris

An agency called Résidences de Tourisme provides apartments, some with kitchens in specially run apartment hotels. Some hotel-type facilities are also available through them, but these cost more. Either contact Paris-Séjour-Réservation or get in touch with each résidence directly. The Paris Office du Tourisme provides a full list of résidences. Paris Bienvenue and Allo Logement Temporaire can arrange stays from one week to six months, sometimes in the apartment of a Parisian who is abroad. Prices are close to those of the Résidences de Tourisme, less for the larger apartments. France-Lodge and Bed and Breakfast 1 also arrange apartments.

Staying In Private Homes In Paris

Bed-and-Breakfast, popular in the US and Britain, is taking root in France with increasing success, and accommodations of this type are offered at moderate prices. Café Couette, Bed and Breakfast 1 and France-Lodge provide rooms in private houses with breakfast, and the latter two also can arrange furnished apartments for a minimum stay of a week. It's necessary to pay a small membership fee to France-Lodge for the service.

An organization called Accueil France Famille will also arrange for up to two people to stay with a Parisian family. They charge a fairly high membership fee, for which they aim to match you with an appropriate family. Their rates are also higher than thos of the other organizations. The minimum age is 16, and the stay must be for at least a week.

Chain Hotels in Paris

On the outskirts of Paris, a burgeoning crop of motel-style establishments belonging to chains such as Campanile, Formule 1, Ibis, Primévere, Climat and Fimotel now take large numbers of both business and leisure visitors. These places are practical, relatively inexpensive and useful if you have a car; but they lack any real Parisian atmosphere or character. Many are in charmless locations on busy roads and may suffer from traffic noise. The newer motels of these chains are well equipped and more smartly decorated than the older ones. Several chains (Sofitel, Novotel, Frantour and Mercure) are geared to business travelers and have better facilities and higher rates, but can be reasonable on weekends. Many of these have restaurants. Most of the chains produce their own brochures, often with maps detailing the motels precise location.

Hostels and Dormitory Accommodations in Paris

A same-day hostel reservation service is offered by Office de Tourisme de l' Université (O.T.U.), which also offers an advance phone-booking service for credit card holders. You may book single or double rooms, or a simple bed in a dormitory. There is no upper age limit for hostelers.

There are several networks of hostels in Paris. Maisons Internationales de la Jeunesse et des Etudiantes (MIJE) provides dormitory accommodations for the 18-30s in three splendid mansions in the Marais. You cannot reserve in advance (except for groups) - you have to call at the central offices on the day you're looking to stay there. UCRIF (Union des Centres de Rencontres Internationales de France) has nine centers around Paris with individual, shared and dormitory rooms. No age limit is imposed. Cultural and sporting activities are available at some of the accommodations centers.

Fédération Unie des Auberges de Jeunesse (FUAJ) is a member of the International Youth Hostels Federation. There is no age limit at their two Paris hostels.

Camping in Paris

The only campsite itself is the Camping du Bois de Bologne/Ile de France. However, in the surrounding region is a large number of campsites, some of which have the advantage of being close to an RER line. Details can be obtained from the Paris Office du Tourisme or from a booklet produced by the Fédération Française de Camping-Caravaning.

Making Reservations for Paris Hotels

The busiest Paris tourist seasons are May, June, September and October, but special events - such as fashion shows, trade fairs and major exhibitions - can fill most hotel rooms in Paris throughout the year. Euro Disney has further increased the pressure to find accommodations, as many visitors choose to stay in the capital and commute to the park on the RER. July and August are quieter, as many Parisians are on their holiday. But the August shutdown of old is no longer the case - around half the Paris hotels, restaurants and shops remain open.

If you have decided on a Paris hotel, it is vital to reserve at least a month, because Paris is a popular destination. The Paris hotels in the listings are among the best in their category and will fill particularly fast. Make a reservation six weeks in advance between May and October. The best way to make your Paris hotel reservations is online. If you make your initial inquiry by telephone, call during the day if possible - you are more likely to find staff who are authorized to take reservations. During busy periods you will usually have to send written confirmation of your reservation by fax or letter.

If you prefer to use an agency, Ely 12 12 and Paris-Séjour-Résérvation can reserve Paris hotels and other accommodations, sometimes even a barge along the Seine.

If you aren't too fussy about where you stay, or if all the hotels are reported full, you can reserve via the Paris Office de Tourisme, which offers an on-the-spot reservation service for a reasonable fee.

Paris Hotel Deposits

If you make a reservation by telephone you will be asked for either your credit card number (from which any cancellation fee may be deducted) or a deposit, termed the arrhes. These arrhes can be as much as the price of a night's stay, but usually cost only about 15% of this. Pay your deposit by credit card or by sending a Eurocheque or an international money order. You can sometimes send an ordinary check for an amount equivalent to the deposit as evidence of your intention to keep the booking. Usually the hotel will simply keep your foreign check as security until you arrive, then return it to you and give you one total bill when you leave. But do check with the hotel before sending an ordinary check. It's also quite acceptable in France to specify your choice of room when you reserve.

Try to arrive at your hotel by 6pm on the day you have reserved, or at least call to say you'll be late; otherwise you may lose the room. A hotel that does not honor a confirmed, prepaid reservation is breaking a contract, and the client is entitled to compensation of at least twice any deposit paid. If you have any problems, consult the Paris Office de Tourisme.

Paris Tourist Information Desks

You can book Paris hotels at airport information desks, but only in person and for the same day. Gare de Nord, Gare de l'est, Gare de Lyon, Gare d'Austerlitz and Gare Montparnasse station information desks provide a similar service and useful brochures.