So
you are finally going to Paris. But where to stay? Picking the wrong
Parisian hotel
can put a wet rag on your entire experience. I feel terrible when I
see tourists coming out of the local flea bag or even just an
uninspired place that charges too much. So to give you hope, there
are loads of hotels in paris
that will inspire you, comfort you and keep you coming back, without
a gigantic price tag, here are just a few.
For
the purse conscious :
Hotel
Manufacture is a hotel I stayed at not too long ago in the 13th
arrondissement of Paris. The 13th
lies just below the 5th
and the Latin quarter. Here you are walking distance from La Butte
aux Cailles neighborhood, which is terribly charming and choc full of
fun places to wine and dine. In addition you are very close to Paris’
Chinatown, which is the ideal place to get a steamy bowl of Pho for a
mere 5 euros. This is one of the Cheapest areas of town to eat a very
satisfying meal. As for the hotel, it’s clean, the rooms are small
but the breakfast is good and the lobby is quite charming. Alert:
this is a steal for Paris with prices starting as low as 75 euros a
night, just slightly more than you’d pay at a youth hostel!
Zen
in Paris :
For
a calm, zen-like experience in Paris try the Hotel Gabriel, purported
to be the first “detox” hotels
in Paris. I think it’s a
bit of a marketing ploy the whole detox thing as the “detox”
elements that I saw consisted of healthy drinks and other snacks and
a small Spa treatment room downstairs. Don’t kid yourself even if
you stay here you’ll be gobbling up the pastries in Paris just like
the rest of us. But I digress. The lobby and room décor at the
Gabriel is Über-modern
and trendy with loads of white fabrics, white lacquer and mood
lighting. I really liked the little breakfast room/café downstairs
as well as the location, just a 5-10 minute walk from my favorite
area of Paris, the Marais. Rates from 129 euros a night.
Shopping
hub :
If
you are coming to Paris in July or January for the sales, or if you
just like to shop till you drop, a lovely place to rest your weary
feet would be the Hotel Banke in the 9th.
Here you’ll be near the gorgeous Opera Garnier and around the
corner from Printemps and Galeries Lafayette for department store
deals. Of course the 9th
has been heating up as of late, with a bevy of cool wine bars and
gastro pubs. Décor at the Banke is decidedly hip, with a long gold
sofa by Phillipe Starke spotted in the downstairs bar and the small
art collection presented on each floor. I loved the rooms here, chic,
stylish yet comfortable. Beginning at 135 euros a night.
Next
to the Tuileries :
The
Hotel Lumen with rooms often as low as 160 euros/night is in the most
central location you can find just steps away from the rue de Rivoli,
the Louvre and the Tuileries gardens. The hotel gave me a chic
Italian in Paris sensibility and has its own little café with
seating inside and out. This Paris
hotel
is perfect for fashionistas and in-the-know businessmen. Their staff
is very professional, bending over backwards to make you happy.
Classic
Chic :
If
you are more Hermes than Lacroix, head to the Hotel Keppler the 8th
arrondissement. This stylish haven is tucked away on a quiet street
yet is just minutes away from the Champs Elysees and the golden
triangle and haute couture shopping on Avenue Montaigne. I personally
found the black and white lobby exactly to my taste, the bar one that
I’d like to spend a lot of time reading and sipping tea in and the
rooms comfortable, elegant and stylish. Rooms here start at 200 euros
a night.
Bon
voyage!
Doni
Belau
is the owner and editor of the Girl's
Guide to Paris,
a travel website and blog written by Parisian residents and insiders
covering everything from fashion to culture to foodie faves in the
city of light.
Note:
Rates quoted are the best deals I could find, you’ll often pay more
in high season.