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A selection of the best hotels in Paris, France

Hotels in Paris, France

Paris has some 73,000 hotel rooms, so you're sure to find something. Finding a quality room in a desirable location and in your price bracket is the tricky part. This city is full of overblown, over-priced hotels and flea-bag dives even the scruffiest backpackers would turn up a nose at. Stick with me, though, and I'll help you find something that meets your needs, including some budget hideaways.

The general assumption, still holding true (but tenuously) these days, is that the Right Bank has more upscale hotels, while the bohemian Left Bank boasts more inexpensive options.

On your first visit, you'll probably want to stay pretty close to the center of town, but don't fret if the only room you can find is out in les boondocks. The Paris Métro shortens distances dramatically; it will only take you a few minutes longer to get to the Louvre from the 16e than from the Latin Quarter. Besides, most repeat visitors to the city find themselves increasingly drawn away from the tourist center in favor of a more authentic Parisian neighborhood. Of course, you can also find that authenticity as close in as the Marais or St-Germain-des-Prés, but usually at a price.

Where to Find Cheap Hotels in Paris
Though there are several concentrations of inexpensive hotels in Paris, the most atmospheric neighborhood packed with cheap digs is Montmartre. Actually, I should say, lower Montmartre—the streets where they filmed Amelie, filled with cafes and Middle Eastern fabric shops that surround the Abesses Metro stop, between the Gare de l'Est train station and the steps up to Sacre Coeur—not the more famous, tourist-laden tangle of tarted up medieval streets atop Monmartre hill behind the church.

In addition to the November-to-February low season, July and August are also slow in Paris. Many hotels shut down, and you can often bargain for good rates from the ones that stay open. Multiple trade fairs during May, June, September, and October tend to book up the city's four-star and luxury hotels.

A few tips: The visitors tax ("taxe de séjour") of €0.20 to €1.50 per person per day (depending on the class of hotel) may or may not be included in the quoted room rates. Proprietors in Paris are notorious for charging varying rates for their rooms, so ask about cheaper digs if you feel the first room you're shown is too pricey. The cheapest rooms have no private bath, although inexpensive hotels here, as elsewhere in Europe, are slapping shower stalls into the corners of tiny rooms in order to raise the price.

Good luck, and don't worry. I've had some of my best stays in Paris in small, fourth-floor walk-ups with unforgettable views across the rooftops.