Finding a Hotel in Paris.

Finding a reasonably priced hotel in this city can seem impossible (especially now with the exchange rate to the Euro). If you don’t mind paying $$$$$$ per night, some great options exist, such as the Hilton (on avenue Sufren), the Westin (on rue de Rivoli), The Mariott on the Champs deElysees ($$$$). You can’t go wrong with any of these, but my favorite is the Hilton on avenue Sufren. You have a great view of the Eifel Tower from many of the rooms (even with a small balcony), it is a 5 minute walk to the metro (Bir Hakeim) and it is usually a little less expensive than some of the others due to the older style and need for renovation. Don’t expect super luxury, but the location is great.

For less expensive options we found some great (and many not so great choices). There is a Hotel Mercure next door to the Hilton mentioned above, and you can usually get a rate that is about 40% less expensive. Mercure is in the same great location, but it can seem a little corporate. Finding a quaint boutique style hotel can be tough, and we have tried several with little success. We have had a range of problems from noisy rooms, rooms the size of a broom closet, poor insulation, no insulation, no hot water, no cold water, literally above a noisy metro that shakes when a train goes by (I am not kidding) doesn’t get quite until after 1:00am, unaccommodating staff (even rude – not entirely uncommon in Paris), no wireless internet, blah, blah, blah. In fact, if you find a great quaint hotel, please post it here. I am not convinced that these actually exist, and I believe that this is only propaganda being spread by the French Tourism Board. We have given up looking. Our favorite reasonably priced hotel is actually a Best Western (not a big fan of this chain) on Avenue Foch. This was a true surprise and was an extremely pleasant surprise. WE LOVED IT! The staff was great, the rooms were
French Quaint, beautifully decorated (from four post beds to antique furniture) and it is a short walk to the Arc de Triumphe. Trust us, you will not be disappointed if you stay here!

Here is a picture from our room at the Hilton (5 minute walk to Eifel Tower)