Why stay in an Charming hotel in Paris?

Many Americans think hotels are cavernous high-rises where a road map is needed to find your room at the end of a hallway. Or motels, where each room looks alike, and one can drive right up. Sure, there are the chain hotels in Paris. And some very chic and very pricey larger hotels with rooms and services galore. But, some of most sought-after digs within its city limits, are the ones with only a few rooms. Choosing a hotel in Paris is no easy feat. Reserving a room, unless one plans far in advance (or is a regular customer), in one of Paris' many "charming" hotels can present a greater challenge -- especially if it is "during the season.". The season can be in the summer, spring, fall or when any large show is taking place. Remember, Paris is a big convention city and not just for fashion. To complicate matters, what was a dog of a hotel (or where you would not want your dog to stay) may have recently been redone. Renovated and new "boutique" hotels spring up like mushrooms. Designers and construction crews must be making out like bandits. Hotel owners have gotten the picture loud and clear that many people want certain luxuries (such as a full bath) without paying an arm and a leg. The first decision is which neighborhood is for you. There are Right Bank devotees and Left Bank folks. They will rarely convince one another that "their" side of the Seine is better. For that reason, a first time Paris visitor should look at a guidebook and decide where they want to hang their hat. However, tourists should keep in mind that no matter where they end up, they are only a metro (subway) or bus ride away from all the "must-sees." When doing price comparisons, keep in mind that Paris is more like New York than Cincinnati, when it comes to commanding big dollars. But, at least, you would be stuck paying a big city tax. 

ON THE RIGHT BANK... 

Costing less than $200 per night for a double room: The majority of these hotels are given a 3* rating by the French government. Most hotels serve only breakfast and rooms in Right Bank hotels tend to be larger. But not always! And they tend to command higher tariffs since this is where many people who come to Paris on business want to stay

ON THE LEFT BANK ... 

In our opinion, the Left Bank is where many more of the "charming" hotels are located. One caveat: rooms can vary enormously in size. Some are so small that it's a toss-up as to whether or not there is room for you and/or your luggage. When reserving, be sure to specify what size room you desire. More often than not, unless you book months in advance, the larger rooms will already be taken. If you settle for a smaller room and find that upon showing up in the hotel's lobby, that it is really tiny, ask if there are any larger rooms available. Hotels often have last minute cancellations. The Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain-des-Pres and the Montparnasse areas have been long time favorites among tourists. Possibly due to the fact that there's lot of action and these quartiers (neighborhoods) have fewer office buildings and are less dependent upon business unless they are the retail type. No matter where you find yourself, you can't avoid bumping into unexpected stores, a café (or more) on each block and narrow streets that begged to be explored.