I have read through tons of postings, and have narrowed my hotel choices to these four:
Hotel Muguet - several of you have seaid Rue Cler is not best for firsttimer, but I am a serious foodie, so all the little food places are intrigueing. Also, 2 of my top siteseeing priorities are the Arc de Triomphe and the Tour d%26#39;Eiffel.
Champs de Mars - same as above, plus great price!
Michelet Odeon - looks like a super area to stay in, with lots of options for exploring on foot.
Grandes Ecoles - still looks like a good area to stay in, but not as central as Michelet Odeon.
Please help me decide. I%26#39;ll only be in Paris a few days in January, so want to be able to see as much as possible. These all fit my budget, and seem very nice. What do you think?
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We%26#39;ve stayed at Hotel Muguet twice. Nice clean rooms in a quiet area with a residential feel. We used the Metro for most of our sightseeing. It didn%26#39;t seem very close to the major attractions. Rue Cler was nice for shopping if you don%26#39;t want to eat in the restaurants.
Jennifer
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First you get your guide michelin red guide to Paris- called that because of the traditional red cover. (Try Barnes and Noble on the internet). You will find a symbol in front of the good small and moderately priced (not cheap) restaurants that looks like the smiling Michelin tire man (which it is). That designates a typical restaurant with %26#39;good food at moderate price%26#39;.
The guide is in French but you can puzzle it out and everything is mapped out by arrondisement. The 7th arrondissement has more Bib Gourmand listings in a small area than anywhere else in Paris,
Hotel Muguet is just one block from a street called Motte Piquet. Turn left and you walk past a small restaurant called Florimond (my favorite). You need to make reservations since it is very popular with tourists and locals alike- just stop in and put in your name. The metro is just a few yards further along and has only one flight of stairs to the train platform--something you will appreciate after a day of walking. The corner intersection has several bus lines including one which goes to the Arc de Triomphe (Etoile (star) is the name you see on buses and metro signs). The Ecole Militaire is at the end of the Champ de Mars Park and the Eiffel Tower is at the other end. Be sure to check out the long vista at night with the lights on at the tower.
My wife stayed at the Hotel Muguet last year and loved it. Very comfortable.
Rue Cler is just there for snacks and chocolates if you feel the urge.
Enjoy Paris.
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I have stayed in Paris 6 times since 2000.
rue Cler (7th) is very touristy and can be noisy in early morning
from the vendors opening up.
I stayed at Hotel des Gran Ecoles one year and it was charming.
Bright rooms, very helpful staff, a small attractive garden.
It is about 500 feet from the Contrtascarpe (a minimum of
2-3 cafes) and the (im) famous rue Moufetard with more
eating establishments than you would ever go through in a
lifetime.
There, In the fifth, you are l 1/2 blocks from the metro and I%26#39;ve
stayed 3 times in the 5th, twice in the 6th and once in the 7th.
Best Wishes
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We stayed at the Michelet Odeon for one night which was supposed to be for two nights, but we checked out earlier. It was a relatively low rate for the St. Germain area, but the hotel was in the tail end of being renovated so the hallways were not complete and the bathroom we had was unfinished, workmen in and out of the hotel and halls. The room was literally cold although we had on the heat (it was last March). Worse was the staff. The check in receptionist was unwelcoming and she appeared to be depressed or something as she was in that state the next day too. The breakfast area was off the check in desk (there is no real lobby). It did not look well-maintained and nice as it does in the website photo.
Yes. The area is truly fantastic and the hotel is very well-located in the midst of many shops and restaurants and just up the street from Le Comptoir and Les Editeurs, a couple blocks away from Blvd. St. Germain, and it%26#39;s right across the street from the Theatre de l%26#39;Odeon.
Maybe by now things have improved with the hotel as I mentioned before the rates are very good for the area.
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Hi JerseyGirl
We are going to be in Paris in January also. I inquired about rooms at Champ de Mars and Hotel Muguet, we were looking for single rooms and there were none available at either hotel. We have stayed at Champ de Mars and it was very nice, but yes, there is street noise in the mornings.
Bon voyage
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Can%26#39;t speak for the other hotels, but we have stayed at Hotel Muguet several times, and it is great. VERY clean, and reasonable. Excellent restaurants nearby as previously mentioned. One thing to note, is that 75%+ of the guests seem to be American, or Canadian. I view that as a plus, others may not. All staff speaks excellent English. Probably because Rick Steve mentions the hotel in his Paris guide. Also, it is in a quiet area without a great deal of night life nearby. Again, this is a plus for me, but maybe not everyone.
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Sounds like others have had similarly positive experiences at the Hotel Muguet - I liked the feel, the location and the nearness to a highly recommended pastry shop called Poujauran - it made for a nice walk every morning around Invalides and the Musee de l%26#39;armee, and we found a lovely little park to sit where we could devour our pastries and watch the world go by!
I was never aware of any extra noise in the mornings there, but Rue Cler does have market days, so maybe it depends on the location of your room.
Have a delightful visit. Try Poujauran if you have the chance!
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If you decide to go to Poujauran, the address is 20, rue Jean Nicot off of rue Saint Dominique. If you are a serious foodie, you will love this area. The neighborhood is quiet but so close to the Champ de Mars and the Invalides. It is not far to walk to La Grande Epicerie at the Bon Marche, just take rue de Grenelle and turn right on rue du Bac to the end and voila, my favorite food store. You can spend hours exploring that place. There is also a marche volant (roving market) across the Pont de l%26#39;Alma on avenue President Wilson on Wedesdays and Saturdays.
For chocolates, there is Jean Paul Hevin at avenue dela Motte Piquet. There is a cheese shop on rue Cler, Fomagerie Cler that is excellent and another one almost across from the Hotel de Champs de Mars at 12, rue de Champs-de-Mars called Anne Cantin.
Rue Cler used to be more bustling as a market. It has changed a lot since we lived in that quartier. Even my old butcher has retired - it is now a bank but we are talking about the 80%26#39;s here.
Whatever you decide, all the hotels you picked are in very good locations. Enjoy your trip!
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Grandes Ecoles - still looks like a good area to stay in, but not as central as Michelet Odeon.
Not as central as Michelet but close to rue Mouffetard which is much more exciting than rue Cler in the 7th if you are a foodie!.
This area also has more ethnic and different restaurants than the 7th. on top of every French food you can think of, including fondues that are popular with visitors. I love Mavromatis the Greek, so good (not low budget but worth it).
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