or Hotel Saint Louis Bastille.
I%26#39;ve narrowed it down to these choices. What to do? All have AC, all are for a %26quot;triple%26quot; so an extra bed of some kind for my son, all within budget. I%26#39;m sure they%26#39;re all great, but trying to figure out what to base my decision on.
What would you do? How would you make the decision?
Thanks!
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Hotel des Carmes.
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Thank you! That%26#39;s actually the one I%26#39;m leaning toward.
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I just wanted to bump this up again to see if anyone else can weigh in on these three hotels. Carmes gets great reviews here on TA, but I can%26#39;t find it listed in any guide books. Not sure what that means, if anything....
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Hi -
It probably means nothing if it%26#39;s not listed in any guide book - it could mean that the name has changed since the guides%26#39; manuscripts were completed, or it could simply mean that the hotel was off the writers%26#39; radars. They can%26#39;t go everywhere and see everything, especially in Paris. As was once said, %26quot;So many hotels and restaurants, so little time%26quot;.
To make the decision, check to see if the hotel meets your basic criteria - location, A/C, elevator, or whatever. Then, read the reviews - check the ones not in English for the ratings, if you don%26#39;t understand the language used. After that, take a leap of faith and make a reservation through a service like www.venere.com where you don%26#39;t pay until check-out.
On arrival at the hotel, do what the Europeans do: inspect the room before you check in. If it%26#39;s not satisfactory politely say so and ask for another. If that request is refused, repeat it just as politely, but more firmly. Hotel operators are accustomed to Americans taking what they%26#39;re given and complaining only after a day or two, if at all.
You don%26#39;t say when you%26#39;re travelling, but there is a hotel finding service at Gare du Nord, and also at CDG, I think. They have a charge for making a reservation, but you may be able to find out about other hotels that have triples, if you have a friendly conversation with the young people behind the counter. Do not use interrogation techniques. Just chat about how difficult their job must be if folks arriving looking for hotels need something other than doubles or twins. Smile a lot. Mention where you%26#39;re staying. See if you can draw them out about the hotels they prefer to deal with for this situation, and you%26#39;ll probably discover a hotel or two with vacancies in triple rooms, unless you%26#39;re in Paris during Fashion Week or the textile show, then there will be no vacancies anywhere and you%26#39;re stuck with what you already have.
If there are vacancies around, someone can leave to call for a room somewhere else if you have had the foresight to pick up a €5 telephone card from one of the kiosks at CDG. It will be useful, and makes a great souvenir. There are few if any coin-op public telephones in Paris. They all require a phone card. Don%26#39;t take one from home, just buy it locally. €5 will give you all the service you require, and then some.
Bonne chance.
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The Andrea Rivoli is literally a few meters from our front door and we%26#39;ve spent some time investigating it for visiting friends and relatives. It%26#39;s a pleasant little 2* hotel. The street is mostly quiet. There are no bars other than a private club that doesn%26#39;t have any exterior activities at night. The hotel is no frills and is clean and tidy. The rooms with windows facing the street are the best. The rooms facing the courtyard and the ones facing the airshaft are the cheapest but not recommended.
Hope that helps
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Thanks for all that detailed information. We%26#39;ll certainly take a look at the rooms on arrival. We%26#39;re pretty relaxed about these things, though, so as long as the room is clean and private, we%26#39;re good. We%26#39;ll be out of it all day, anyway.
Anyway, thanks!
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