Paris/Rome Hotel Recommendations

Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum
1

My wife and I will be meeting up with some friends in Europe at the beginning of August and will be traveling through Paris, Rome, and Catania Sicily. Catania is all set, but we still need a place to stay in Paris and Rome.

I have gotten some info on Paris from a friend that lived there for a time. She recommended staying in St Germain/Latin Quarter as it is more conducive to sitting with a coffee/glass of wine and watching the City go by, as well as fairly convenient for the touristy stuff. Any thoughts on specific places to stay? Is this the right thinking?

I know nothing about Rome, so any and all recommendations regarding areas that are nice to stay as well as specific hotels would be appreciated.

Restaurant and “must see, yet little known” sights are welcome as well!

Thanks!

2

You didn’t mention price range, but if you desire something modest to moderate with a GREAT location in Place Ste. Sulpice, try:

http://www.hotelbonaparte.fr/ang/legal.mentions.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

An old blog noted that lots of pilots book there. Metro and cafes within a stone’s throw.

Bon voyage !

3

Good point. While we will certainly me on a budget, we also want to ensure comfort, so there is no steadfast price range.

Thanks for the recommendation!

4

Jeremy, I have visited Paris numerous times. There are many wonderful Hotels to stay at. My last several visits I stayed at the lovely HÔTEL DUC DE SAINT SIMON a small very elegant yet affodable accomodation mini suite Hotel in the heart of St Germain.
They even have a summer special 200-230 E. I wish I could go as well.
Cheers, Jack

Hotel Duc de Saint Simon - OFFICIAL SITE - Saint-Germain, Paris" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

5

Jeremy,

How long will you be staying in Paris? If it’s more than 4 days, I’d suggest renting an apartment and becoming a temporary Parisian. You can stay in some of the best parts of town, shop in the great markets, save money on restaurants by cooking in, and best of all, have a place to call “home” for your stay that is seriously larger than most Paris hotel rooms. The cost is usually the same or even less than what you’d pay for a hotel, in addition.

Also, remember that the Latin Quarter can get very animated at night, and can be somewhat touristy. Still, it is a great part of town (almost no part of Paris is “bad”). Walking shoes are very recommended, use the bus/Metro to navigate, and be ready to explore every nook and cranny.
Cheers! [cheers.gif]

6

I like the Hôtel d’Aubusson in the 6th arrondissement (St Germain/Luxembourg). Not cheap, but nice place, not over the top, nice people, great location, and very charming.

http://www.hoteldaubusson.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Peter

7

I second Hotel Duc St. Simon. It is on a quiet street in St. Germain, has a breakfast cave and a nice garden patio. The room rates are reasonable by Paris standards. I will stay there again next time I am in Paris.

8

We usually stay in Rome for a few days whenever we visit my cousins in Abruzzo. Check out Residenza Cellini (http://www.rezidenzacellini.it" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) near Piazza della Republica. If you’re staying near Via Venetto, Ristorante La Fontana is very nice. But our favorite is Ristorante da Sabatino in Piazza S. Ignazio. It’s owned by the same family that owns La Fontana but this place is better and less expensive.

9

Thank you all for your recommendations! To be honest, it slipped my mind that I posted this thread. [oops.gif]

After pretty extensive searching (online and in my wallet), I decided on a more economical hotel that got pretty high marks from users on tripadviser.com and from friends we will be traveling with.

The Paris hotel is right in the Latin Quarter/St Germain area I was looking for, has easy access to Metro, and looked to be pretty newly renovated. The Abbatial Saint Germain

In Rome, we went even more “bargain” with The Hotel Commodore. The decor isn’t ideal, but it is again in what I am told is a good location to get around, is well kept (despite being outdated), and the staff is very helpful. I can attest to the staff being attentive already as I had a little mishap with the credit card I used for the reservation, and each email I sent to a general booking email address was replied to within about 15-20 minutes, often by a different person than the last, yet none of them seemed to act like they hadn’t worked with me earlier to help resolve the issue. Very courteous and really was a great way to get me looking forward to my stay there. Oh…and they have a bar. [thumbs-up.gif]

Anyway, thanks again for the help!

10

We usually stay in the 6th, here are some of the places that I have stayed

Budget

Hotel de Seine
http://www.paris-hotel-seine-river.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Middle Price

http://www.citadines.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(Apartment)

Deluxe

Hotel lutetia (suite 311 is very nice)
http://www.lutetia-paris.com/en/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

Relais Christine
http://www.relais-christine.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; *across from Rotisserie d’en Face (great roasted chicken and decent wines) and around the corner from Jacques Cagna

11

I stayed there in 1985. Glad to hear it is still nice!

12

That should be a nice area, very close to Piazza dell’Esquilino. A little far from the most famous sites, but as you head from there to the Coliseum and Forums, you can go right by San Pietro in Vincoli, the home of Michelangelo’s statue of Moses. You have to see it in person to believe it:

13

I just got back from Paris today. Wonderful hotel I stay at when in Paris is the Elysses Regencia on Ave. Marceau in the 16th. One street over from George V, two streets over from Montaigne and a 3 block walk to the Arc on one side, and a 15 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower across the Seine.