1. My top 5 hotels in Paris - For fashionistas and the budget minded
So you are finally going to Paris. But where to stay? Picking the wrong Parisian
hotel can put a wet rag on your entire experience. I feel terrible when I see
tourists coming out of the local flea bag or even just an uninspired place that
charges too much. So to give you hope, there are loads of hotels in paris that
will inspire you, comfort you and keep you coming back, without a gigantic price
tag, here are just a few.
For the purse conscious :
Hotel Manufacture is a hotel I stayed at not too long ago in the 13th
arrondissement of Paris. The 13th lies just below the 5th and the Latin quarter.
Here you are walking distance from La Butte aux Cailles neighborhood, which is
terribly charming and choc full of fun places to wine and dine. In addition you are
very close to Paris’ Chinatown, which is the ideal place to get a steamy bowl of
Pho for a mere 5 euros. This is one of the Cheapest areas of town to eat a very
satisfying meal. As for the hotel, it’s clean, the rooms are small but the breakfast
is good and the lobby is quite charming. Alert: this is a steal for Paris with prices
starting as low as 75 euros a night, just slightly more than you’d pay at a youth
hostel!
Zen in Paris :
For a calm, zen-like experience in Paris try the Hotel Gabriel, purported to be the
first “detox” hotels in Paris. I think it’s a bit of a marketing ploy the whole detox
thing as the “detox” elements that I saw consisted of healthy drinks and other
snacks and a small Spa treatment room downstairs. Don’t kid yourself even if
you stay here you’ll be gobbling up the pastries in Paris just like the rest of us.
But I digress. The lobby and room décor at the Gabriel is Über-modern and
trendy with loads of white fabrics, white lacquer and mood lighting. I really liked
the little breakfast room/café downstairs as well as the location, just a 5-10
minute walk from my favorite area of Paris, the Marais. Rates from 129 euros a
night.

2. Shopping hub :
If you are coming to Paris in July or January for the sales, or if you just like to
shop till you drop, a lovely place to rest your weary feet would be the Hotel
Banke in the 9th. Here you’ll be near the gorgeous Opera Garnier and around the
corner from Printemps and Galeries Lafayette for department store deals. Of
course the 9th has been heating up as of late, with a bevy of cool wine bars and
gastro pubs. Décor at the Banke is decidedly hip, with a long gold sofa by Phillipe
Starke spotted in the downstairs bar and the small art collection presented on
each floor. I loved the rooms here, chic, stylish yet comfortable. Beginning at 135
euros a night.
Next to the Tuileries :
The Hotel Lumen with rooms often as low as 160 euros/night is in the most
central location you can find just steps away from the rue de Rivoli, the Louvre
and the Tuileries gardens. The hotel gave me a chic Italian in Paris sensibility
and has its own little café with seating inside and out. This Paris hotel is perfect
for fashionistas and in-the-know businessmen. Their staff is very professional,
bending over backwards to make you happy.
Classic Chic :
If you are more Hermes than Lacroix, head to the Hotel Keppler the 8th
arrondissement. This stylish haven is tucked away on a quiet street yet is just
minutes away from the Champs Elysees and the golden triangle and haute
couture shopping on Avenue Montaigne. I personally found the black and white
lobby exactly to my taste, the bar one that I’d like to spend a lot of time reading
and sipping tea in and the rooms comfortable, elegant and stylish. Rooms here
start at 200 euros a night.
By,
Doni Belau is the owner and editor of the www.girlsguidetoparis.com , a travel
website and blog written by Parisian residents and insiders covering everything
from fashion to culture to foodie faves in the city of light.

3. Note: Rates quoted are the best deals I could find, you’ll often pay more in high
season.