Sleeping Around in Paris

Hotel Quai du Voltaire has the decided advantage of being directly across the Seine from the Louvre. The hotel is definitely dated and worn, but for the price, our room and view during the Christmas holidays couldn't be beat. We had large French doors that opened to a "balcony", which you could not go out on. But by sitting there on New Year's Eve, we were able to enjoy the relative warmth of the indoors while watching the festivities in the city below.

The room was small but clean. And the bathroom had a nice shower. The staff was not terribly helpful and seemed to prefer no actual communication with us. There is a petite breakfast room downstairs, where a slow service of croissants and coffee could be obtained.

Because of its location on the Seine, the hotel can be both noisy and bright. When the Bateaux Mouche boats went by at night, their enormous spotlights would light up the entire room.

The closest metro stop, at Musee d'Orsay, was about half a mile away.

I've stayed in nearly a dozen hotels in Paris, and this is my only repeat. And right now I think it's my favorite. Paris can be an pricey place to get a room. And often, a couple-hundred euros will get you a very small room indeed.

On my early visits to the City of Lights, I preferred staying in the very popular, very crowded, and very busy Latin Quarter. Today I find I feel much more "at home" in this charming area, just down the street from Rue Cler, and a 10-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower.

Relais Bosquet offers very comfortable, pleasantly attractive rooms with very modern, luxurious bathrooms. Front rooms have windows opening onto Champs de Mars and a view of the top of the Eiffel Tower. From my bed, I can watch the twinkly lights.

Breakfast is offered for a price, but the morning smells of the boulangerie right next door wake me and beckon. A block away is the famous Rue Cler market street with an assortment of cafes, shops, and interesting things to see and do.

Parisians live in this neighborhood. They shop in the little specialty shops, they eat in the brasseries, and they stop for a drink at the cafes. While there is no paucity of tourists in the area, it's completely unlike the Latin Quarter and area around St. Germaine. It's not busy and noisy and bustling, like the neighborhood near the Louvre, the Opera House, and the big department stores. I love the feeling of "coming home" at the end of the day. There is no shortage of excellent restaurants in the neighborhood.

Also, the staff is exceptionally welcoming and helpful. There is also free Internet in the reception area.

The hotel has also added two apartments to choose from in the neighborhood. They look wonderful, and I will try to stay in one of them on my next visit.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to this hotel when I arrived late one afternoon in Paris to find that my reservation at another Latin Quarter hotel had gotten confused (probably my mistake) and the hotel was full. The helpful man at the desk (and people say Parisians are rude) called around and found me this alternative hotel at a discounted rate, and he walked me to Hotel Cluny Square so I would not get lost!

What a lovely surprise my room was. I had a double room, although I was a single, and therefore got a rare double bed. The room had french doors opening on to a balcony that overlooked Cluny Square, and the wonderful characteristic rooftops of the area.

I was even more amazed when I found more French doors and another balcony access in the very modern, well-appointed bathroom! There are scores of restaurants, cafes, shops, etc., in the neighborhood.

This is one of the rare places that I bought the hotel breakfast (I think it was 10 euros). It was wonderful to sit in the breakfast lounge, and indulge in the French coffee, the hot croissants and rolls, and the fresh-squeezed orange juice.

The Derby Eiffel was my very first hotel in Paris--in fact, it was my first-ever experience in Europe.

I was surprised how small the rooms were, and the bathroom was just functional (I'm picky about bathrooms!). After subsequent trips, I think it rated about a 5 on my scale of 1 to 10 in Paris accommodations--very clean, very basic, a nice view of the Eiffel Tower, but small and undistinguished. The location is convenient and in a real Paris neighborhood. But the neighborhood has hotels with more distinction and atmosphere.

We stayed at Hotel Minerve in 1999 for one week. My two most vivid memories are "pink" and very noisy. Other than that, this is a pretty basic option in the Latin Quarter. We had a double room. We didn't elect the breakfast option. The room was not luxe by any standard, and construction on the building nextdoor began promptly at 8am. We also got snapped at by the desk clerk when we came in laughing one evening. That was disconcerting, given how noisy the room was all day!

The most compelling thing about this property is the price. Doubles start at 98 euros. Sub-100 euro rooms in Paris are a real rarity.

All rooms have air-conditioning.

My very favorite restaurant in Paris isn't even French! Ponte Vecchio is a tiny Italian jewel. The fantastic Italian dishes were developed by the handsome Sardinian proprietor and his Corsican wife.

The restaurant is very small, with only a dozen or few tables. When the weather is nice, the front opens up to allow another few tables. Across the street you see the flying buttresses of Notre Dame lit up, providing a very Parisian view.

I've never had anything I didn't like from the menu, but my favorite has been the eggplant starter, which truly melts in the mouth. The house red wine is a Sardinian Monica, hard to find anywhere else, very modestly priced and with a special chocolaty aftertaste.

I've never ordered dessert, preferring to savor another glass of the wine, but my dining companions have raved about the various choices.

I go to Ponte Vecchio every trip to Paris.

The day after Christmas, my daughter and I decided to treat ourselves with a splurge at le Jules Verne. It was a wonderful experience!

The elevator that takes you to this "restaurant in the round" is private and doesn't require standing in the 30-minute-plus lines that folks trying to ascend the tower must stand in. Arriving at the coat check, you immediately know you are in a very luxe place. While we were not seated right next to the window, we were close enough to have fantastic views of all of Paris. (Get there early for the best seating).

We ordered from the menu, choosing a selection of amuse bouche, delicious fresh breads, soup, an entree, and dessert. When we thought we would absolutely burst, our check came with a plate of wonderful little ganache delicacies. The 3-hour meal cost the equivalent of $150. I had two glasses of wine.

After eating, diners can choose to take the next elevator to the top of the tower or can proceed down directly.