Paris: Where to Stay: Hotels:

Hôtel Henri IV, 25 Place Dauphine, 1st, M° Cité or Pont-Neuf, ☎ 01 43 54 44 53 (€). No credit cards. Breakfast included.

Located in a 17th-century building overlooking the tree-lined Place Dauphine (at the western end of the Ile de la Cité), this budget hotel is so popular it’s usually necessary to book two months in advance. And that’s no easy task: you need to call at least a month in advance, then send payment by money order or traveler’s check to confirm the reservation. There’s no fax, no e-mail, and no credit cards accepted. The reception room (and the hotel’s only direct-dial phone) is up a narrow flight of steps, with a corner for the continental breakfast service. There are 20 rooms on the floors above, the least expensive ones have no bathroom facilities (shower and toilets down the hall). The décor is threadbare but functional.

WARNING! Those with lots of luggage will not appreciate the old, narrow staircase (no elevators).

Hôtel du Séjour, 36 Rue du Grenier St-Lazare, 3rd, M° Rambuteau or Etienne-Marcel, ☎ 01 48 87 40 36, fax 01 48 87 40 36 (€).

This hotel has 20 sunny rooms with basic décor (no phone or TV). The rooms on the fifth floor are the most spacious (but beware, no elevator). Less expensive rooms are available without bathroom facilities (toilets in each hall, showers on the 3rd floor, €4). The owners are friendly and the hotel is well-placed (next to a police station) just above the Pompidou Center, only five minutes’ walk to the Marais.

Hôtel de Roubaix, 6 Rue Greneta, 3rd, M° Arts-et-Métiers, ☎ 01 42 72 89 91, fax 01 42 72 58 79, Hotel.de.Roubaix@wanadoo.fr (€).

This hotel near Arts-et-Métiers and the Pompidou Center has a faded, old-fashioned elegance that wouldn’t look out of place at grandma’s house. Its 53 spacious rooms, with satellite TV and direct-dial phone, have vintage furnishings and spotless, modern bathrooms. Triples available for €71. This is one of the few budget hotels in town with an elevator, so book early!

Hôtel Moderne Caron, 3 Rue Caron, 4th, M° Bastille or St-Paul, ☎ 01 48 87 97 05, fax 01 48 87 97 05, hotel.moderne.caron@wanadoo.fr (€).

Completely renovated in 2002, this small hotel is on a tiny street just off a beautiful cobblestoned square lined with bistros, and just two minutes’ walk to the Place des Vosges or Place de la Bastille. Rooms are basic and clean, with modern tiled bathrooms. Less expensive rooms are available if you don’t mind using shared bathrooms. Continental breakfast served in the lounge. Reception is usually closed by 2am, so try to get a key before heading out for the evening.

Hospitel Hôtel Dieu, 1 Place du Parvis Notre Dame (Galerie B2, sixth floor) 4th, M° Cité or RER St-Michel-Notre Dame, ☎ 01 44 32 01 00, fax 01 44 32 01 16, www.hotel-hospitel.com (€€).

This unique hotel is in the historic Hôtel Dieu, a Parisian hospital on the same square as Notre Dame Cathedral. The 14 rooms are simple but comfortable, with TV, private bathroom, telephone, safe and hairdryer or fan on request. It’s amazingly quiet, and all guests have access to the peaceful courtyard gardens. Room service – for those who want to see what French hospital food is like – is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner (full meals from €10). There’s no curfew, but after 10pm you have to retrieve your key at the ER entrance (a.k.a. Urgences in French). Other sights on the Ile de la Cité include the colorful Marché aux Fleurs, the Conciergerie, and Sainte-Chapelle.

Hôtel de Nice, 42bis Rue de Rivoli, 4th, M° Hôtel-de-Ville, ☎ 01 42 78 55 29, fax 01 42 78 36 07 (€€).

This delightfully eclectic hotel is decorated in a mismatch of antiques and flea-market finds, vintage prints and old paintings. Funky and romantic for some, suffocating and gaudy for others. Most of the 23 rooms are quite small, but have their own bathroom (shower or tub), satellite TV and direct-dial phone. Rooms on the top floor, which guests can reach by elevator, have great views over the city. You’d hardly notice this little hotel unless you were looking for it, but its prime location right across from the Hôtel de Ville is perfect for exploring the Marais, Beaubourg and the islands.

Grand Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc, 3 Rue de Jarente, 4th, M° St-Paul, ☎ 01 48 87 62 11, fax 01 48 87 37 31, www.hoteljeannedarc.com (€€).

This pretty budget hotel is just off the charming and somewhat secluded Place du Marché Ste-Catherine. The 36 rooms are decorated simply in warm colors, with large windows, diverse wooden furnishings, satellite TV, telephone, and private bathrooms (bathtub or shower) with hair dryer. The lobby is tiny, with a large mosaic tile mirror and 17th-century stone staircase leading up to the rooms. Overall, it’s a pleasantly clean and comfortable hotel within easy walking distance of the Marais and the Bastille nightlife districts. It’s possible to book rooms directly on their web site.

Hôtel du 7ème Art, 20 Rue St-Paul, 4th, M° St-Paul, ☎ 01 44 54 85 00, fax 01 42 77 69 10, hotel7art@wanadoo.fr (€€).

Just around the corner from the Village St-Paul antiques shops, this quirky hotel has developed quite a cult following over the years. Run by an old film buff, vintage cinema posters decorate the hotel’s 23 rooms, its lounge, breakfast room, hallways, and even the tiny basement gym. Despite the somewhat frumpy furniture, the rooms are comfortable, with private bath or shower, cable TV, telephone, and in-room safe. Rooms on the top floors are more spacious, and therefore a bit pricier. There are also a few budget rooms with shared facilities in the hall. The cozy lounge has leather club chairs and a fireplace.

Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais, 12 Rue Vieille-du-Temple, 4th, M° St-Paul or Hôtel-de-Ville, ☎ 01 42 72 34 12, fax 01 42 72 34 63, www.carondebeaumarchais.com (€€€).

Named for the playwright Beaumarchais (who penned the Marriage of Figaro a few doors away in 1786), this dollhouse of a hotel in the heart of the Marais perfectly recreates the atmosphere of an 18th-century Parisian townhouse. Each of the 19 soundproofed rooms is decorated in pretty fabrics and hand-painted tiles, with exposed wooden beam ceilings and vintage framed prints. They’re equipped with en-suite bathroom, Internet connections, satellite TV, hair dryer, and minibar. Air conditioning and an elevator bring this hotel comfortably into the 21st century. Continental breakfast can be served in the guest rooms. A hotel this adorable fills up fast at these prices. Ask about promotions when booking.

Hôtel du Jeu de Paume, 54 Rue St-Louis-en-Ile, 4th, M° Pont Marie, ☎ 01 43 26 14 18, fax 01 40 46 02 76, www.jeudepaumehotel.com (€€€€).

This extraordinary hotel on the Ile St-Louis is in a former 17th-century Jeu de Paume (indoor tennis) court. It was lovingly converted into a stylish and bright modern hotel while preserving the original wooden beam and stone architecture. There are 28 rooms (and two apartments) accessible by a glass elevator, each with its own unique contemporary style and views overlooking the interior patio garden. They’re each equipped with satellite TV, telephone, minibar, modem Internet access, in-room safe, and hair dryer. The hotel also has a fitness room with sauna and Jacuzzi, a comfortable lounge bar, library, and billiard room with fumoir. The hotel has a breakfast room, but no restaurant. But this is no problem, since the island has everything from bakeries and ice-cream shops to wine bars and traditional French bistros. Rooms can be booked online.

Hôtel du Bourg Tibourg, 19 Rue du Bourg-Tibourg, 4th, M° Hôtel de Ville, www.hoteldubourgtibourg.com, ☎ 01 42 78 47 39, fax 01 40 29 07 00 (€€€€).

Decorated by style guru Jacques Garcia (of Hôtel Costes fame), this painfully hip boutique hotel in the heart of the Marais is both funky and modern, a rare mix in this part of town. Crazy jungle prints mix with Oriental lacquered furnishings in the lounge bar, softened by an interior garden, while the rooms have more of a contemporary bastide (country house or manor) atmosphere with warm colors and luxurious fabrics. The 31 cozy rooms have en-suite bathrooms with hair dryer, direct-dial phone with modem Internet connections, satellite TV, minibar and in-room safe. What they lack in size they certainly make up for in personality! The hotel is air conditioned and has an elevator. There’s no restaurant, but breakfast is served each morning in the lounge or in the guest rooms. Rooms can be booked online.

Hôtel Saint-Merry, 78 Rue de la Verrerie, 4th, M° Châtelet or Hôtel-de-Ville, ☎ 01 42 78 14 15, fax 01 40 29 06 82, www.hotelmarais.com (€€€€).

The magnificent 17th-century Gothic-style interior of this hotel, all carved wood, stone and wrought iron, was once the presbytery of the neighboring Eglise St-Merri. The bed in room nine is tucked right under one of the stone flying buttresses holding up the church. Each of the 11 rooms has a private bathroom, hair dryer, and telephone. This is the perfect place to escape the modern world! Located in the Beaubourg quarter around the corner from the Pompidou Center, this hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from the Marais and Notre Dame Cathedral. Breakfast is served in the guestrooms only. Check the web site for promotional off-season rates.

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