Which neighborhood to stay in in Paris? Our guide by arrondissement
Historic center, Left Bank, Montmartre or the 15th: the neighborhood often matters more than the hotel itself. Our tips for choosing where to stay in Paris to suit your trip.
Before comparing hotels, you need to choose your neighborhood. In Paris, the arrondissement determines almost everything: your daily travel time, the atmosphere in the evening, the price of the room and even how well you sleep. The same budget won't buy the same experience in the 1st as in the 15th.
Our hotels are spread across eight arrondissements, which gives us a very practical perspective on the question. Here is how we guide our guests, depending on what brings them to Paris.
First trip to Paris: aim for the center
If it's your first visit and you want to do everything on foot, the 1st and 2nd arrondissements are hard to beat. Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Marais and Les Halles are all within a fifteen-minute walk of each other, and every major metro line passes through.
The downside: it's the busiest part of the city, and prices follow suit. It's also where the quality of restaurants is the most uneven.
Our hotels: our hotel near the Marais and Notre-Dame, on Avenue Victoria, and our hotel near the Louvre Museum, on Rue Marsollier, a little quieter in the evening.
Historic and cultural Paris: the Left Bank
The 5th arrondissement is the Paris you picture before you arrive: cobbled lanes, bookshops, the Panthéon, the Luxembourg Gardens ten minutes away. The neighborhood is lively without being noisy, and far more affordable than the historic center on the Right Bank.
The 13th, a little further south, offers the same calm with direct access to Gare d'Austerlitz — a good compromise if you're arriving by train from the south-west.
Our hotels: our 3-star hotel in the Latin Quarter, on Rue Saint-Jacques, and our hotel near the Jardin des Plantes, on Boulevard Saint-Marcel.
Shopping, theaters and department stores: the 2nd and 9th
The Grands Boulevards area is home to Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, the Opéra Garnier and a good share of Paris's theaters and venues. It's the neighborhood for trips that include an evening at the theater and a day of shopping, without ever taking the metro.
Our hotels: our hotel on the Grands Boulevards, on Rue Montmartre, and Hôtel Léman Opéra, on Rue de Trévise, a ten-minute walk from the Opéra Garnier.
Paris by night: the 10th and 18th
If you're coming mainly for the atmosphere, the terraces and the bars, Canal Saint-Martin and Montmartre are the two neighborhoods to consider. The 10th is younger, more creative and very well connected to the rest of the city. The 18th has kept its village feel above the city, with the Sacré-Cœur and the streets of Abbesses.
Good to know: these neighborhoods stay lively late, which is an advantage or a drawback depending on how you sleep.
Our hotels: our hotel near Canal Saint-Martin and our hotel near the Sacré-Cœur.
The Eiffel Tower and western Paris: the 15th
The 15th is Paris's big residential arrondissement: food shops, markets, quiet streets in the evening, and noticeably gentler prices than in the center. It's the choice for family trips and longer stays — and the Eiffel Tower is within walking distance from much of the neighborhood.
It's also the arrondissement of the Porte de Versailles exhibition center, a deciding factor if you're coming for work.
Our hotels: our hotel near the Eiffel Tower on the Beaugrenelle side, our hotel near Gare Montparnasse on the Pasteur side, and Hôtel Carladez Cambronne, on Place du Général Beuret.
Business travel: the 17th
Between Porte Maillot, the Palais des Congrès and the business district just a few stops away, the 17th is the arrondissement for business trips and conferences. It also has the merit of being a real neighborhood to live in — Batignolles and Rue de Lévis are among the most pleasant places in Paris for dinner.
Our hotels: our hotel near Porte Maillot and the Palais des Congrès and our hotel near Batignolles.
Three questions to ask yourself before booking
Where are you arriving? Staying near your arrival station saves you an hour in total on a short trip, luggage included. If you're arriving from the south-west, aim for Montparnasse; from the north or abroad, the 10th.
How long are you staying? For two nights, the very center makes sense: every minute of travel counts. Beyond four nights, a well-connected residential arrondissement offers much better value for comfort and price.
What hours do you keep? If you come back late every evening, choose a lively neighborhood and a hotel with a 24-hour reception. If you leave early, being close to a direct metro line matters more than anything else.
To go further
Each of our hotels is just a few minutes from a metro station and has a 24-hour reception, which eases the neighborhood constraint a little. What remains is the pleasure of sleeping in the right place: discover our 3-star hotels in Paris arrondissement by arrondissement, and book direct to get the best rate.
