Important Things to Know Before You Book Your Paris Hotel

If you’re reading this article, you’re likely looking around for hotels in Paris. But, before you click that “book” button, there are some important things you need to know when booking a Paris hotel. In this article, I’ve included some really useful Paris hotel advice for you and some tips that can make a HUGE difference in your selection process.

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Paris hotel advice: This is an image of a small hotel room with a bed and desk pressed up against the wall.

Paris hotel rooms tend to be smaller than you might be used to

The most common complaint I hear about Paris hotels is that room sizes are small. I totally get it, I wish I had a larger place too, You see, Paris is a very compact city, apartments are on the small side and hotel rooms reflect this. So setting your size expectations is one of the most important things to know when booking a Paris hotel. I hope you’ll be spending most of your time out exploring the city instead of in your hotel room and then its size won’t matter. However, if you’re hoping for a larger room, check the reviews to see what previous guests have said, or consider an apart-hotel. Rooms at apart-hotels are usually more spacious, have a home-ier feel, and come equipped with a sofa, kitchenette, and table or desk.

This is an image of a staircase in a hotel. There is no elevator up.

Not all hotels have an elevator and A/C

Since a lot of buildings in Paris are old, not all have elevators, nor is it easy to install air conditioning. This is super important to know – especially if you have mobility issues or are visiting from June to August. So if either of these amenities is vital for you, one of the best pieces of Paris hotel advice I can give you is to check if a hotel has this feature before booking. You can do this by scanning the hotel’s list of amenities or ticking the elevators or A/C box in the search filter options of hotel booking sites. Trust me, you don’t want to be dragging your suitcases up four flights of stairs after you’ve just arrived after a long flight or sweating in your room after a long day of sightseeing in July.

Paris hotel advice: This is an image of a few pastries, an OJ and a coffee on a table.

Big breakfast spreads aren’t super common here

As much as the French are famous for their amazing bread and breakfast pastries, most people don’t eat huge breakfasts here. So if you like bacon, eggs, yogurt, fruit, or similar breakfast items, you might want to read the hotel’s breakfast description or its reviews to see what past guests say about their breakfast. This doesn’t have to be a “make or break” factor because you might also want to skip a hotel breakfast altogether and go to these best places for breakfast in Paris.

This is an image of a hotel with a nice view of Paris's buildings in the distance.

Not all hotels have great views and you’ll have to pay extra for this

Movies and TV shows (including Emily in Paris), make it seem like you can fling open the curtains on any window and see the Eiffel Tower. This is definitely NOT true. If you want an Eiffel Tower view, you often have to pay extra for it, and the price can really climb. If it’s a special trip, and you don’t mind paying a premium, you can find some great options in our article on hotels with amazing views in Paris. However, do you really need this view? Most of Paris is pretty beautiful, so even if it doesn’t feature the famed tower, the view from your hotel will likely be nice anyway.

Paris hotel advice: This is an image of Champs Elysees street with cars blazing down and sunset in the background.

Hotels around major monuments don’t have local shops and restaurants nearby

There are lots of hotels around Paris’s top sites, so this might give you the impression that it’s a good idea to stay near these. While it might take you only a few minutes to walk to the famous site, there are some big downsides too. Restaurants in these areas are often bad or expensive (or both). What’s more, there aren’t usually many local shops near these popular attractions, so you might have to walk pretty far to get a croissant or even to find a small shop that sells snacks and water. These are just a few of the reasons we recommend staying in more local areas instead, like the areas included in the next section.

This is an image of a winding street full of traditional Parisian buildings and more.

You can save a LOT by staying in districts 9 to 20

If you’re on a bit of a budget, looking outside of the historic core is another really important thing to know when booking a Paris hotel. Although Paris doesn’t have just one historic center, you could consider arrondissements 1 through 6 as “the center,” and I generally don’t recommend staying in arrondissements 7 and 8 (around the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysées) because they are pretty expensive and lifeless. You’ll pay less and have a more local experience staying in the second ring of Paris arrondissements and – except for Montmartre and the 16th arrondissement – the price kind of decreases as the district numbers go up. For example, you can get some fantastic deals in the Belleville area (20th) as well as the 13th and 14th districts in southern Paris. Read this article for more recommendations on our top areas to stay in for a local experience.

Paris hotel advice: This is an image of the artistic Metropolitan sign outside of the metro stations in Paris

Make sure there’s a metro station nearby

Paris is a very walkable city, but you’re going to need to take some form of transport at least a few times during your stay. The cheapest and often fastest way to get around is by the Parisian underground, le métro, so it’s very handy to have a station near your hotel. If you’re looking for budget-friendly hotels or hostels, these are usually in the outer districts of the city (arrondissements 12-20). Staying in these areas can save you a lot, but there are often fewer metro stations. Before reserving, make sure you look at the hotel’s location on the map to see where a metro station is. If it seems more than a five-minute walk, you might want to opt for a different hotel.