5 Biggest Paris Hotel Mistakes (that’ll cost you money)

If you haven’t booked your Paris hotel yet, then you’ll want to read this first! Your hotel can make or break your trip, so I’m going to tell you about the most common Paris hotel mistakes you might make when deciding where to stay in Paris. Some of these are easy to make, but you can totally avoid them – here’s how.

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This is an image of the Champs Elysees with the Arc De Triomphe in the distance. The streets are full of cars and French flags.

Mistake 1: Booking a hotel near the Eiffel Tower or Champs Elysées

There are two places in Paris you should definitely AVOID, and that’s around the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysées. Of course, it’s totally understandable that you’ll want to see these sites during your stay, but the area around these famous landmarks is lifeless, expensive, and pretty far from most other sites you’re going to want to visit in Paris. If you really want a view of the Eiffel Tower from your hotel, there are options in better areas, like the ones in our article on hotels with amazing views in Paris.

This is an image of the cobblestone streets in Montmartre with people walking down.

Mistake 2: Thinking it isn’t safe or nice to stay outside the tourist center

Some visitors might think it’s only safe and nice in the tourist center. But, here’s the thing – Paris is a very, very safe city on the whole. There’s almost no violent crime and the worst issue a tourist might encounter here is pickpockets – and they are usually MORE active in touristy areas. You can have a more local experience and save a lot of money by staying outside the very core of Paris. So which areas should you be looking in? For something central but with local spirit, try the Latin Quarter, the Montorgueil area, the Marais, and for more authentic and affordable areas, search in arrondissements 9 and above. We go into further detail in this article on top areas to stay in Paris for a local experience.

This is an image of a hotel-front in Paris.

Mistake 3: Booking at a chain hotel

One of the most common Paris hotel mistakes we see tourists making is booking at a large international hotel chain. Now, if you’ve built up a lot of credit card points, like by using these great credit cards that earn you free travel, and plan to use them towards your Paris hotel, you might have to stay in an international chain. This will save you a lot of money, so, by all means, use those points. But if this isn’t the case for you, I really recommend choosing a smaller boutique hotel. Paris has many great ones and staying at boutique hotels usually means saving money, more personalized service, and rooms with a nicer decor. What’s more, some boutique hotels even have cool bars and restaurants where Parisians also hang out.

This is an image of a hotel room with two large beds and a view of Paris city out the window.

Mistake 4: Assuming all hotels will have an elevator and A/C

This is definitely the BIGGEST Paris hotel mistake that tourists make. Many of Paris’s most charming hotels are in older buildings, but these might lack modern conveniences. I don’t know how many times I’ve had friends visiting who’ve complained about having to haul their large suitcases up three or four flights of stairs because their hotel didn’t have an elevator (another reason not to overpack!).

It’s a similar issue regarding air-conditioning. In the past, Paris never had super high summer temperatures, so we didn’t need A/C. However, due to global warming, it can now get REALLY hot here. There’s always a heatwave between late June to early September – but we never know when it’ll happen. So if either of these amenities is important to you, be sure to check the hotel’s list of amenities before clicking the reserve button. Most hotel booking sites allow you to select this as a filter during your search.

This is an image of an airline tarmac with a plane getting boarded.

Mistake 5: Staying near the airport

Okay, I know it can be tempting to stay near the airport if you’ve got an early flight. It might seem all convenient, but it actually doesn’t guarantee it’ll take less time to reach your boarding gate. Except for one or two hotels, you’ll still have to take a shuttle from an airport hotel to the terminal, and these usually run on a set schedule. Almost all Paris airport hotels (like most other cities) completely lack personality AND have bad dining options. Do you really want your last meal in Paris to be mediocre?

Paris morning traffic is bad coming INTO the city and not going in the direction of the airport. If you’ve got a super early flight, traffic shouldn’t be a problem and there likely won’t even be many other cars on the road. So you might as well stay in the city, enjoy one last terrific French meal, soak up the city’s ambiance, and book a taxi ride to the airport in advance. The RER B train, which goes to the airport, also goes through Paris stations around 5:30 am, so you might even be able to take it. Check out our article on how to get between Paris and the airport for more info.

I’d say the only exception to this Paris hotel mistake is when there’s a very serious transit strike. In these situations, you won’t be able to take public transport and taxis are in higher demand and harder to get. Otherwise, stay in Paris and savor every last minute of your holiday!

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