Where should a family of four stay in Paris?

September 18, 2022 1:23 PM

We’re a family of four (two parents, two early-teenaged daughters) looking to spend four nights in Paris next year in mid-June 2023, but are having no luck finding a hotel that can accommodate all of us.

One of the parents is a super fussy sleeper so a dark room with decent AC is a must. We’re willing to pay 4-star hotel prices for a great location (St Germain, Le Marais, etc.— one of us used to live in Paris) but not Lutetia prices.

We’ve never slept in separate rooms on previous trips but now we’re wondering if that’s our only option. We don’t want to split the adults unless we really really have to, and hotels with adjoining rooms appear to be either fully booked or nonexistent. How can we make sure we’re close together, in a situation where the kids are safe and nearby, etc?

We’re looking for insight into that and also specific hotel recs. Thanks, everyone!

posted by Yo Soy La Morsa to Travel & Transportation around Paris, France (7 answers total)

A junior suite at La Villa Saint Germain, perhaps? With the kids on the sofa bed. It's not cheap, but it's not Lutetia. My mom and I stayed there several years ago and it was very pleasant. The location is great for culture vultures.

I think some of the hotels look fully booked out now because they're not taking reservations that far in advance.
posted by praemunire at 1:39 PM on September 18, 2022

Response by poster: Praemunire, thanks for your answer! That was actually the hotel we wanted, but the suite is already booked. Unfortunately, we don’t think this is a case of hotels not yet taking bookings for the summer: many have most rooms available except the larger kinds we’re looking for.
posted by Yo Soy La Morsa at 2:32 PM on September 18, 2022

(Since you like the place, and, as you know, it's a small operation, I would try emailing them. Because I just took a quick look and saw, like, no availability even for single rooms for June 2023, and while it's not a big place I find it hard to believe, though not impossible, that it's totally booked out for the whole month nine months in advance. Won't cost you anything to try.)
posted by praemunire at 4:03 PM on September 18, 2022

Hotels around Gare de Lyon could fit the bill. Still decent location-wise (close to Bastille, and a quick walk across the Seine to get to the Left Bank), and there are several hotels that have large-enough rooms for your requirements. We stayed at the Holiday Inn and the Courtyard as a party of 4 adults and both rooms were good and roomy by Parisian standards. The Courtyard room was much brighter, but since we didn't draw curtains to sleep, I don't know how well they block light.
posted by pendrift at 2:40 AM on September 19, 2022

The "Astotel" chain has a dozen or so locations in Paris. They appear to have rooms in a few of their locations that can handle families of four or five (https://en.astotel.com/family-rooms). My son and I stayed in one of their three star locations recently. It was a very simple room, but also clean, quiet, and air conditioned. That particular room also had black-out curtains - I can't say if that is a standard feature or not.

One feature we did take advantage of: the hotel kept simple drinks and snacks out all day that were free for hotel chain guests, as did the other dozen or so locations in Paris. Our key got us into the lobby of most (or maybe all?) locations so we could refill water bottles and sit down in a quiet place for a few moments before continuing on our way.
posted by csmason at 12:26 PM on September 19, 2022

I stayed at this gorgeous canal-side boutique hotel back in 2015, and would recommend it. They have a family-style room with 2 communicating bedrooms, and from the looks of it, some availability next June. The rooms are very small, as are most Paris hotel rooms, but I thought very well-designed for such a tight space. Even if you got two separate rooms in the same hotel, it is very small and chances are you could be close to your teens.

If not here, I would look at other boutique hotels in the neighbourhood. I think the 11th arrondissement is an exciting, vibrant area very suitable for teenagers. For example, we also stayed here in the past, although I don't think they have any family-sized rooms.
posted by amusebuche at 5:46 PM on September 20, 2022

We have rented several fabulous apartments in Paris through cobblestone Paris, and they have plenty availability next June. Charme du marais was our most recent fave, but bon voyage!
posted by beignet at 10:18 PM on September 25, 2022