For families traveling with children, the top hotel section in Paris is just below the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens (still on the Left Bank), where there are enclosed playing areas, with attendants, and an atmosphere of peace and charm. And on a quiet street called Rue Madame, which runs just parallel to the gardens, there are three superb budget hotels to which families have flocked for many years, with good results.
I’d rate them in the following order: first, Regent’s Hotel at 44 Rue Madame, in a completely new building, modern and sparkling clean, and with elevator; and then, further up the block, the older Hotel de l’Avenir at 65 Rue Madame (it also has an elevator), and the Hotel Perreyve, 63 Rue Madame. The latter two are only 50 yards from an entrance gate to the lovely gardens. At Regent’s, two breakfasts included; at the l’Avenir, quite elegant, turn-of-the-century-Perreyve!
Finally, this area possesses one of the best pensions in Paristhe “Orfila”-a big place (the deceptively small main building actually extends into other buildings), which stands at an intersection where the Rue Madame meets the Rue d’Assas, at 60 Rue d’Assas, a minute’s walk from the gardens. This is an old and quite quaint Parisian building in the center of a nice neighborhood, well-maintained inside, and with a pleasant proprietress.
To reach any hotel in this area, take the metro to the St. Sulpice stop. You’ll find that you’re only a short walk away from the bustling St. Germain des Pres, and yet in a calm residential section.
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