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AROUND THE TOUR EIFFEL (7E, 15E)

Neighborhood Vibe: The impressive Eiffel Tower and monumental Palais de Chaillot at Trocadéro straddle the Seine River.

Pros: Safe, quiet, and relatively inexpensive area of Paris with green spaces and picture-perfect views at every turn.

Cons: With few shops and restaurants, this district is very quiet at night; long distances between métro stations.

LOUVRE, LES HALLES, ILE DE LA CITÉ (1E, 2E, 8E)

Neighborhood Vibe: The central Parisian district around the Tuileries gardens and Louvre museum is best known for shopping and sightseeing; Les Halles is a buzzing hub of commerce and mass transit.

Pros: Convenient for getting around Paris on foot, bus, or métro. Safe, attractive district close to the Seine and shops of all types. All the major métro and RER lines are right by Les Halles.

Cons: The main drag along Rue de Rivoli can be noisy with traffic during the day, and the restaurants cater mostly to tourists. Shops are tacky and fast food predominates around Les Halles.

1ER ARRONDISSEMENT (LOUVRE/LES HALLES)

Hôtel Brighton.

$$$ | Many of Paris’s most prestigious palace hotels face the Tuileries or Place de la Concorde, and while the Brighton breathes the same rarified air under the arcades, it does so for a fraction of the price. Smaller rooms look onto a courtyard; street-facing ones have balconies and a royal view of the gardens and Rive Gauche. Extensive renovations updated all the rooms, with the newest ones featuring flat-screen TVs and heated towel racks. First-floor rooms have high ceilings. Pros: great views; central location in a prestigious neighborhood; free Wi-Fi. Cons: the busy street can make rooms with a view a bit noisy; variable quality in decor between rooms. | 218 rue de Rivoli, Louvre/Tuileries | 75001 | 01–47–03–61–61 | www.paris-hotel-brighton.com | 61 rooms | In-room: a/c, safe, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: laundry service | AE, DC, MC, V | Station: Tuileries.

Hôtel Britannique.

$$$ | Open since 1861 and a stone’s throw from the Louvre, the Britannique blends courteous English service with old-fashioned French elegance. Take the winding staircase to rooms done in a mix of attractive repro furniture and antiques. Wi-Fi and in-room flat-screen TVs lend an air of modernity. In World War I, the hotel served as headquarters for a Quaker mission. Pros: one of the city’s most charming hotels, on a calm side street less than a block from the métro/RER station; attentive staff. Cons: smallish rooms; soundproofing between rooms could be better. | 20 av.Victoria Beaubourg/Les Halles | 75001 | 01–42–33–74–59 | www.hotel-britannique.fr | 38 rooms, 1 suite | In-room: a/c, safe, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: bar, laundry service | AE, DC, MC, V | Station: Châtelet

Hôtel Henri IV.

¢ | When tourists think of staying on one of the islands, it’s usually Ile St-Louis, not Ile de la Cité, but the overlooked isle shelters one of the city’s most beloved budget-priced sleeps. The 17th-century building that once housed King Henri IV’s printing presses offers few comforts: the narrow staircase (five flights, no elevator) creaks and the rooms have few amenities. Recent renovations, however, have added showers and toilets in almost every room. The payoff is a location overlooking the oasislike Place Dauphine, just a few steps from the Pont Neuf and Sainte-Chapelle. Pros: very quiet, central location; breakfast included. Cons: steep stairs and no elevator; few services or amenities; no e-mail or online reservations. | 25 pl. Dauphine, Ile de la Cité | 75001 | 01–43–54–44–53 | www.henri4hotel.fr | 15 rooms, 11 with bath | In-room: no a/c, no phone, no TV | MC, V | CP | Station: Cité, St-Michel, Pont Neuf.

Hôtel Londres St-Honoré.

$$ | An appealing combination of character and comfort distinguishes this small, inexpensive hotel, which is a five-minute walk from the Louvre. Exposed oak beams, statues in niches, and rustic stone walls give this place an old-fashioned air. Most rooms have floral