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By Root 1072 0

to visit dozens of hotels in Paris and report on them—that is the purview of guidebooks, Web sites, and accommodation guides. But as someone who pays close attention to the tiniest details, has stayed in accommodations ranging from campgrounds to five-star hotels, is practically allergic to must and dust, has an exacting idea of the words “customer service,” and has been known to rearrange the furniture in a few hotel rooms, I do think I have something valuable to share with readers. And besides, because many people ask me for recommendations, I move around a lot when I travel, changing hotels and arranging visits to those that are fully booked or that I otherwise might not see. I make sure to see lodgings both moderately priced and expensive, so that readers have personal recommendations for both. Most often, I am drawn to the moderate places that also represent a good value, as I’ve found that these sometimes receive the least attention. It’s never hard to find out about the budget or luxury places to stay, but the places in between—which I believe suit the pocketbooks of the majority of travelers—are often overlooked or given cursory consideration.

I myself do not generally prefer chain hotels, especially American ones, but those who do will find a number of them in Paris. I prefer to consult specialty hotel groups (assuming there is one for the destination I’m visiting), and among my favorites for France are Châteaux & Hôtels Collection (chateauxhotels.com), Gîtes de France (gites-de-france.com), Relais & Châteaux (relaischateaux.com), and Relais du Silence (relaisdusilence.com). Additionally, I like Small Luxury Hotels of the World (slh.com) and Leading Hotels of the World (lhw.com).

Regarding books about accommodations in Paris: there is no shortage. Here are the books I consult when I’m contemplating where to stay (and, yes, I really do peruse all of these—there is hardly any overlap and I like to know I’ve turned over every stone in considering my options before heading out):

Alastair Sawday’s Special Places to Stay series, with editons on Paris, French châteaux and hotels, and bed and breakfasts, and Go Slow France and French Vineyards (Alastair Sawday Publishing). Over the years I’ve used a great number of Sawday’s books for locations throughout the world, with great success. There’s also useful information on the Sawday’s Web site (sawdays.co.uk).

Boutique and Chic Hotels in Paris by Lionel Paillès (Little Bookroom, 2008) is a chunky little book with fifty-two great recommendations for places that Paillès refers to as “pocket palaces, boutique hotels, or neo-Oriental nests … atmosphere is their stock in trade, so it takes very little time to feel at home.” There are a number of hotels in this book with rates under one hundred and twenty euros per night—among them the Hôtel Eldorado (eldoradohotel.fr) and Villa Toscane (hotelvillatoscane.fr), both of which are far more appealing than many places I’ve seen for the same price. However, the listings vary widely, with some places over three hundred euros per night. The photos are satisfactory for giving you a sense of where you’ll be staying; there are also brief suggestions for things to do in each hotel’s neighborhood at the back of the book.

Karen Brown’s France Bed & Breakfasts and France Hotels (Karen Brown Guides, updated for 2010). Award-winning Karen Brown Guides have been great resources for accommodations for over thirty years, and are admired for their meticulous research. The guides differ from the Alastair Sawday series in that they typically focus more on exceptional high-end (rather than moderately priced) places to stay. Also find tips on her Web site (karenbrown.com).

Parisian Hideaways: Exquisite Rooms in Enchanting Hotels by Casey O’Brien Blondes and with photographs by Béatrice Amagat (Rizzoli, 2009) is my newest hotel resource and I just love it. Blondes’s vision of an idyllic Parisian location is a quiet street as opposed to a wide avenue, and she prefers places that are intimate with lots of personal contact, leaving out the palace hotels,