The 8 Best Cheap Hotels in Paris for 2024
Whoa. Let me repeat that… whoa. Are you experiencing a little sticker shock while searching for hotels in Paris? The city has gotten really expensive, n’est-ce pas?
I know, traveling to Paris has never been exactly cheap, but there have always been ways to make it more affordable. Heck, my post on 50 ways to save on your trip to Paris breaks down little tips and tricks for saving on food, museums, getting around, and so on. But the city’s hotel rates have recently gone through the roof.
We should know — my team and I have been obsessively visiting, reviewing, and ranking the best budget hotels in Paris since 2001, when I launched the site with the mission of helping travelers find the very best central hotels in Paris that are actually affordable. We’ve seen charming hotels open, close, get rebooted as private apartment rentals, rebrand themselves as 4-star hotels. We’ve seen it all.
But post-COVID, we’ve seen some of our all-time favorite budget hotels close, and others have transformed themselves into something much, much more expensive. (Ironically, the rates might double, but the location and room size always stay the same!) And we understand, to a certain degree. Running a hotel was nearly impossible for a few years, and revenues need to be recouped.
Still, over the past three years we’ve seen many of our favorite (formerly) budget-friendly hotels swing from offering rooms for about €125-150 a night to more than €250 a night.
Fortunately, there are still some hotels in central Paris with great service and affordable rates. We’ve spent a few weeks combing through and updating all of our Paris hotel listings, and testing rates to get to the bottom of what is still a great deal.
Our 8 favorite budget hotels in Paris
As you can see, all of our favorite hotels are located in central Paris. See photos and read our reviews below.
Our criteria: How do we pick our favorite hotels in Paris?
We’ve picked these winners by examining several criteria, including:
Hotel Location
Would most travelers consider this location to be convenient? Can you walk to popular sights and a good selection of restaurants from this hotel? At the same time, does it offer enough calm to let you sleep comfortably at night?
Our favorite locations are in the very center of Paris (Arrondissements 1-7), especially near the Louvre, the Marais, Latin Quarter, St-Germain des Prés and near the Eiffel Tower. From these locations you can walk or take a quick Metro ride to nearly all of Paris’s main museums and attractions.
Average room rate
Are rates cheaper than other hotels of the same category? To determine the “average double rate,” we compiled and averaged rates for a double room in March, April, May and June of 2024.
This one was especially hard, as room rates have skyrocketed across the city. Most of our top picks have an average room rate under $150 per night, while some truly special hotels go as high as $225. Above that amount just can’t reasonably considered “budget”. We’ve rounded up hotels with some of the best rates in the city.
Quality
How do the actual rooms and hotel services stack up with others in the same category? If this is a two-star hotel, for example, does it offer better rooms and more personal services than other two-star hotels?
User ratings and reviews
How have past guests rated this hotel? What issues, if any, have previous guests experienced with the hotel?
Room size
Yes, we’re so obsessive that we’ve compiled room size (in square feet) for all hotels and use it as a factor when choosing our list. The bigger the guestroom, the higher the hotel scores. (I mean… nearly all hotel rooms in Paris are tiny, but we’re at least able to see who the outliers are!) In Paris, we found the average hotel room spans around 129 to 140 square feet (about 12 to 13 square meters). Some of the smallest rooms squeeze in beds, desks, and even bathrooms in under 100 square feet, which makes the larger rooms (over 200 square feet) feel extremely spacious.
“Special something”
Does this hotel offer something special that distinguishes it from its competitors? Does it have a special theme, interesting owners, or fascinating history? When we’re reviewing hotels, we’re always looking for this “something special.”
And finally, we also go with our own instincts. We’ve visited and inspected hotels hundreds of times in Paris. We’re including hotels in this list that we like and feel should be shared with our readers!
Related articles: For more on hotel savings in France, check out our tutorials on how to save on your hotel in Paris, and ways to save on hotels throughout France. You can also find romantic budget stays and hotels with old-world charm.
The 8 best cheap hotels in Paris in 2024
Here are our picks for the best cheap sleeps in Paris, ranked by price. Read more about any hotel by clicking the “read full review” link, or click to see our complete guide to budget hotels in Paris, with more than 100 listings. If you spot something you like, make sure to review our tips on saving on hotels in France to get the most bang for your buck.
Hotel Stella is simple and old, but offers plenty of charm. Photo: Booking.com
Hotel Stella *
Neighborhood: St. Germain des Prés
Average rate: €94
Yes, you can still find a hotel with rates under €100 in Paris, as evidenced by the cheap and charming Hotel Stella in St. Germain des Prés. The rooms may not have much in terms of amenities, but rooms feel homey and comfortable. Plus, it situates you just around the corner from Odéon theater and the Jardin du Luxembourg. While rates are low, keep in mind depending on how you book, you may have to pay in cash, and reception hours are limited here. Still, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better deal.
A simple but bright and clean room at Hotel de la Place des Alpes. Photo: Booking.com
Hotel de la Place des Alpes **
Neighborhood: Place d’Italie / Chinatown
Average rate: €102
If you’re looking for an affordable place to crash, consider Hotel de la Place des Alpes. This area makes accessing transportation easy and puts you in a less touristy part of the city, but that also means you may not be as close (by foot) to some of the most popular sites of the city. But you’ll enjoy the comfortable, if bare-bones, rooms and plenty of restaurants nearby, not to mention the low rates. Plus, when you’re ready to see the tourist sites, it’s easy to hop on the Metro from here.
Hotel de Nesle **
Neighborhood: St-Germain-des-Pres
Average rate: €141
The one-star Hotel de Nesle, tucked away among the back streets of Saint-Germain des Prés and steps from the Seine, offers affordable rooms that are painted with a sense of humor and history. The 18 guest rooms are individually painted and decorated by the owner and her son. Most of these boast lavish line drawings of famed moments in French history, including scenes of Egypt and the Orient, as well as some playful representations of Molière, Hugo and others who have lived in the neighborhood.
A charming view from a room at Hotel Audran. Photo: Booking.com
Hotel Audran *
Neighborhood: 18th: Montmartre
Average room rate €149
The friendly Hotel Audran is another of our best budget hotels in Paris. It is a solid deal, offering renovated two-star rooms with private bathrooms along the café-lined rue Abbesses, one of Montmartre’s most charming stretches. The hotel’s 40 rooms were recently painted a bright blue, and all are equipped with a flat-screen TV, telephone, and free Wi-Fi.
Clean, central, and super cheap, the Tiquetonne is the perfect Cheapo pick.
Hotel Tiquetonne *
Neighborhood: 2nd: Bourse/Montorgueil
Average double: €152
The Hotel Tiquetonne offers 45 simple and homey rooms at consistently low rates, given its central Right Bank location (a couple blocks north of Les Halles). The Tiquetonne is one of the most popular hotels on EuroCheapo, and for good reason: Year after year, it continues to offer comfortable rooms (most with private bath) at some of the lowest rates around. Not to mention this hotel has some of the largest rooms we’ve seen in Paris, with rooms around 215 square feet/20 square meters.
Family-run charm is the name of the game at Familia Hotel.
Familia Hotel**
Neighborhood: 5th: Latin Quarter
Average rate: €171
It’s hard to resist this family-run hotel — especially when you consider the price for the excellent location in the Latin Quarter. We love the little antique details including cute desks, historic maps, and Paris-themed art. For rooms with views across the rooftops of the city, try to reserve a room on the top floor. They also have a few balcony rooms (check when booking). Familia Hotel features Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and air-conditioning in all of the rooms.
The Hotel Chopin is tucked away at the end of a 19th-century shopping arcade.
Hotel Chopin **
Neighborhood: 9th: Opéra
Average room rate €185
Ready for something with an extra dose of charm? Tucked away inside a 19th-century shopping arcade, the two-star Hotel Chopin offers comfortable, spacious (172 square feet/16 square meter) rooms at great rates, but it’s the setting that’s sure to make romantics race to their fainting couches. The arcade, located along the Boulevard Montmartre near the Opera shopping district, is lined with picture-perfect stores selling toys, jewelry, and sweets. And then halfway down, you stumble upon the Hotel Chopin. Inside, things have a quiet, grandmotherly touch.
A super central location and lovely two-star rooms are the star at Hotel de Suez. Photo: Booking.com
Hotel de Suez **
Neighborhood: 5th: Latin Quarter
Average room rate: €195
Welcoming guests since 1896, the Hotel de Suez knows a thing or two about great hotel service. Rooms are stylish, thanks to recent renovations, and spotless, and amenities are modern (think free Wi-Fi and flat-screen televisions). You can count on the long-time staff members to greet you warmly. While recent renovations raised the rates a bit, the service, amenities, and overall experience of staying at this highly rated hotel make it a good value.
More cheap hotels in Paris
But wait, there’s more! We have reviewed more than 100 affordable hotels in our guide to Paris. Find more hotels:
• See hotels: Near the Louvre | Marais | Latin Quarter | St. Germain | Eiffel Tower | Montmartre
A note about reserving
It should come as no surprise that, given their exceptional value, many of these hotels are quite well known and are already quite popular with guests. As many of these are also quite small (at least compared to international chain hotels), finding availability can be tres difficile… especially during the high season, and especially if you wait until the last minute.
If possible, reserve far in advance. Search hotels in Paris
About the author
We stayed at the Hotel du Nord on our last night in Paris in April 2022. We were required to take an online COVID test the day before we returned to the United States. Since I wanted to avoid having to bring my laptop on the trip, I arranged via email to use the hotel’s laptop on the night we stayed there.
When I started to get on the laptop, I was told that I wasn’t allowed to use it. I reminded the staff that I had been given permission by one of the owners. The staff continued to try to argue with me, at one point attempting to take the laptop away (I was in the middle of the test and couldn’t move the laptop). I offered several times to show them the email thread on my phone, but they refused to look at it. Eventually, I was able to complete the test and give the laptop back. The whole situation was very stressful and made me never want to stay there again.
On the positive side, the hotel’s breakfast is excellent – delicious breads from a local bakery, that fabulous French butter, and homemade jam, plus excellent coffee and tea. We liked the neighborhood, and I would have enjoyed exploring it more. Metro stations are close and convenient.
Be aware that a double room is pretty small; we had carry-on suitcases plus a larger one (used for jackets and souvenirs, etc.) and felt pretty crowded.
Be aware that the rooms
Hi All,
The Hotel Mariganan description is out of date. I stayed there until Paul, the owner, died years ago, (9 or 10). His brother Roland now runs it and it has gone downhill with his lack of experience – yelling at guests, publicly running down both of Paul’s children, and entering rooms at will (no knock) to get something, regardless of the state of undress or other activity is going on the in the room.
I knew the Kenigers – parents of Paul and Roland, and had stayed at the hotel for about 40 years. I am sorry to say that I cannot recommend it any more.
The hotel Eldorado is now closed. On the hotel’s Facebook site, the announcement reads as follows (literal translation from French): “Dear guests, the Bistrot des Dames and the hotel Eldorado momentarily stop the adventure until the spring of 2020 to welcome you to an incredible place (but hush, we will keep you the surprise …) Thank you for these beautiful years; we had a lot of fun in welcoming you. See you soon!”
(Should we expect this to mean the Eldorado will no longer be a budget-friendly hotel?)
You omitted which have beds like sleeping on concrete. Also about heat in Winter and air conditioning in Summer. Also, if they have lifts (elevators).
Having stayed in some of these hotels over the years, and been aware of others from the periods of time I have lived in Paris, I think this is a great list. AND you will find that most of them will be booked up if you don’t make reservations far in advance. Good luck!
My husband and I are going to Paris for my 40th birthday. He is spoiled and likes luxury hotels. Which of the ones listed would you recommend?
Hotel Tiquetonne is the best one in term of price and luxury. I have stayed there for three days and enjoyed the luxury and lovely location of the Paris. In coming days I am planning the same trip in Paris basically this is the business tour.
Loved the article, very useful. What’s great is, not only are these hotels are good value for money, they’re blooming with charm.
Looking for a clean, quiet, charming hotel near the train station (Gare de Lyon) since I’ll be taking the TGV to Nice later in my trip. I think this is the 13e, and I did not see a top ten hotel in this arrondissment. Can you suggest a hotel? Thanks.
Hi Kevin,
There are not a lot of really charming places near Gare de Lyon, but we have a few good budget options for you. You could try Hotel Viator or Palym, both less than a three minute walk to the station.
Best,
Craig
You did not do your homework: Champ du Mars for double occupancy is now 170 euros a night; not 130 euros!!
Hi Elliot,
Thanks for the feedback. We did a search and found prices ranging from as low at €130 up to €170, depending on the season. For August we found double rooms as low as €140. We’ll change the text to make it clearer.
Tom this information is great! When we go again we’ll be staying for awhile so we’re looking for an extended stay hotel; something like the Candlewood Suites in the USA. Do you know of anything like that in Paris?
Hello Anita !
Résidence Salvy is an ApartHotel located in the commune of Levallois Perret (in close proximity to the west of Paris), where you can stay for extended periods.
Good luck,
E.
Very illuminating article. Thanks!
I wonder if hotels Stella, Rivoli and Henry IV are still around (??)
Hi JK,
Yes, Stella and Rivoli are still around and super cheapo. (They’re a bit too rough around the edges for us to put in our Top 10 list for Paris, although we sing their praises elsewhere on the site.)
As for the Henri IV, we need to check on that asap. They were set to close, as the building had been sold. Too bad!
Alas, the Hotel Henry IV (the one where I spent my honeymoon – on the Place Dauphine – not the other one) is no more. A few years ago, they renovated it and now I’m not sure what it is – either a private residence or apartments. I’m not sure about the others, but it seems that every time we’ve found the perfect small hotel for very little money, it is renovated and turned into a pricy “boutique” hotel soon after.