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Paris, The City, Is Working Hard for Our Money

Where: 49-51 Rue La Fayette, Paris, France, 75009

Oh look, something’s trying to tell us to go to Paris. Yesterday we had the Hotel Bel Ami and the Edouard 7 offering us money off and fixed dollar rates to come on over; today it’s the turn of the recently renovated, nifty-looking Hotel Jules.

Stay one or two nights from now until December 29, and they’ll not only knock 20% off the price – making rooms start from €160 ($237/£145) weekends and €172 ($254/£156) on weekdays - but throw in a buffet breakfast for free. Want to stay an extra night? They’ll give it you for €130 ($192/£118) on a weekend, or €144 ($213/£130) on a weekday. Just look for the SMART rate on the list of special offers on the website.

VAT is included, but a city tax of a measly €1 per person is not. You know what that is? It’s a call on behalf of your loved ones to do your Christmas shopping en France. Allons-y!

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Hotel Jules Sticks With Its Opening Rates

Where: 49-51 Rue La Fayette, Paris, France, 75009

There’s nothing like an offer that keeps repeating itself. It’s nice to see that now Hotel Jules in Paris is properly open (it opened fully on June 1), it’s continuing the offer it had for its soft opening. Chouette!

Stay two nights before the year is out, and with their launch offer they’ll throw in a third night for free. You’ll even get breakfast as well, so you can stave off the croque monsieur pangs till dinner time.

The rooms here look pretty dapper — lots of chocolate drapes and (we’re hoping fake) zebra skins on the floors — while the hotel describes the area as "a new/old neighborhood, under revival after years of hibernation". Better still, though, it’s just 10 minutes away from the Eurostar terminal at the Gare du Nord. And it's not too expensive, with room rates from 150 euros. We like the sound of this one.

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Go Into the Red at Paris' New Banke Hotel

Where: Rue La Fayette 20, Paris, France, 75009

Here’s an upside (kind of) to all these banks closing down: there will be a few nice buildings hanging around that might just end up as hotels — like the Banke Hotel, Paris’ latest lux addition.

Formerly the HSBC bank in the Opera district, it’s now home to 93 bedrooms and an art gallery (it’s part of the Spanish Derby Hotels group, whose owner is an art collector, dontcha know). Apparently, we should expect "Egyptian, African, Pre-Columbian, Roman and Buddhist" artifacts amongst the check-in desks and the bedrooms.

Everything’s very red from the headboards to the scarlet bar area, which looks incredible (that shiny gold 15-seater sofa was built for fun). And having stayed in a couple of the Derby hotels in Barcelona, we’re already fans of the group. The only thing we’re not sure about is the name; shouldn’t it be the Banque Hotel?

Whatever. To ensure the hotel’s finances are less ruddy than its decor, it’s offering 25% off rates until August 31. Doubles (pre-discount) currently start at EUR180 ($250; £154)

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Spring Means Discounts at Paris’s Hotel Jules

Where: 49-51 rue Lafayette, Paris, France, 75009

Now through May 31, when you book a two night stay at the Hotel Jules in Paris, you get the third for free. Each additional night is also 33% off, and the rate includes a buffet breakfast or in-room continental breakfast daily.

Since it was taken over by the luxury hotel firm G.L.A., the Jules has been refurbished in a “deliberate mix of styles spanning the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.” From the pictures, it looks like there is indeed an eclectic mélange (see, we took high school French) meant to evoke a swinging jetsetter backdrop, with creamy leather banquettes, retro lighting fixtures, random animal prints, and just a hint of spartan glamour in the 101 guest rooms.

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Homeless Shooed Away From Luxury Parisian Hotel

Where: 2 Rue Scribe, Paris, France, 75009

While the homeless were being treated at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, a different scene was unfolding in Paris in front of the Intercontinental Paris Le-Grand Hotel. France24 reports:

Several dozen protesters, mainly women and children, briefly occupied the entrance patio of one of France's most famous and prestigious hotels on Friday to demand better low-cost housing.

Around 50 police moved in and removed the group, many of them African immigrants, after they moved into the Intercontinental Paris-Le Grand on Place de l'Opera in the heart of Paris' main shopping and tourist district....

Their group, Right to Accommodation, is campaigning for homeless and poorly housed families to be provided with long-term low-cost housing by the French state, and has been fined in the past for camping on public thoroughfares.

The protestors were seeking a meeting with the prime minister's office. The hotel is a short walk away from where they have set up a squatters camp. It's also a top hotel for first class jet-setters as we learned last month. Fortunately, the protest did not turn violent although the police did break up the group. Let's hope the gendarmerie did not have to use any of that serious gear they were sporting.

[Photo via France24]

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Le Scene: Waiting for the Toilet at the Hotel Amour Bar

Where: 8, rue de Navarin, Paris, France, 75009

If you are headed to Paris, inspired by the recent Fashion Week there and want to hang out with all the fashionistas as they discuss what's hot and what's not on the runway, then the bar scene at Hotel Amour could be your first stop.

It seems that in-the-know Parisians first start here with un bon cocktail or verre de vin before engaging in further activities. These trendsetters would go unrecognized in a brightly lit room in New York but they are making the bar here an "It" place to hit up without making it a big scenester-y kind of place. It's so cool we can't even find a decent picture of the place.

The man behind this all is Monseiur Andre, l'entrepreneur who designed the chic hotel as well and is also the leader of the "Nouveau Chic" nightlife trend in Paris.

In his minimalist lounge, there is no music (which is good for hotel guests) but the place is anything but boring.

Funky design touches such as the waist high stack of vintage playboys in the downstairs washroom sit comfortably between the vintage mirrors and fussball table, waiting in a queue for the toilets has never been so entertaining.... A highly recommended spot for anyone that doesn't want a run-of-the-mill lodgings and likes to feel part of the new wave of Parisan trend-setters.

Et voilà: the cool, but not too cool-for-you hotel bar and with some entertainment that doesn't involve drugs in the bathroom.

Related Stories:
· Hotels of Paris [Voice of a City]
· Hotel Amour Reviews [TripAdvisor]

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Le Regent Montmartre: Hotel or Hostel?

Where: 37 bld Rochechouart, Paris, France, 75009

Here's a tip, if a hotel pulls up as a hostel on some websites, chances are it's not going to be quite up to par.

Such is the case with Le Regent Montmartre in Paris. The location is pretty decent, across the street from a metro station, only stops away from L'arc de Triomphe and steps away from Sacre Coeur. But if you know Paris, you know that this means the region is also a little dirty.

Cheap rates and free breakfast make this a great stop if you're on a budget and don't want to go all the way down to a true hostel. But a true, hotel, this is not.

Bathrooms are only on every other floor, although some rooms do have their own (ask before booking!). The internet rarely works but the staff is helpful and the place is clean, meaning we didn't find any rats. And not many true hotels in Paris will give you a $40/night rate, which is the Regent Montmartre's best feature.

This is just another example of where the European star system gets tricky. Two stars can either mean hostel or hotel so do your research before packing (backpack or suitcase).

Related Stories:
· Hotels in Paris [France Hotel Guide]
· Le Regent Montmartre Reviews [Trip Advisor]