Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world. Millions of tourists come here every day. So when planning your trip to Paris make sure you have a place to stay at. Don’t go to the city without a reservation. The majority of the Paris hotels have official websites, so it’s very easy to book a room on-line. Another variant is to reserve a room via fax, using a special form included in the website. Write dates of stay, time of arrival, number of people, type of room you desire, required facilities and location. Wait until you get a confirmation – and here you are! You have a place to stay at when in Paris! Don’t forget to bring a copy of your reservation (whether it was made via fax or email) when you check in.
Bear in mind that hotel prices will vary by season. The most expensive times of year are during fashion week in mid-January, Easter until the end of June, September, October and the Christmas holidays. If you want to reserve a room on these dates, do it in advance. Also remember that when it comes to your hotel you almost always get what you pay for. Parisian hotel rooms are small and cosy. Especially if you are staying in a quaint building that is centuries old, your room will be small. In addition, your bathtub/shower stall will probably have no wall or curtain. The showerhead is always removable and it takes some amount of dexterity to use the shower without flooding the bathroom. This is very typical, consider it a cultural experience. Elevators are also rather small in these buildings, and stairwells narrow. If you have a lot of luggage (or people), it might take you more than one trip to get it all in your room.
Your hotel will usually offer you breakfast. If it’s included in your price, great. If not, it might be more economical (and more fun) to go where the Parisians go: the cafe on the corner. The French prefer a continental breakfast. It usually consists of coffee or tea, a croissant, a baguette with butter and jam, and maybe some yogurt.
The usual check-in-time in most hotels is 2-3 pm . If you absolutely must have a bed as soon as you land (if you land at night or in the morning), go ahead and reserve the room for the night before you arrive so you can go to the hotel immediately and relax. But be sure to let your hotel know you are doing this.
It’s common in France to leave your key at the reception when leaving the hotel and take it when you return. Late at night, your hotel door may be locked. There is usually a buzzer you can ring and the concierge will come to let you in. Don’t be afraid of being locked out, this is merely a security procedure. When you pay your bill at the end of your stay, most hotels will take Visa or Mastercard. Lower priced hotels only take cash. Know what your hotel accepts as payment.
