How to Book Paris Hotels

Posted by Nick on March 4, 2010

Known as the City of Light, Paris is a popular destination for tourists. This may be due to Lonely Planet’s observation that Paris like has more familiar landmarks in the city than any other city in the world. You may want to book a hotel near one of these landmarks, such as Notre Dame, or you may prefer having a sweeping view of the city that includes the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Regardless of your preference you should have no problem booking a Paris hotel that meets you needs.

Opt for a package deal that lets you book your hotel and airfare at the same time. Such packages are typically offered on airline websites as well as travel booking websites such as Expedia and Travelocity. Booking in this manner does usually limit your hotel selections but you can end up saving some money as vacation packages are typically discounted.

Go directly to the hotel’s website if you already have a Paris hotel in mind that you want to book. For example, if you know that you want to stay at the Park Hyatt Paris hotel you can go to Hyatt.com to book your reservation. If you have questions or prefer to call the hotel directly you can get the phone number from the website. If you do not speak French you can say “Parlez vous Anglais?” to inquire if the hotel clerk speaks English. Typically the hotels that are part of international chains do have someone that speaks English. If you are booking an independently owned hotel you may not find anyone that speaks English. Be sure to pay attention to the currency quoted for the room rate on the hotel website as it may be listed in Euros instead of US dollars. If so, you can use a currency converter, such as XE.com, to convert the amount.

Search for hotels to book on Kayak.com. It can search several travel booking websites at once for you. The sites it can search include Travelocity, Expedia, Hotels.com and Priceline.com. If you see a result from one of those sites that you want to book you can select it and make your reservation. Keep in mind that if you book a hotel using one of these sites you are required to pay in full when you make your reservation. As a result, no cancellations or changes are allowed on the booking.

Get a discounted Paris hotel through Hotwire.com. By not showing you the hotel you are booking until after you pay in full, Hotwire can offer discount rates on hotel rooms in Paris. You will only be able to see the star rating, nightly room rate and the amenities at the hotel before booking it. No changes can be made and no refunds are allowed once you pay for the reservation. If you want an even lower price you can try bidding at a lower rate on Priceline with their “Name Your Own Price” option. Like Hotwire, you will not know the hotel unless your bid is accepted. If your bid is accepted you are charged for your entire stay immediately with no changes or refunds allowed.