Which hotel should i pick for this weekend, choice of 3!!!

HELP ME CHOOSE ACCOM.

Taking my girlfriend to paris this weekend for 3 nights and booking some last minute accom.Based on threads in trip advisor, as first timers and young - 20, im looking to stay in Latin Quarter/St germain areas, and going to be doing some of the standard tourist things, eiffel tour etc.

So, within my budget (about 200euros for 3 nights) and in this area narrowed it down to:

Hotel Istria (little further out)

Libertel Austerlitz Jardin des Plantes (recently refurbed not quite as highly reviewed but closer to the river/in 5eme)

Hotel Maxim Quartier Latin (lowest ranked of 3 but more central in latin quarter)

Does anyone have any personal experience of the hotels and can reccomend one in particular or generally which do people is best bet??

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Based on neighborhood only, I would choose the Istria. While you are a little bit South of St Germain, this one provides the easiest access on foot to really charming cafés and restaurants and St Germain des Pres. There are also lots of good restaurants around Edgar Quinet metro and rue du Montparnasse has great authentic creperies.

The Maxim Quartier Latin is in a student neighborhood.

The Libertel Austerlitz is in a neighborhood that is less charming and quintessentially Parisian. While it is closer to the river, it is East of all the main attractions.

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We love the DOUBLE DELUXE rooms at the Hotel St Jacques on the rue des Ecole. Here is the website.

www.hotel-saintjacques.com

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I used to stay at Hotel Istria on regular basis a few years ago (on business trips) and I liked both the hotel and the Campagne Première neighborhood very much.

The room are small but comfortable and quiet. Can%26#39;t say anything about staff as the hotel has no longer the same owner and team though.

There are good restaurants boulevard du Montparnasse but also very close on rue Campagne Première. I like %26quot;la mère agitée%26quot;: there is no menu, you eat what Valérie prepared as you do at home:

http://www.lamereagitee.fr/html/time_out.html

This is the neighborhood where Jean-Luc Godard%26#39;s %26quot;A bout de souffle%26quot; has been shot; if you know the movie you will recognize passage d%26#39;enfer and the beautiful art deco building just beside the hotel:

http://campagne.premiere.free.fr/31.htm

Louis Aragon lived in the hotel in the 20s (one of his poem actually mention hotel Istria, it is on the wall). There are alqso other artists studios where famous artists used to work in the 20s and 30s. For exemple, enter the courtyard at 9 rue Campagne Première; there are still artists working there: http://lesateliersdu9.free.fr/provisoire.html

There is a website dedicated to this famous street, just the perfect location if you are into art and litterature!

http://campagne.premiere.free.fr/

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By the way, I agree that hotel Saint Jacques is very nice, but definitively exceeds the OP budget as they can afford 200€ for 3 nights!

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With the Istria, you can also utilize the RER to reach Paris, station %26#39;Port Royal%26#39;, *if* you are arriving at CDG airport.

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