Where to Stay in Paris by Neighborhood

Paris is the most densely populated capital city in Europe, and the thrilling proximity of everything means that, even when you are just walking around, the vibe can switch in an instant. I like to think of the city as made up of dozens of villages, each with wonderfully distinct demographics and personalities. Indeed, Montmartre, Belleville and Batignolles were once separate municipalities before being subsumed by the city proper in the 19th century. Choosing where to stay should start with a little research.

Visitors should consider which side of the river best suits their needs, as the experience can vary widely. That said, if you are limited by budget in what can be an expensive destination, basing yourself in a lesser-known neighborhood is a good idea for many reasons, especially since it’s easy to get around Paris by foot, bike or metro.

Above all, don’t try to squeeze everything into your first trip, tempting as it might be in an age of bucket lists. There are a million things to do in Paris – and a whole bunch of them are free – and one of the most important is to relax, watch the world go by and saunter along the boulevards. Choose a couple of neighborhoods to visit, keep your itinerary flexible, and use whatever attractions are left over as an excuse to come back to this endlessly inspiring city.

Here is an overview of the best neighborhoods and the top choices of where to stay in each.

Eiffel Tower and Western Paris

Best for monuments, museums and textbook selfies

Perfect for fulfilling all of your Emily in Paris dreams, this genteel neighborhood is filled with prime views of Paris’ iconic tower, grand Haussmannian buildings and renowned museums like the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, with treasures from the world over, and the Musée Marmottan Monet, the world’s largest collection of works by the famed impressionist painter.

The area is very much on the beaten path for tourists by day, but few can afford to actually stay here (the majority of hotels are high-end). You’ll be hard-pressed to find budget eating options either, and the nightlife is practically nonexistent. It certainly is peaceful though, particularly in the Bois de Boulogne, one of Paris’ great green spaces. If you’re in search of a refined romantic getaway or family trip, this could be the place for you.

Hotel Beauséjour Ranelagh

Boutique
Price rating: €€

A melange of museum-worthy art and designer furniture creates the feel of an elegant Parisian home at this family-run hotel that’s deeply connected to the neighborhood. Loyal regular guests love the high-quality breakfast.

Hôtel Botaniste

Boutique
Price rating: €€

Accessed via a leafy garden, this tastefully decorated hotel in Auteuil offers plant-named rooms with parquet floors, organic bath products, framed flower prints and biodegradable espresso capsules – drink your morning brew from gorgeous Gien ceramics.

St James Paris

Luxury
Price rating: €€€

The only château hotel in Paris offers a bonanza of luxuries befitting a countryside estate: a wood-paneled library bar, Guerlain spa, glorious garden and a sought-after restaurant with a green ethos. On the dreamy terrace, try creative drinks highlighting ingredients from the hotel’s garden. 

Hôtel Molitor

Luxury
Price rating: €€€

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More than just a luxurious place to sleep, the Molitor is a landmark rich in history. Built in 1929, the art deco swimming pool complex was where the bikini was born, and Johnny "Tarzan" Weissmuller was a lifeguard.

Brach Paris

Luxury
Price rating: €€€

With a dazzling rooftop, a locals-approved restaurant and a sports club, Brach is a scene loved by stylish Parisians. Designer Philippe Starck injected playful whimsy into the stylish decor.

Champs-Élysées and Grands Boulevards

Best for luxury shopping and five-star living

Life here pulses at a jet-setting pace, thanks to the wealth of luxury hotels, world-famous department stores and fancy A-lister nightclubs. The grandiose Arc de Triomphe and the glitzy Champs-Élysées (currently undergoing an ambitious green renovation) are big draws, while the stunning Palais Garnier, inaugurated in 1875, is one of the world’s most beautiful opera houses.

This is the place for the kind of five-star living that only Paris offers. Fashionistas and influencers will enjoy themselves at shopping highlights like the Galeries Lafayette, while La Galerie Dior and the Grand Palais hold blockbuster exhibitions on fashion and art, respectively. By night, this neighborhood can be a hot spot for buzzy bars and clubs – just make sure to dress the part.

CitizenM Paris Champs-Élysées

Budget
Price rating: €

This functional but fun hotel group offers an affordable place to stay in the upmarket 8e arrondissement. Rooms are basic but cleverly and comfortably designed, and there’s an Eiffel Tower view from the rooftop bar.

Hôtel Panache

Boutique
Price rating: €€

Sitting in the heart of the Grands Boulevards, this boutique address offers art deco-inspired rooms imagined by one of Paris’ coolest designers, Dorothée Meilichzon.

Hôtel Chopin

Budget
Price rating: €

A rare affordable hotel in Paris, and in the unique location of one of the city’s historical passages couverts (covered shopping arcades). This historic hotel originally opened in 1846 and features classic, period-inspired rooms overlooking the Paris rooftops.

Nuage

Boutique
Price rating: €

This third-generation-owned hotel is based around the concept of slow living, so expect tranquil rooms decorated in soft, soothing shades. There’s also a private cinema room for those who fancy a quiet night in.

Hôtel Pulitzer

Boutique
Price rating: €€

Cozy chic rooms (which include an option for solo travelers) are dressed with warm wooden furnishings and an eclectic mix of artworks. The attractive restaurant also has an outdoor patio for summer drinks.

Louvre and Les Halles

Best for artistic treasures, Japanese food and transportation links

Plumb in the middle of the city, this may not be the most picturesque part of Paris, but it certainly is well-positioned, and there’s a ton to do in the vicinity. Art lovers could spend a week alone gazing at the masterpieces in the Louvre, the Collection Pinault at the Bourse de Commerce and the Centre Pompidou (which is sadly closed for renovations until 2030). Meanwhile, the Comédie-Française, the oldest active theater in the world, makes for a spellbinding night out – and special glasses with English subtitles are available.

While it is among the pricier districts in Paris when it comes to accommodation, there are some unique options. Plus, there are great food choices, including the best Japanese and Korean food in the city, such as the fun Kodawari Ramen, inspired by Tokyo’s immersive Tsukiji fish market, as well as one of the best croissants you can lay your hands on at the Ritz Paris Le Comptoir. When the sun sets, head to any of the several excellent jazz bars on the Rue des Lombards, including the legendary Le Duc des Lombards.

Edgar & Achille

Boutique
Price rating: €€

An intimate hotel in the heart of Sentier, overlooking a quiet square. Each room has a distinct decoration, from a wooden cabin style to a rock ’n’ roll–themed decor. The restaurant has a pleasant outdoor terrace.

Drawing Hotel

Boutique
Price rating: €€-€€€

A high-standard hotel where each floor and some furniture have been designed in collaboration with an artist. Art lovers will enjoy the adjoining art gallery dedicated to contemporary drawing.

Grand Boulevards Experimental

Boutique
Price rating: €€-€€€

With your room, enjoy the glass-roofed restaurant, the hotel’s inner courtyard or the rooftop cocktail bar. The rooms are relatively spacious and decorated in a late-18th-century French style.

Dandy Hotel

Boutique
Price rating: €€-€€€

At the very heart of Les Halles, this hotel boasts rooms with a chic atmosphere, a restaurant with an outdoor terrace on one of Paris's liveliest streets, and a relaxing spa.

Le Roch Hotel & Spa

Luxury
Price rating: €€€

An elegant hotel where you can enjoy dinner at the restaurant below the glass roof, a coffee on the terrace tucked away from the city’s noise, and even a relaxing swim in the indoor pool.

Montmartre and Northern Paris

Best for panoramic views, rowdy nightlife and vibrant multicultural quarters

Every day, hordes of tourists climb the hills of Montmartre and take in the heady perspective from the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, admittedly one of the best views in the city. The surrounding cobblestone streets are without a doubt charming, but it’s pure hustle and bustle, with barely a moment of peace. The steep hills won’t be for everyone either, nor will the red-light district and packed bars at the bottom of the hill in Pigalle. But there are excellent budget lodging options here.

For adventurous types, there’s a world of vibrant multicultural quarters to explore. Around metro Château Rouge is Paris’ Little Africa, with communities largely from West Africa boisterously filling the streets day and night. North African communities, mostly from Tunisia and Algeria, cluster in the Goutte d’Or area, close to metro Barbes–Rochechouart, along with many delicious, authentic and budget-friendly eats from the region. By metro, La Chapelle is the city’s colorful Little India, populated by Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Indians.

Generator Hostel

Hostel
Price rating: €

A buzzy, design hostel with a fun rooftop bar strung with lights, a lively social scene and industrial-chic interiors near buzzy, bohemian Canal St-Martin with its stylish boutiques and eateries.

Hôtel HoY

Wellness boutique
Price rating: €€

One of the most restful places to stay, there’s a yoga studio and in-room mats. The highlight is the ground-floor flower shop and the excellent MESA de HOY, serving up creative, plant-based dishes steeped in Latin American flavors.

Hôtel Le Ballu

Boutique
Price rating: €€

An intimate hotel with sleek, sharply designed rooms just around the corner from busy Place de Clichy and Pigalle; there is a leafy outdoor courtyard restaurant and a little pool in the basement you can have to yourself.

Hôtel Eldorado

Boutique
Price rating: €€

A design-forward hideaway in the village-like Batignolles, it has a fresh Mediterranean look with lots of flower-patterned wallpaper, a restaurant in a dreamy courtyard setting, and an entire house you can rent.

Le Relais Montmartre

Budget
Price rating: €

A well-maintained classic abode on a quiet street, steps from the heart of Montmartre. It has lots of chintzy floral fabrics and a certain personal charm, including warm, friendly staff and rooms that are comfortable and light.

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Le Marais

Best for hip boutiques, contemporary dining and independent arts

Young creatives and artistic types will feel at home in the most hipster part of Paris, with boutique hotels rather than big chains, and matcha lattes over Nescafé. There’s massive variation across the neighborhood, though. Le Marais – historically the city's Jewish quarter and LGBTQ+ hub, though gentrification has pushed out most of those communities in recent years – is mostly made up of narrow medieval streets, having escaped the city’s post-Revolution development.

Lacking many major sites, the area is great to stroll around and find hidden squares, even if it’s often packed, especially on weekends. There are quality midsize galleries such as the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Lafayette Anticipations and Marian Goodman, as well as a surfeit of drinking and dining options.

Suzie Blue

Boutique
Price rating: €€

Enjoy warm, cocooning neutral shades in this certified green key former convent. Its eco-conscious offerings include Terre de Mars toiletries and organic refreshments. The in-house coffee shop is the perfect space to brunch or work before moving to the salon and relaxing to one of 1000 vinyls.

Hotel 9Confidentiel

Boutique
Price rating: €€€

Filled with delicate shades of pastel pink and yellow, this charming hotel serves signature cocktails at a glowing copper bar and has balconies perfect for a breakfast overlooking the Paris rooftops. Relax with in-room spa treatments from Codage.

Boudoir des Muses

Luxury
Price rating: €€€

Based on the building’s previous uses, this stylish hotel marries convent and theater throughout the decor and cocktails. Relax in its downstairs spa areas and enjoy monthly burlesque-inspired shows.

MIJE Fourcy

Hostel
Price rating: €

This winding 17th-century hôtel particulier (private mansion) has basic, clean rooms in an incredibly central location steeped in history. Wi-Fi is only available on the ground floor, but rates include a French breakfast.

Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc le Marais

Historic
Price rating: €€

Modernized rooms retain timber beams or exposed stone walls, while others feature patterned wallpaper. The pièce de résistance: the 6th-floor attic room with a sweeping Paris rooftop view.

Ménilmontant and Belleville

Best for people-watching and aimlessly strolling

Similar to Le Marais, Ménilmontant and Belleville are excellent areas to indulge in people-watching, aimless strolling, pure-pleasure eating, and cafe- and wine-bar crawling. They don’t have many major tourist sites – and that's a good thing. It’s where the local newsagent will take the time to gossip with you, where a bar owner might spontaneously pull out a wheel of cheese to share with a glass of red, and where the everyday people still seem to own the streets.

These neighborhoods offer rawer vibes, along with some fantastic music venues, but they are slightly less centrally located and have fewer hotels. The top green spaces, Cimetière du Père Lachaise and Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, are here too.

La Nouvelle République

Boutique
Price rating: €-€€

In the middle of bustling Oberkampf and rue St-Maur, yet in a quiet alley, this hotel offers a break from the party, with large, comfortable rooms in a vintage chic style.

The People Belleville

Hostel
Price rating: €

Choose this international hostel for its lively atmosphere, themed parties and events – which make it easy to meet people – and its very convenient location in Belleville.

Babel Belleville

Boutique
Price rating: €-€€

Conveniently located on the Blvd de Belleville, this hotel is welcoming and atmospheric, with a mix of natural and vintage decoration. The breakfast here is delicious, and there is an open-terrace restaurant.

Fraternity Hostel

Hostel
Price rating: €

Located in the lively area of Oberkampf, it’s a cozy hostel in a smaller alley, which makes it a little quieter. It offers dorms and a few double rooms for more privacy.

Hotel Les Deux Girafes

Budget
Price rating: €€

In an industrial style, this hotel between Republique and Belleville offers spacious rooms, some of which open onto a refreshing Japanese-garden patio. Art exhibitions are regularly hosted in the hall.

Bastille and Eastern Paris

Best for dive bars, green spaces and local vibes

One of the city’s best watering holes and home to a diverse mix of solid accommodation options, this neighborhood is largely off the beaten path. It’s rather peaceful, retains more of a local feel and could be a good base for families, those who want to see another side of Paris or visitors with a limited budget. There’s also top-notch eating at Bistrot Paul Bert, Septime and plenty of cheaper options. Elsewhere, the Marché d'Aligre, centered on a beautiful square, is one of the best markets in Paris.

Further afield, and to an extent isolated when it comes to transportation, the neighborhood has some wonderful green spaces, including the sprawling Bois de Vincennes and the Coulée Verte René-Dumont (better known as the Promenade Plantée), a leafy 4.5km raised walkway along a former train line.

The People – Paris Bercy

Hostel
Price rating: €

This outlet of the Paris hostel chain is in a tranquil neighborhood and boasts six- and eight-bed dorms as well as private rooms, a well-equipped kitchen and, most notably, a roof terrace with a panoramic view.

Hôtel Daval

Budget
Price rating: €€

This renovated 23-room hotel, set in an early 1900s stone building, is in the bustling heart of Bastille. Rooms have double-glazing, but ask for one facing the interior courtyard to ensure peace and quiet.

Hôtel du Printemps

Budget
Price rating: €€

The 38-room hotel, a stone’s throw from Place de la Nation, offers excellent value for Paris. Set on a tree-lined boulevard in a non-touristy area, it’s compact and comfortable, even if a little far from the action.

Mama Shelter Paris East

Boutique
Price rating: €€

This hip Philippe Starck–designed, 170-room hotel, transformed from a car park, draws a younger, creative crowd to its off-grid location thanks to its bold industrial decor, rooftop bar and playful touches such as cartoon mask lampshades.

Hôtel Paris Bastille Boutet

Boutique
Price rating: €€€

This classy 80-room former joinery workshop and chocolate factory, in the heart of the 11th arrondissement, has a magnificent 1926 mosaic façade, timber-paneled hallways, a hammam, a sky-lit swimming pool and suites with spectacular terraces.

The Islands

Best for a heart-of-Paris setting and the Seine

Few locations are more postcard-worthy than this district in the middle of the Seine. The accommodations are all high-end and limited in availability, so your stay won’t come cheap, but if you stay here, it would be best to spend your time in the peaceful surroundings by the river – leaving would be a waste. Île de la Cité has dazzling sights, including the 13th-century chapel Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame, which you should visit early before the crowds arrive. Meanwhile, Île St-Louis is lined with pretty cafes, bookshops, galleries and restaurants, plus has the famed Berthillon ice cream.

Hôtel du Jeu de Paume

Boutique
Price rating: €€€

Contemporary hotel in a former royal tennis court on Île St-Louis’ main street, with rooms inspired by modern artists.

Hôtel des Deux Îles

Boutique
Price rating: €€€

Elegantly floral decor with top-floor rooms peeping out over Parisian rooftops and chimney pots.

Paris Perfect

Apartments
Price rating: €€€

High-end vacation rentals with eight luxe options right on Place Dauphine, some with balconies and stupendous views.

Hôtel Saint-Louis en l’Isle

Boutique
Price rating: €€€

Swank and subtle, this stellar abode includes a 17th-century stone-cellar breakfast room.

Hôtel L de Lutèce

Boutique
Price rating: €€€

Elegant lobby-salon, with vintage fireplace and wood paneling, pairs with tastefully decorated rooms. Those overlooking the village-like street are most atmospheric.

Latin Quarter

Best for history, jazz and literary legacies

You won’t find many hidden gems in the Latin Quarter, which is well and truly a tourist hot spot, but it’s impossible not to be seduced by what is the most cinematic of neighborhoods in Paris. This is the Paris of Jean-Luc Godard, Ernest Hemingway, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and there’s a certain energy here, in part thanks to the students from the Sorbonne.

Although accommodations are mostly on the pricier side, there’s an interesting mix of options and plenty of cheap eats (again, thanks to the aforementioned students). Plus, this is the perfect place for lovers of the arts to take in beautiful independent cinemas such as Le Champo and La Filmothèque, historic bookstores like Shakespeare & Company, and throwback 1920s-style jazz bars.

Hôtel des Grandes Écoles

Boutique
Price rating: €€

Hidden in a closed-off alleyway next door to writer James Joyce’s former Latin Quarter abode, this charming three-star hotel has tables out in a leafy courtyard for breakfast in the sun.

Hôtel Les Dames du Panthéon

Boutique
Price rating: €€

It really doesn’t get better than this if you’re after killer views of the Panthéon. Tucked into a building just next to it, the zany, beamed rooms here overlook the landmark.

Hôtel Monge

Boutique
Price rating: €€

A cozy boutique hotel with eclectic decor, just across the street from the Arènes de Lutèce, a 2nd-century Roman amphitheater. Rooms have bouncy beds and colorful butterfly-print wallpapers.

Hôtel Grand Cœur Latin

Boutique
Price rating: €€

Built on the site of a 13th-century abbey, you’ll find subtle nods to the past woven through the decor, like stone arch wallpaper print. Rooms are simple but comfortable, and there’s a bar and a pool.

Le Jardin de Verre by Locke

Apartment hotel
Price rating: €€

A bright, breezy apartment hotel with attractive contemporary interiors; rooms are simple but functional, and the bold hues add a cheerful twist.

St-Germain-des-Prés and Les Invalides

Best for designer shopping and cafe life

More or less the quintessential fantasy of Paris, this chic district includes big-hitter sights like the Musée d’Orsay, Musée Rodin and Jardin du Luxembourg, along with some of the most celebrated examples of Parisian cafe culture, like Café de Flore. Accommodations are high-end but, naturally, exquisite. Transportation links are excellent, so you can reach all corners of the city fairly easily, and the Seine is always just a brief stroll away. There are several lesser-known cultural centers set in ravishing buildings, too, such as Maison de l'Amérique Latine and the Institut Culturel Italien. If you can afford it, this would make for an elegant romantic vacation.

Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain

Luxury
Price rating: €€

Part of a small group of charming boutique addresses, this chic hotel offers a complete set of facilities, including a full spa experience with a pool big enough to swim in – a rarity in Paris.

L’Hôtel

Historic
Price rating: €€

Oscar Wilde lived out his last days at this historic hotel. Now an intimate five-star address, it has 20 rooms romantically dressed in jewel shades and plush velvet. A small pool is hidden away underground.

Hôtel de l’Abbaye Saint-Germain

Boutique
Price rating: €€

This hotel is right in the heart of St-Germain des Prés, but quietly tucked away with its own leafy private courtyard. Rooms are just as pretty, dressed in a classic floral French style.

Hôtel Dame des Arts

Boutique
Price rating: €€

This hip hotel is one of St-Germain des Prés’ coolest addresses, with design-led rooms and a rooftop terrace with fantastic views that pulls in locals as well as guests.

Hôtel des Académies et des Arts

Boutique
Price rating: €€

An effortlessly cool design hotel housed in the building where Modigliani once had his studio (book room 52 if you want to sleep in it). The hotel also has its own art atelier downstairs.

Montparnasse and Southern Paris

Best for street art, architecture and Chinatown

Often overlooked by visitors, this wide-ranging neighborhood has fewer traditional sights – and is a bit far from the headline attractions – but it is a value-for-money base that shows a different side of Paris. Families or visitors who want a more tranquil stay should consider lodging here.

The cute Buttes aux Cailles area, which retains the intimate feel of a village, has a great selection of bars and restaurants. Tired of French food? Southeast of the district in Paris' 13th arrondissement, known for its impressive tower blocks and street murals, there are incredible options at Europe’s largest Chinatown, home to Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian communities. The more central Montparnasse area, which has some of the city’s best crêperies, including former David Lynch haunt Plougastel, has several beautiful artists' studios, such as the Institut Giacometti and Ateliers-Musée Chana Orloff, and film director Agnès Varda’s former home.

Hôtel Léopold

Boutique
Price rating: €€

Off Cimetière du Montparnasse, this cozy venture has only 40 rooms. They have a retro feel and feature floral-patterned wallpaper.

Hôtel Henriette

Boutique
Price rating: €€

One of the Left Bank’s most stunning boutique addresses, with designer chairs, 1950s lighting and vintage pieces. Guests can mingle in the light-flooded glass atrium and adjoining plant-filled patio with wrought-iron furniture.

Off Paris Seine

Boutique
Price rating: €€

Paris’ first floating hotel is this sleek, 80m-long catamaran-design structure moored off Gare d’Austerlitz.

La Maison Lavaud

Boutique
Price rating: €€€

This super-stylish, artfully decorated gem feels like a home away from home, in a very quiet street close to Parc Montsouris. It features a giant-sized penthouse and a large apartment with a huge terrace.

Villa M

Boutique
Price rating: €€€

From its plant-covered façade to the colorful rooms with a Starck-inspired decor, Villa M makes a perfect base in the Montparnasse area. Also has a great restaurant and a fantastic rooftop bar with top views of Montparnasse, Les Invalides, and the Tour d'Eiffel.