We will be visiting Paris for the first time in July. Our budget is up to $300/night if possible. I’ve done some research and tripadvisor posters recommend 3rd, 4th and 6th arrondisments and I’m sure it’s very subjective. We don’t have any specifics items on our must see list yet. Please share your favorite areas and hotels!
I always like to stay in the 6th, but I’m not necessarily married to it. I like small boutique hotels, rather than big hotels or chains.
Try this web site:
http://www.greatsmallhotels.com/france/paris/boutique-hotels
Also, a book I’ve used extensively is:
(Fodor’s Rivages) Hotels of Character and Charm in Paris;
It has color photos and maps, web sites, phone numbers, etc.
ETA: Oops! I see that the book’s last edition was 2001. I still use it, though.
Our preference is 6th, in Saint-Germain. Location is very convenient to all the sights. We have tried several hotels, all very good. Find one that is steps away from a metro station. The Euro is almost at parity with USD so you will have a lot of choices within your budget.
Another vote for Saint-Germain. The Hotel Relais Saint-Germain is perfect and may be close to your budget.
In the 4th, Hotel du Jeu du Paume on Ile St. Louis is very quaint and I believe in your budget. The rooms are very very small though.
@lilmom, if this is your first visit, the major tourist attractions truly are the best things to go see.
How long will you be there?
We rented an apartment near the Louvre. Had a bakery and cafe right outside our door as well as close metro stops and of course the museums were close. Try Home Away. This one bedroom was around $200 a night and had sooo much more room than a hotel.
@Nrdsb4, we will be there for 6 days. I understand we should purchase tickets for museums and attractions in advance.
@preironic, I’ll definitely check out Home Away!
https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p316184#reviewsPage2 if you are interested.
We also stayed in St Germain and loved it We rented through Airbnb and it was an awesome experience. My son also spent several nights in Paris post-graduation and also rented through Airbnb. Both apartments were very nice (very Parisian) and way less expensive than a hotel.
Buy a museum pass. It will let you skip many long lines and let you in as many times as you want - well worth the price… We bought ours at a small shop in the shopping mall that leads to the Louvre.
Here is an apartment that may work for you:
http://www.parisvacationapartments.com/our-apartments/one-bedroom/saint-germain-chic-one-bedroom/
We rented from the same agency a few years ago and were very pleased.
Thank you for the links to some very nice vacation rental properties! One is already reserved for our week and I’ll be checking the other one out.
Hotel Le Walt in the 7th arrondisement.
Be very, very careful with Airbnb in Paris. The government is seriously cracking down on unlicensed apartments and it would be horrible to get there and have no place to stay.
As long as you stay in the single-digit arrondissments, you’ll be close to everything.
Don’t purchase any admissions from home. Museum passes can be purchased in any museum.
This is a family favorite: Le 123 Elysees… in the 8th. Under your budget.
We always stay in the Montparnasse area-- lots of restaurants & night time people-watching.
After a long, exhausting day of sightseeing, we just want to be able to walk to a restaurant from our hotel.
As another poster already mentioned, access to a Metro station is key.
Commenting because I’m going next summer too! Thanks for the tips 
We have also stayed at the Relais St Germain. We were with extended family and it was nice and in a great location. We liked that there were several cafes right outside the hotel. Last spring H and I went and we considered an apartment but I decided against it due to the issues with short term rentals legalities. A couple of the agencies suggested I reserve a hotel with a liberal cancellation policy in case the apartment became unavailable. I decide it wasn’t worth the risk and booked a hotel. We stayed at the Villa Madame near the Luxembourg gardens. It was an easy walk from the metro on a quiet street. Our room rate included a great filling breakfast. The room was also a nice size and the staff was helpful. I preferred the Villa Madame over the Relais St Germain and I think it is a tad bit cheaper. My sister has rented apartments from Paris Perfect and was extremely happy.
We stayed at a B&B in rue Claire but that was decades ago. It was a Rick Steve’s recommendation. It was very convenient.
I prefer the 6th. We stayed here http://legendhotelparis.com/ two years ago, and it was really nice. The rooms are large by Parisian standards. Two different metro lines are very within close walking distance, neighborhood bakeries, and shopping also near. It is actually on the side of the 6th very close to the Montparnasse.