BudgetTravel

Chatelet 9 rue St-Denis, 1st arr., Chatelet/Les Halles, tel. 011-33/1-42-33-32-31, fax /1-42-33-32-45. Metro: Chatelet. 11 rooms, 10 with private bath. No elevator. Doubles ¬62 ($55), breakfast ¬5.40 ($4.75).

If you walk too fast, you will miss the entrance to this tiny hotel, hidden amongst a string of restaurants in the hopping Chatelet district. It would be a shame because it's really a gem-11 spacious rooms, each imaginatively decorated with African and South Asian motifs. Murals in some rooms attest to the owners' artistic leanings, as does the choice of art objects. Though hardly luxurious, the rooms have been recently redone, and the spotless bathrooms have showers. Large windows let in lots of sunshine and some street noise, despite the double-paned windows. Breakfast is served in the tiny restaurant downstairs. Book early--this place is popular with musicians who play in the jazz clubs nearby.

Hotel Saint-Honore

85 rue St-Honore, 1st arr., Chatelet/Louvre, tel. 011-33/1-42-36-20-38, fax /1-4221-44-08, parishotels.com. Metro: Louvre-Rivoli or Les Halles. 29 rooms, all with private bath. No elevator. Doubles ¬67-¬75 ($59-$66), breakfast ¬4.50 ($4).

You can't get much more centrally located than this unpretentious establishment, comfortably ensconced on the chic rue St-Honore. Strategically placed between the Louvre and Chatelet, just below Les Halles and just above the Ile de la Cite, Hotel Saint-Honore is a dream location, particularly for a tourist in a hurry. All the rooms have just been renovated in a simple, modern manner-sleek black headboards and desks make a stab at style. The new bathrooms are equipped with hair-dryers, and a few rooms have minibars. Rooms in the back are remarkably quiet for this lively neighborhood.

Hotel du Septieme

Art 20 rue St-Paul, 4th arr., the Marais, tel. 011-33/1-44-54-85-00, fax /1-42-77-69-10. Metro: St-Paul. 23 rooms, all with private bath. No elevator. Doubles ¬70-¬120 ($62-$106), breakfast ¬7 ($6.25).

The lobby of this well-placed property is a temple to the films of the 1940s through '60s-movie posters and autographed photos compete for space on the walls while Laurel and Hardy figurines pose coyly on the mantelpiece. The cinematic theme continues in the rooms, which are hung with posters of James Dean and other film heroes, but comparisons with Hollywood stop there. Though the rooms are clean and well lit, carpets are spotted, and the furniture is worn. Bathrooms, though small, are much newer and tiled. Its fabulous location makes up for its cosmetic faults--on a tiny street in Village St-Paul, a remnant of medieval Paris, the hotel is minutes from Place des Vosges, the Marais, Ile St-Louis, and Notre Dame.

Hotel Residence Villiers

68 avenue de Villiers, 17th arr., Villiers/Parc Monceau, tel. 011-33/1-42-27-18-77, fax /1-44-40-22-68. Metro: Villiers. 30 rooms, all with private bath. Doubles ¬71-¬74 ($63-$65), breakfast ¬6 ($5.50).

Sometimes it pays to go a little way off the beaten path. This attractive number is in a mostly residential area that doesn't see much of the tourist hordes, and consequently keeps rates remarkably low. If calm is what you are after, you will be very happy with the soundproofed rooms and mellow atmosphere. Some rooms have small balconies, others have molded cornices, but all are in tip-top condition and offer that rarest of Parisian amenities: space. If you don't feel like walking 15 minutes to the Arc de Triomphe, a city bus right across the street will whoosh you to the Champs-Elysees sooner. Not only that, the fabulous Jacquemart-Andre Museum is very close by, as is the beautiful Parc Monceau.

Hotel Excelsior