Hotels in October - low/mid/high season?

My flight is booked for mid-October.

Staying 4 nights.

Attending 2 operas, tickets not quite booked yet, to do that is to definitely commit to this big advenutre!

I notice some of the hotels I really fancy (Duo, for example) have 3 for 2, 4 for 3 type discounts for July and August but, so far, it%26#39;s full rate for Octber.

I know TA-ers are not gifted with a crystal ball but:-

If I leave the hotel booking until a lot nearer the time, do discounts come up in October/other months or is there something about July/August that makes rooms hard to shift and therefore discountable?

I like the look of the Marais and hope that, despite being neither young nor gay the hotels could cope with me; but I guess anywhere that%26#39;s on the direct Metro line from Opera Bastille would be good.

TIA.

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October is one of the hardest times to book hotels -- it is a high demand season - certainly far more than August because in addition to tourists there are trade shows

I would book a hotel now -- you can always make changes later if you find something better

the Marais has long sense become one of the most middle aged tourist sections of Paris -- most of its charming old shops etc are now junk souvenir shops or trendy boutiques -- good location but not the charm of yesteryear

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I agree. October is one of the most booked months in Paris so I suggest booking now. No use to wait for discounted rates due to the popularity of October traditionally. You may take a chance that there could be some last minute cancellations or deals, but it%26#39;s best not to take the chance.

I suggest staying on the Ile St. Louis which is more or less equidistant to the Marais and Latin Quarter. Stayed at three hotels on the Ile and favored two the most: Hotel Saint Louis and Hotel de Lutece (Before they remodeled the romms in 2007):

http://www.paris-hotel-lutece.com/en.html

http://www.saintlouisenlisle.com/

Personally I%26#39;m partial to the Hotel Saint Louis, very basic, has the thin walls that are so common in all Parisian hotels, but the standout was both the location and the kind, welcoming, helpful staff members.

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I am going in October and I spent hours trying to find a hotel and when I got my list down to 20 hotels about half were already booked. So I would book now. I am staying in the Latin Quarter but I would just do a search on the forum and then read the reviews on TA. I also have 5 travel guides I will gladly list for you the hotels that they recommend in Marais. Send me a message and I will forward the list to you.

Good luck.

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Oct is busy with Trade shows/Business conventions. I did not get a %26quot;deal%26quot; when I went in Oct.2007

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October is absolute high season -- the busiest month of the year.

However, this does not mean that all of the hotels are full then -- just the higher end hotels. There are always 1 %26amp; 2-star hotels available, particularly if they do not have internet booking.

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graceh : which part of the Marais do you visit ? I%26#39;ve seen the souvenir stands, etc. near Notre Dame but not in Le Marais unless you mean along rue Rivoli. The Marais is much broader and much more charming that you have pictured it. I go back there twice a year and know it very well.

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Thanks for all the replies.

I think I just about know all the hotels that come up on the search engines when I enter Marais or Bastille as a filter. As everywhere under the sun, there are the good, the bad and the ugly. The TA reviews are a big help.

I may opt for Pavillon Bastille on Rue de Lyon. For the 2 nights I%26#39;m at the opera, it%26#39;s just across the road. The 2 nights I%26#39;m free, I%26#39;m unlikely to wander the streets at night, wherever I%26#39;m staying.

It gets good reviews but any helpful comments appreciated.

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we spent 10 days on Rue de Temple in an apartment about 10 years ago -- and spent a lot of time wandering around the neighborhood -- we like it -- but it is very touristy and filled with the kind of boutiques and souvenir shops that signal the end of local charm IMHO

we have visited since then and it is even more touristy than it was when we stayed there

it still is a nice area with many charms -- but it is as touristy as the 5th

the OP seemed to feel he might be out of place as a tourist -- just suggesting that this is not even a little bit so

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I am also going in October and I am finding hotels that are booked for at least part of the time that I am there. If it is busy due to conventions, will all of the normal tourist places be extra busy in October then? I wish I could change the month that we are traveling but it is to celebrate our anniversary.

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In cases like this, I recommend taking a look at www.accorhotels.com -- it%26#39;s the largest hotel company in France, and for example, just to mention the Ibis chain, they have 48 Ibis hotels inside Paris. You can hunt around for availability and prices so see which areas still have space.

One of the best things about it is that you can make reservations without paying, and they remain valid until 19:00 on the day of arrival. Once you have a reservation, you can keep hunting around for other possibilities without stress. If nothing better comes up, you%26#39;ll still have your Accor reservation.