All prices are for a standard double room in high season, including tax and service.

Whatever price you're looking for, compared to most other cities Paris is still a paradise for the weary traveler tired of dreary, out-of-date, or cookie-cutter rooms. The best hotels still emanate an unmistakable Paris vibe: weathered beamed ceilings, vaulted stone breakfast crypts, tall windows overlooking zinc rooftops, and leafy courtyards.

Most Paris hotels charge extra for breakfast, with per-person prices ranging from EUR5 to more than EUR30 at the luxury establishments. Though hotels may not automatically add the breakfast charge to your bill, it's wise to inform the desk staff if you plan to have breakfast away from the hotel. If breakfast is included in the hotel rate, we denote this in the review with "Continental breakfast."

Unless otherwise stated, hotel rooms have elevators, air-conditioning, TV, telephones, and private bathrooms. Many hotels now have second phone lines with modem plugs installed in each room for Internet connection; we use "in-room data ports" to designate genuine high-speed lines (otherwise, expect escargot-paced surfing).

If you will be staying longer than a week, want to do your own cooking, or need a base large enough for a family, consider a furnished rental. Policies differ from company to company, but you can generally expect a minimum required stay of one week; a refundable deposit (expect to pay $200-$500), payable on arrival; and weekly or biweekly maid service. Following is a list of good-value residence hotels, each with multiple properties in Paris:

Citadines Résidences Hôtelières (PHONE:08-25-33-33-32; www.citadines.fr). Mercure (PHONE:08-25-88-33-33; 800/637-2874 in the U.S.; www.mercure.com). Paris Apartments Services (20 rue Bachaumont, Beaubourg/Les Halles, Paris, 75002, France, PHONE:01-40-28-01-28, FAX: 01-40-28-92-01, www.paris-apts.com) has upscale, fully furnished studio and one-bedroom apartments from EUR92 to EUR214 per night, minimum five-night rental. Rothray (10 rue Nicolas Flamel, Beaubourg/Les Halles, Paris, 74004, France, PHONE:01-48-87-13-37, FAX: 01-42-78-17-72, rothray.free.fr/) has pretty apartments for short- or long-term rental in stylish neighborhoods like the Marais for about EUR100-EUR200 per day.