Paris accommodation can be spacious, chic, close to the city center and even luxurious but it is expensive. When it is cheap, it may be small, austere, far from the city center and even shabby. Can Paris accommodation offer homely coziness, convenient location and local hospitality at an affordable price in the city of glamour?
Quality Bed and Breakfast in Paris
In April 2005, the Paris City Council (Mairie de Paris), the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau (l’Office du Tourisme et des Congrès de Paris) initiated a quality charter named “Hôtes Qualité Paris” for Bed and Breakfast accommodation, what the French call “chambres d’hôtes”, in the busiest touristic city in Europe. Hôtes Qualité Paris is a quality label for Parisian Bed and Breakfast provided in the main residence of a Parisian home-owner, who serves a French homemade breakfast and shares a door key.
Members of the Hôtes Qualité Paris charter must fulfill the criteria for the host, guest room, bathroom facilities and the breakfast in order to carry the quality label. In addition to the basic sanitary requirements, other major criteria include:
The host is helpful and provides a warm welcome.
The host likes cultural exchange and the discovery of Paris.
The host shares his keys with the guests.
The host must prepare a French-style family breakfast which includes at least tea, coffee or hot chocolate, milk, fresh bread, butter and jam.
The guest room is at least 10 meter square in size.
The guest room has at least one opening looking on to the outside.
A double bed measures at least 140×190 cm whereas a single bed is at least 90×190 cm.
The bathroom can be shared or private and should be indicated as such.
The bathroom includes at least a bath or a shower and a washbasin.
A shared bathroom is cleaned daily and can be used by a maximum of 6 persons (hosts included) whereas a private bathroom is cleaned at least every 4 days.
Parisian Bed and Breakfast Operators under the Hôtes Qualité Paris Charter
There are currently four Bed and Breakfast operators under the Hôtes Qualité Paris charter:
Bed & Breakfast Paris
Bed and Breakfast France
Meeting the French
Fleurs de Soleil
Apart from the room facilities and amenities, location of the Bed and Breakfast is still the most important factor for defining rates of these Paris accommodations. The 20 city zones known as “arrondissement” are arranged in a clockwise spiral with the First Arrondissement being in the heart of Paris. The 13th Arrondissement and beyond is basically outside the touristic Paris. Generally speaking, the rate of the Paris accommodation decreases with the postal code from 75001 to 75020 as the 20 “arrondissement” are identified by the last two digits of the postal code.
Parisian Bed and Breakfast Operators under the AUTHENTIC B&B Charter
Following similar notions and definitions of quality Parisian Bed and Breakfast as Hôtes Qualité Paris, the Fédération des Professionnels Parisiens de la Chambre d’Hôtes à Paris (FPPCH) has created the “AUTHENTIC B&B” quality charter since September 2006. There are currently four Bed and Breakfast operators under the charter:
Alcôve & Agapes Bed and Breakfast in Paris
France Lodge
Good Morning Paris
Une Chambre en Ville
For vacationers looking for close encounter with friendly Parisians and affordable accommodation with homely comfort, the Paris-styled Bed and Breakfast rooms can offer a nice surprise.
