The Paris you can afford

Hotel St Merry, 78 rue de la Verrerie, metro Hotel de ville, 4th (01 42 78 14 15)
Tucked away in a corner of the church of the same name, the 17th century St Merry was once a church presbytery then a brothel. Now it's a tiny, cosy, quirky hotel. Numerous reception staff provide a warm welcome on arrival in the cramped reception area filled with dark, carved Gothic furniture. A novelty touch is provided by the telephone in a confessional box. Prepare to work those legs (four floors) as there is no lift to the bedrooms, which have stone walls, beams, heavy green drapes and thick carpets. Perfect for fans of the Gothic who like city life, as the rue de la Verrerie has an amazing array of shops, bars and restaurants, and is barely a minute away from the colourful Pompidou Centre. Doubles from £88 room only.

Hotel de Nevers, 83 rue du Bac, metro Saint-Germain-des-Pr?s, 7th (01 45 44 61 30)
This handsome slice of a 17th century town house was once part of a convent. Now a small and characterful 11-room hotel, travel light so you can carry luggage up the well worn staircase (no lift). It's worth the haul to the fourth floor, as room numbers 10 and 11 have tiny, pretty terraces. Stroll along the rue du Bac and browse as every other shop sells antiques and books. It is also near the chicest shops on adjoining Boulevard St-Germain. Doubles from £50 room only.

Hotel Favart, 5 rue Marivaux, metro Richelieu Drouot, 2th (01 42 97 59 83)
If "Fat" Pat Evans designed her own hotel then this is what it would look like. Perhaps it was different when Goya lived here in 1824, but these days the foyer of this five-storey, 18th century building is busy both with guests and decor (swirly carpet, marble pillars and vivid velvet chairs). Bedroom decor is less riotous (paler colours, beamed ceilings and arched windows, which look on to the quiet Salle Favart) but the real advantage is the hotel's proximity to the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores, which are less than five minutes walk away on boulevard Hausmann. Doubles from £65 room only.

Hotel Jeanne d' Arc, 3 rue de Jarente, metro St Paul, 4th (01 48 87 62 11)
Just off the Place des Vosges in the heart of the hip Marais district, the location of this attractive stone-built 17th century hotel just couldn't be better - within easy walking distance (five minutes) of the Mus?e Picasso, Victor Hugo's house on Place des Vosges and all the shops, bars and restaurants of this regenerated district. The atmosphere is friendly as are the staff in reception - don't be put off by the bizarre giant mosaic mirror, which dwarfs the room. Winding polished wood stairs lead to the sixth floor, although there is a lift. Doubles from £44 room only.

Libertel Grand Turenne, 6 rue Turenne, metro Saint Paul, 4th (020 8283 4500)
For those who like to know what they're getting, the Libertel chain holds no surprises and is popular with both business and leisure travellers. Rooms are on the smallish side with a fresh feeling created by white wicker chairs, lime-green furnishings and tiny, spotless bathrooms. What it lacks in character it makes up for in location with a fab setting in the Marais plus proximity to the Village Saint-Paul, an area of antiques shops, running from Rue Saint-Paul to Rue Charlemagne. Doubles £103 room only.

Hotel des Artes, 7 cit? Berger, metro Grand Boulevards, 9th (01 42 46 73 30)
No flourishes here. This is the real bargain tucked away in a quiet courtyard just off rue Berger. Rooms are basic without being spartan, a typical one has yellow walls, brown carpet and that's about it. The most interesting decor is to be found in the winding stairway, which is pasted over with theatre and museum posters. Check out the Mus?e de l'Erotisme on the boulevard de Clichy in the heart of the Pigalle sex district. Doubles from £38 room only.

Hotel des Crois?s, 63 rue St Lazare, metro Trinit? d'Estienne d'Orves, 9th (01 48 74 78 24)
Very obliging staff are rightly proud of this beautifully ornate hotel, built as a bank in 1870. Hallways are pale green and cream with a rich red carpet leading to the retro reception with its honey-coloured, carved wooden arch. A beautiful tiny wrought iron lift takes you to all five floors so take the stairs if you're claustrophobic. Rooms have handsome dark furniture (1900 -1930s lines) and some have views of Montmartre. The breakfast room is a soothing pale yellow, filled with 19th century busts, wicker furniture, potted plants and gentle piano music - there's even an antique bird cage and two plaster birds. Pigalle is nearby as is the Mus?e Gustave Moreau. Doubles from £47 room only - closed in April for three weeks.

Monna Lisa, 97 rue de la Boetie, metro St Philipe du Roule, 8th (0800 1698817)
Only five minutes from the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elys?es, this minimalist member of Design Hotels has a friendly atmosphere. Rooms are uniform with pale walls, white bedding, cocoa-coloured curtains and there's a picture hanging over each bed of a section of the hotel's namesake, Mona Lisa (yes, the hotel can spell but due to copyright of the one hanging in the Louvre they had to give it the extra "n"). Suites on the fifth floor have terraces stretching the length of the suite and look out across Paris rooftops. Rue du Faubourg is nearby as is rue St-Honore with fashion shops, including Colette, the scarily stylish designer-cum-lifestyle store with Prada upstairs and a pretentious water bar (as in bottles of) downstairs. Doubles £119 room only.

Hotel Lenox Saint Germain, 9 rue de l'Universit?, metro St-Germain-des-Pr?s, 7th (01 42 96 10 95)
A beautifully executed celebration of 1930s decor, the foyer is brimming with every art deco touch you can think of, including leather chairs and sofa, animal bronzes and marble flooring. Pack a cigarette holder for maximum elegance. Rooms are simple with cream walls, blue-gold bedspreads with gleaming white tiled bathrooms with chrome and glass shelving for as many pots and potions as you can pack. Roger and Gallet soaps and shampoos provided. The Lenox Club bar on the corner of the same street is used by publishers and film stars alike - grab yourself a cocktail and star spot. The Mus?e d'Orsay, in a converted railway station, is five minutes away. Doubles from £71 room only.

Hotel Buci-Latin, 34 rue de Buci, metro St-Germain-des-Pr?s, 6th (0800 1698817)
A member of the chi-chi Design Hotel group in the lively Latin Quarter. Rooms have animal-print carpet and warm, orange colour-washed walls, which are the perfect backdrop to the blond wood high-reaching slatted headboards. The doors all have slightly differing punky photo montages on them. A grafitti'd staircase breaks up the slog all the way up to the sixth floor. Step out onto rue de Buci with its film-set-perfect chocolate shops, salons de th?, florists with beautiful bouquets on the pavement outside and grocers with immaculate vegetables. Gets packed during the shows so don't even think about staying then. Doubles with breakfast from £105 (Junior Suite, £190).