The 10 best affordable hotels in Paris, from trendy hostels to boutique stays

The City of Light isn’t known for being easy on your wallet, but these are the best Paris hotels you can book for as little as £143 a night. When you think of Paris, the word ‘budget’ does not usually spring to mind. You don’t tend to scrape together loose change from the back of the sofa and think, ‘Hey, why don’t we go to Paris this weekend?’. It’s the most expensive city in France by a long way, and among the destinations priciest in Europe. However, it’s possible to do just about anywhere on the cheap — think school trips to Paris, herded on and off a coach like cattle. At the youth hostel accommodation, the dodgy wiring would inevitably fry someone’s hair straighteners and you were never quite sure whether the grime in the shower was years worth of dirt or mould, although is one really better than the other?.

Marie-Antoinette cover your ears: at these hotels and hostels it’s possible to have your cake and eat it. All of the following have double rooms for €150 or under, depending on when you book, but now that the secret’s out, make sure you snap up your place early. Hôtel Urban Bivouac doesn’t try to market itself as anything fancy, but it offers spotlessly clean, minimalistic accommodation at rock-bottom prices. Solo travellers can opt for rooms with a single bed; tiny at just 9m2, or upgrade to a suite at a spacious 20m2. The pine, large windows and light furnishings are reminiscent of an IKEA showroom. There’s a slap-up all you can eat breakfast buffet, and giving foodies further reason to rejoice, it’s on the edge of Paris’s Chinatown.

Address: 1 Rue Sthrau, 75013 Paris. Read more: I’ve always hated yoga – could combining it with a France ski festival change my mind?. If you’re a first-timer to Paris and you’re travelling on a shoestring, there’s no better place to stay than Hôte Passy Eiffel. The Eiffel Tower, Trocadero and the Champs Elysées are all under a 20 minute walk away, and it costs a fraction of the price of most of the grand old hotels in the area. Breakfast is included in the room rate, served in an atrium-like dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows and more pot plants than a florist shop.

Address: 10 Rue de Passy, 75016 Paris. Read more: I’m an expat living in France – this is everything ‘Emily in Paris’ gets wrong. Of course the colourful brand Mama Shelter was going to establish a base in Paris’s most colourful quartier, Belleville. The plant-bedecked rooftop feels like a year-round garden party and is worth stopping by for a sundowner even if not staying. This is a place designed to work hard and play hard. There are plenty of coworking facilities for digital nomads, but also table football, ping-pong, DJ sets and live music, making it the ideal spot to mingle with fellow travellers.

Address: 109 Rue de Bagnolet, 75020 Paris. Read more: The six Paris districts you should know, from classically French cobbled streets to edgy underground clubs. Proving that you don’t have to pay big bucks for the best views in Paris is The People Hostel, whose roof terrace takes in the entire Parisian skyline, including the Eiffel Tower and La Défense. Choose from dorm rooms (sleeping four to eight) or doubles, in a hostel squarely between Belleville and Couronnes metro stations. It’s a sociable place, regularly hosting everything from live concerts to art classes, and the (extremely affordable) bar is lively any night of the week.

Address: 59 Bd de Belleville, 75011 Paris. Read more: The best things to do in Paris – from cruising down the Seine to vintage shopping in Le Marais. Exceptionally well located, Hotel Orphée is just across the river from Gare de Lyon, the Jardin des Plantes (home to the Natural History Museum, and Paris’s Grand Mosque. The 44 rooms are beautifully designed, minimalistic to best utilise the space, and have extremely comfortable beds. Many come with small balconies. No-one goes hungry, the continental buffet breakfast spread is extremely generous and there’s complimentary cake in the lobby 24/7. There’s even a hammam (reserve a spot when you book).

Address: 4 Bd Saint-Marcel, 75005 Paris. Read more: This chic Paris district is becoming the trendiest spot for a city break in Europe. Possibly Paris’s best kept secret, this fashionable little boutique hotel on the Left Bank offers exceptional quality for price and picture-perfect rooms. The walled courtyard, bedecked with plants, makes for the most peaceful and un-Parisian of breakfasts before tackling the city sights. An underrated perk, but one that makes all the difference is the check-in/check-out. Check-in is from 2pm and check-out isn’t until 11.30am, meaning that you get several more hours for your money than at most hotels.

Address: 9 Rue des Gobelins, 75013 Paris. Read more: The most beautiful places to visit in Paris. In the heart of Montmartre, Le Village has private rooms and dorm rooms sleeping between four and 12 (including women’s only dormitories). Particularly good for digital nomads and freelancers, there’s superfast Wi-Fi and computers, so you don’t even need to take your laptop away with you. The pretty little patio has hammocks, cocoon chairs and plenty of sofas to hang out after a busy day of sightseeing. Book breakfast in advance when you reserve online for as little as €6.