Basin de la Villette.                                                                                 Paris Tourist Office/Marc Verhille  

The northeastern side of Paris is unknown to most visitors. Far from the center and not packed with 'must-see' monuments, this area is doesn’t make it onto many agendas. That’s a shame, because the 19th arrondissement is filled with lovely things. The wild and hilly Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is here, along with the Parc de la Villette and its many concert venues, film festivals, and exhibitions. But my favorite place to spend time is along the water.

As the Canal St. Martin travels north from trendy area around Chez Prune, it widens into the Bassin de la Villette. The area around the Bassin has transformed dramatically in recent years and now hosts a pair of charming movie theaters, the northern satellite of Paris Plages, and a slew of cafés and restaurants.

St. Christopher’s Inn

It also has beds – many beds. In recent months, two new options for accommodation have sprung up along the water. The first to arrive was St. Christopher’s Inn, the “most modern backpackers’ hostel in Paris.”

This brand-spanking new facility on 159 rue de Crimée makes backpacking easy by offering free wifi and organizing pub crawls and bike rental.

Most importantly (although this isn’t written in their brochure), the location affords access to Bar Ourcq, one of the coolest places in town. The area in front of Bar Ourcq is on warm evenings filled with hundreds of young people who gather to picnic and play pétanque.

It’s exactly the kind of crowd that most young travelers are hoping to find, and they’re sitting just outside the hostel doors waiting to be chatted up. Prices, as you’d expect, are low at the hostel. They vary according to the day, but a bed in a 10-person dormitory generally runs about 30€ per night, and a private room with double bed & bath is 45€ per person (90€ total).

Holiday Inn Express

Those looking for something less youthful than a hostel need only walk around to the back of the building where a new Holiday Inn Express has just opened on 68 Quai de la Seine. I have great reservations in writing about a chain hotel (as does my Editor Louise), but this honestly isn’t a bad option for Paris. Here’s why:

The view from these rooms is incredible. Inside the rooms are (boring) corporate chic with flat screens and free wifi, but open the curtains and you’re gazing out over houseboats and old men playing pétanque. At ground floor, the hotel terrace is right on the water and not a bad place to take your morning coffee. Rooms run 120-160€ per night with breakfast included.

For those with reservations about staying “so far away,” Métro line 7 from Crimée is quick shot into the center city with stops at many popular tourist destinations. Line 5 from Laumière travels to Republique and Bastille, while line 2 from Jaurès will take you to Père Lachaise, Montmartre, and the Arc de Triomphe. Excellent Métro access will enable you to cross those monuments off your list, but at the end of the day you’ll be happy to return to your waterbed in this great and still undiscovered neighborhood.

On paper (or the computer screen) The White Hotel seems like a dream stay. It's on the avenue Louise with posh shopping, arty drinking, and good eating just a stroll away. It brings in recognizable design talent to color up its naked white rooms. Best of all, it's ridiculously cheap - 75€ per night. High expectations, however, can lead to a serious let-down.

When I arrived at the White Hotel, I smiled at seeing a pair of motorcycles available for daily rental at 18€. Things continued in a good vein as I checked out the lounge with its shelves of design books and deep booths with surf-ready laptops.

When I turned the key in my room, however, I was shocked to see a stark white room with no design elements at all. Wasn't that supposed to be the point?

Later on, when I descended to hand over the supplementary funds for wifi service, I asked the manager whether all rooms were like mine. "Some rooms have design, some do not," she barked. "You have to request a room with design (like the one below)." She went on to explain that not all of the rooms were finished, despite being open for more than two years. "Come back after our next 'Plastic the White Hotel' event," she told me. "More rooms will be done then."

A finished room at the White Hotel

In the meantime, a booking at the hotel is likely to land you a very white and undesigned room. My IKEA showroom surroundings included paper-thin walls and a shower that bubbled loudly whenever the neighbor flushed his toilet. This was pushing it, even for the low-low price of 75€.

A bright spot arrived the next morning in the form of a very sweet breakfast for no additional charge. The do-it-yourself espresso machine let me drink far more than my body needed, and the range of savory and sweet treats (including homemade cookies) was more impressive than I'd been expecting.

The bottom line: this will likely be, in the year 2010, a fully-designed design hotel. But in 2008, the White Hotel is more like a budget option with a good breakfast and a convenient location. Bring your ear plugs and low expectations.

The White Hotel; 2 avenue Louise, 1000 Brussels

The “design” component of Hotel Bloom hit me over the head before I'd even walked in. The front windows are glammed up like department store displays, bringing funk to an otherwise unlovely exterior. Crossing the threshold and then the lobby, I found it difficult to decide where to look. On my left, two moddish egg chairs were dangling from chains.

Overhead, the intricately moulded ceiling competed with a wooden chandelier for my attention. The front desk featured a flatscreen with fashion week coverage, a bowl shiny green apples, and a receptionist named Pomme. She wished me a good stay and I rushed off to discover my digs.

Each room at Hotel Bloom bears its own stylish imprint. Young and talented (but not-yet-established) designers are selected to dress up a series of rooms. Far from "Pimp my Room" excess, however, the results are fairly low-key.

My room had a tastefully stenciled wall and an accompanying text from the artist about its meaning. The room was flooded with natural light and had a view over the nearby botanical gardens.

To get the travel kinks out, I took advantage right away of the fitness center down the hall. Alone in the room, I had my pick of about twenty brand-new cardio machines, and there was a gleaming weights set-up around the corner. Distraction came in two forms - looking out over the city skyline and watching the flatscreen TV.

Returning to my room, I stopped in the 8th floor lounge just to see what it was about. I found the traveling parents' dream: a spacious annex where brooding teens could be sent to watch movies (a DVD library), play video games (a Wii console) or goof around on the internet (several computer stations).

There was also a full kitchen and a dining room table. I made a mental note to remember this place if and when I ever reproduce.

Back in the room and after a shower in the nothing-special bathroom, I was ready for a little work. The extra-long desk let me to spread out my papers, fire up the laptop with free wifi, and get down the serious business of figuring out where to eat.

The in-room espresso maker kept me juiced, and a special speaker port for my iPod meant that I could sing along while selecting my targets.

The hotel restaurant S'Moods was definitely not on my to-try list. I love design in my hotel room but am suspicious of it in restaurants. At S'Moods, there are seven different "mood islands," each with a different style.

Diners can choose between "flower power" and "passions," among others (I'm not sure where the rustic wood cabin arrangement fits in). It looked like a fun place to drink, but I couldn't imagine eating there.

Of course I hadn't come to Bloom for the restaurant. I had come for the promise of stylish digs at an insanely low price. And bottom line, I wasn't disappointed. The rack rate for a double room is 290€, but the nearly perpetual internet specials keep the real price (at weekend) around 100€ per night. Even without the design flourish, this would be a great price for a very comfortable stay with plenty of little perks.

On the downside, the over-branding can be a little annoying (Hotel Bloom music CD, anyone?) and the 22€ breakfast supplement is more costly than you'd find in a 5-star hotel. I skipped it and instead took my coffee on the sprawling terrace at the neighboring botanic gardens.

Despite these drawbacks, I found Hotel Bloom to be an exciting place to stay. The design concept was well-executed, and not at the expense of comfort. And the services - free wifi, iPod port, fitness center and lounge - were spectacular for the 100€ price.

Hotel Bloom; 250 rue Royale, 1210 Brussels (St-Josse)

Paris is filled with lavish hotels - former palaces that have been converted into dens of discreet luxury. These are places that recall an earlier empire, or, depending on your cultural preferences, the last episode of Sex and the City. These are not places we can afford.

For those who still want old-world glamour, there are plenty of frumpy and over-decorated rooms for around 200€ a night. But rather than pay for over-priced knock-offs, smart visitors are eschewing tradition and going instead for something modern. A number of sleek and enlightened hotels have cropped up recently that are much better suited to our 21st century needs. Hôtel Amour, which Louise told you about earlier, is one of these. Another has emerged on the city’s trendy east side.

Photo by Supermaikhanh

I first learned about Le General when a visiting friend invited me to come to her hotel and get a drink at the bar. “A hotel bar? Why don’t we just go out instead?” I protested. She told me to trust her, and I wasn’t disappointed. Just a few paces from Republique, Le General is indeed branché (trendy) – all dressed up in chocolate, fuchsia and white. The bar was swank and I soon learned about the hotel’s other amenities - free wifi in every room, a 24-hour business center, and a fitness center with sauna. But most interesting (and unusual) was 'all-inclusive package.' A standard double room costs a modest (by Paris standards) 175€. But spend a little more - 235€ - and the all-inclusive rate gives access to a massive breakfast spread, a bathrobe, and (drumroll please) an open bar.

I suddenly understood why we were drinking at the hotel – my friend could down as many mojitos as she liked and her employer, who was paying, would never know. Is this not a business travelers dream? I was able in the end to drag her out and into the nearby Oberkampf area. The drinks weren’t free, but the streets were filled with bars and good restaurants. She had an easy stumble home after enjoying one of the most city’s most lively neighborhoods.

Since that night, when anyone young (with a compulsion for cocktails and internet access) asks for a hotel recommendation, I tell them about Le General. Especially if someone else is paying.

Le General, 5/7 rue Rampon, 11. arr. Metro: Republique

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