Paris might be synonymous with opulence, but some of its most rewarding hotel stays aren’t in gilded palaces or five-star locales. They’re in the quiet corners of the 20th arrondissement, the outer edges of the 18th, or just beyond the ring road that carves out Paris proper.
With 158 hotels in our selection scattered across the city, there’s no shortage of choice — but finding a place that pairs style with substance (and keeps rates around €200, or $230) requires a bit of local know-how.
Forget the cliché of budget hotels as cramped or charmless. The affordable Paris hotels below are anything but. They are places with personality: There’s art on the walls, good lighting, maybe a rooftop or courtyard garden and the kind of staff who know where to send you for the best baguette within walking distance.
Here, a curated look at the most affordable hotels in the city — each one proof that a modest budget doesn’t mean sacrificing style, comfort or a true sense of place.
Northern Paris
1. MOB Hotel (Saint Ouen, Northern Paris)
Who stays here: Guests wanting a playful, pet-friendly and perfectly located stay for flea market explorations.Just steps from the legendary Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen — one of the largest and most eclectic flea markets in the world — MOB Hotel brings color and laid-back cool to Paris’ northern edge. It’s the group’s original outpost (there’s another offshoot a street away, as well as in other French cities and the US), and it’s our pick for its unfussy, feel-good energy.
Designed by world-famous architect Philippe Starck, his playful signature style runs throughout the hotel: Think brightly hued rooms in powder pinks and sun yellows, cheeky design touches and a lively open-plan lobby that blends into a buzzing restaurant and leafy courtyard that pulls in locals as well as hotel guests.
The outdoor space comes alive in summer with DJ nights, movie screenings and yoga sessions, while pizzas and several organic dishes are served with a side of conscious values: Ingredients are responsibly sourced and linens are washed with eco-friendly products, for instance.
Rooms are simple but comfortable — some even have balconies or terraces — and come with fun details like velvet theater-curtain headboards. The hotel is also pet-friendly, values-driven and a social spot that draws a local crowd of creatives here to dig around the flea market. Add the relatively quick metro access to central Paris, and MOB Hotel is one of the city’s most fun, offbeat stays to book right now.
Restaurant picks: The most notable spots in the area are located on the Jules Joffrin side of the ring road, like L’arpaon and Fana, 20 minutes' walk away.
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2. Zoku Paris (Porte de Clichy, Northern Paris)
Who stays here: Families and digital nomads needing a Scandi-style pied-à-terre with all the mod-cons.Tucked into the quietly evolving northern edge of the 17th arrondissement, Zoku Paris offers a different kind of city stay — part hotel, part home base for those who prefer to settle in rather than simply pass through. The immediate surroundings lean towards utilitarian: There’s a bagel shop downstairs for snacking, and there's a handy metro stop (Porte de Clichy; lines 13 and 14) just a minute away, which zips you to Orly airport in 45 minutes and central Paris in under 10. You’re a short walk from the leafy parks of the Batignolles and Les Epinettes neighborhoods — ideal for kids — where you'll also find wine bars, design-forward boutiques, and restaurants with a local following.
Inside, Zoku is geared toward longer stays and working life on the move. The rooms are compact but cleverly laid out, many with kitchenettes and workspaces. Communal areas flow into one another, from expansive coworking lounges to quiet nooks for calls and a rooftop where the all-day restaurant serves farm-to-table dishes 24/7 — no late-night delivery needed. There’s also a gym, yoga sessions and laundry facilities.
Restaurant picks: Café César with its market-driven cuisine and bistro Rosette, as well as Coretta and One-Star Le Faham, are among our Inspectors’ top picks, about 10 minutes’ walk away.
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3. Tribe Batignolles (17th Arrondissement)
Who stays here: Guests wanting to be well-connected to Orly airport as well as central Paris and in a laid-back local neighborhood.Tucked behind a busy boulevard in the city’s northwest (close to Zoku Hotel, mentioned above), the area around Tribe Paris Batignolles might not charm you on arrival — but give it a minute. You’re steps from the Porte de Clichy metro stop, with line 14, which zips you to Orly in 45 minutes, and line 13 for a direct ride to the Champs-Élysées in just over 15 minutes.
The rooms have slate-gray walls, are compact and frill-free but they are comfortable and clean, with crisp white linen on the beds. Shared spaces strike a contemporary tone with moody backlit paneling, while a leafy courtyard offers a peaceful spot for coffee or cocktails.
The real draw is actually the location. Locals will point you in the direction of the chic, bohemian Batignolles neighborhood, which buzzes with low-key charm: Think parks (great if traveling with kids), boutiques and a mix of local bars and restaurants — all perfect for a more lived-in slice of Paris.
Part of a small, design-savvy group with outposts from France to Thailand, Tribe Batignolles is smart, social and just off the tourist radar at an accessible rate.
Restaurant picks: Our Inspectors love several spots in the area, including Coretta, Vinello, Comme Chez Maman, Le Cyrano, Mova, Jupi, Petit Boutary, Rooster, as well as Anona (One Star and a Green Star) and Le Faham (One Star).
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Eastern Paris
4. Scarlett (20th Arrondissement)
Who stays here: Vintage lovers who know their bistro from their bobun, of which there are both in arty Belleville close by.Staying outside of the city center in the 20th arrondissement would have once felt like the price you paid for a more affordable room rate, but these days it’s one of Paris’ hottest culinary destinations, where restaurants need to be reserved earlier than hotel rooms.
Tapping into the 20th’s newfound popularity is Scarlett Hotel, which has opened its doors in a once abandoned industrial building in the Belleville neighborhood. The setting might be more urban than your usual Parisian Haussmannian abode, but retaining the building’s original floor-to-ceiling windows brings plenty of light into the 30 guest rooms, which are decorated with warm shades of rust orange, classic navy and cheerful pops of yellow.
Downstairs in the shared salon, there are plenty of communal tables and citrus-hued armchairs for hanging out after breakfast or for a co-working session, but really the idea here is all about getting outside to explore the neighborhood. The plugged-in team is ready with Paris recommendations — or just speed-dial from your room to one of their favorite Belleville addresses.
Restaurant picks: Le Baratin, Lao Siam, Le Grand Bain, Dilia, Soces, Mensae, Cheval d’Or, Le Cadoret.
5. La Nouvelle République (11th Arrondissement)
Who stays here: An art and fashion crowd looking for an off-the-radar base from which to explore the area’s creative bakeries and restaurants.If you’ve come to Paris to eat, then you’ve come to the right place. Checking into La Nouvelle République places you right in the heart of the 11th arrondissement, home to creative restaurants headed up by the next generation of Parisian chefs and a new wave of natural wine bars and bakeries.
Quiet and cozy rooms have been given a slightly retro feel with ‘70s shades of mustard and rust orange, midcentury style furnishings and a mishmash of artworks. To make the hotel even more affordable, small families and groups can book the Triple room, and for solo travelers there’s La Solo room, with space big enough for one, tucked away on the sixth floor under the hotel’s eaves. And as a bonus, the hotel has even managed to squeeze in a subterranean hammam (steam room) and a treatment room for on-demand massages.
Restaurant picks: There are a ton of options our Inspectors love here, including Alluma, Deux Bistrot de Chefs, La Datcha, Amâlia (One Star), Le Chateaubriand, Vantre, Auberge Pyrénées Cevennes and more.
Book La Nouvelle République with The MICHELIN Guide →
6. Mama Shelter East (20th Arrondissement)
Who stays here: Travelers wanting an offbeat, affordable stay that has a party-starter edge.When Mama Shelter opened this hotel in 2008, it was their first and it flipped the script on budget travel — turning a former car park into a stylish social hub. Designed by Philippe Starck, the man behind some of the world’s biggest luxury hotels, the space is playful and punchy, with chalkboard print carpets, waxed concrete walls and superhero masks for taking memorable selfies in every compact-but-comfortable room.
Downstairs, the restaurant serves oven-fired pizzas as well as easy staples like mac and cheese, and hosts lively DJ nights, while the terrace, which backs onto the disused Petite Ceinture railway, is sometimes used for open-air film screenings. There’s also a colorful rooftop — not for the views, but for the vibe and cocktails.
The out-of-the-way location is more of a high point than you’d think. Explore the pretty enclave of La Campagne à Paris, a cluster of cobblestone streets lined with elegant standalone houses, explore Père Lachaise Cemetery steps away, where the likes of novelist Oscar Wilde and singer Jim Morrison are buried, or dip into the area’s indie bar and dining scene. Bastille’s nightlife is also within walking distance.
Restaurant picks: Nearby you’ll find neo-bistros Sadarnac, Ploc, and closer to Alexandre Dumas metro station, Dandelion, Des Terres and Paulownia, all Inspector-approved.
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Southern Paris
7. Cabane (15th Arrondissement)
Who stays here: Travelers and quiet creatives who prefer to feel immersed in Paris’ local independent spirit with great restaurants and architectural gems to pick from.While Hôtel Cabane isn’t far from Montparnasse and its Roaring '20s hangovers like neon-lit cafés La La Coupole, Le Select and Le Dôme, it’s actually in Pernety, a quieter pocket full of locals who know they’re onto a good thing.
Here, you’ll find casual bistros serving up French staples, as well as Chef Mory Sacko’s upscale but laid-back MoSuke.
Hôtel Cabane is imbued with a creative vibe thanks to a collection of vintage finds curated by hip secondhand store Selency, as well as handpicked contemporary artworks. Rooms are simply but stylishly dressed with layers of warm natural wood, and some come with private terraces. But the real highlight is “la cabane” itself, a stylish countryside cabin secreted away in the hotel’s garden.
Restaurant picks: MoSuke (One Star), Bistrotters, Bistrot Augustin, Le Cornichon (different to the restaurant of the same name in the 11th arrondissement), Kwon, Aux Plumes, La Grande Ourse, Kigawa, L’Assiette.
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8. Hotel Ami (15th Arrondissement)
Who stays here: Frequent travelers looking for a design-forward but restful place to put their bags down for a weekend.Hoteliers Anouk and Louis Solanet aren’t afraid to go where tourists seldom do. The duo have based their Orso hotel brand around showing travelers a more undiscovered side of Paris, which is why most of the group’s design-led addresses can be found in residential pockets of the lesser visited 14th, 15th and 17th arrondissements.
For Hotel Ami, the husband-and-wife team handed the keys to award-winning designer Geta Hansen, who has dressed rooms in a soothing palette of sage green, soft peach and sunshine yellow with functional light wood furnishings to maximize space.
The larger family room also comes with the added extras of a balcony and a bathtub. Kids are also well looked after by the family-friendly brand with books, toys and a dress-up box for playtime, while for adults, the bar and lounge open onto an attractive terracotta tiled patio for morning coffee and an al fresco aperitif.
Restaurant picks: Biscotte, L’Accolade, Neige d’Eté (One Star) and Pilgrim, all about a 15-minute walk away.
Western Paris
9. Mama Shelter Paris West (15th Arrondissement)
Who stays here: A laid-back crowd attending a convention at nearby Porte de Versailles or looking for a fun spot in a quiet neighborhood.Mama Shelter set out to disrupt what an affordable hotel in Paris and elsewhere looked like when it first burst onto the scene with Philippe Starck-designed interiors and a buzzy restaurant and rooftop bar. It’s now gone global, but the model never veers much from the original: playful interiors that blend bold colors and prints, and good-vibes restaurants with crowd-pleasing menus. Look out for fun Mama Shelter signatures such as cheeky slogans and masks of Bugs Bunny, Darth Vader and other friends, hung on the bedframes.
At Mama Shelter Paris West there’s the added bonus of a panoramic rooftop restaurant and bar, with views across Europe's biggest urban farm down below. Also nearby is Parc Georges-Brassens and one of Paris' best flea markets, Vanves. You’re also just a short metro ride away from Montparnasse and attractions such as Musée Bourdelle and the Catacombs, a route which will lead you toward the many sights of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter.
Restaurant picks: Koji, L’Os à Moelle, Beurre Noisette, L’Accolade and Biscotte are about 15 minutes’ walk away.
Words by MICHELIN Guide Editors Mitchell Friedman, Nicola Leigh Stewart and Rooksana Hossenally.
Hero image: A bedroom at the very first Mama Shelter hotel. © Mama Shelter Paris East
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