The Marais area of Paris is one of the most delightful and desirous places to stay. It is a charming area that retains much of the traditional Paris architecture, culture, and best of all, cooking. It is full of markets, relaxing squares, wonderful bakeries and restaurants. It is an excellent place to base a stay in Paris for the good travel connections too. See The Traveling Professor's picks for hotels in the Marais section of Paris.
I often get the question, "Professor, where should I stay in Paris?". First of all, you want to avoid the area near the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysees. They are way too touristy, are overpriced, and are crowded. The Champs Elysees is hardly "French" at all. However, there are a few neighborhoods in Paris I like to stay in. My criteria is based on convenience of getting to other sites I want to see, restaurants, transportation access, value, and overall pleasantness of the area. See my choices in today's blog post.
When going on a tour to Paris, take the opportunity to visit the varying neighborhoods of Paris. Some are sophisticated, some are smutty, some are charming and others are cheap. They all have an element of "je ne sais quoi" making each of them appealing in their own way. I have written about two neighborhoods to visit while on your tour of Paris, and I have listed one, that may be of a surprise to you, that I recommend avoiding.