City Résidence Bry-sur-Marne

It’s cheap, close to the train station, and about 40 minutes from central Paris. There’s a bed and a shower, so it does the job. Still, the place was quite dirty and smelled of smoke. The reception staff looked scruffy, with untucked shirts, trousers around their knees, and messy ties. Those details might seem minor, but they really affected the atmosphere. Not a very nice place.

March 2019. The staff were nice and spoke English well, so communication was easy. The room was OK for the price, and the location works if you’re trying to save money. But the toilet smelled really bad. After two nights, I asked for a fresh towel and was told it would cost €7. Shocking. I wouldn’t recommend it for couples with kids.

The location was really good, and we had time to relax and go out to see places. I would have liked the apartment to be cleaner, and it needed an in-house phone and an oven. The pots should have had lids, and there should have been at least one cooking spoon. It was good by France standards.

We stayed five nights, and the apartment was clean enough. My children weren’t happy with the TV, which only had French channels and no English subtitles, so we couldn’t understand any of the programs. The staff spoke a little English. It was handy for the bus and train stations and a supermarket, and we enjoyed the stay. Just make sure you have enough money, since transport and groceries are very expensive around Paris.