Hôtel Rachel

For about €60, we got a double bed for one night, with a shared bathroom and shower, which felt like a fair price for Paris. The room had a sink, handy for brushing our teeth, and the beds were made and comfortable. We also felt safe inside the enclosed area between the houses. The toilets were okay, though the women's one was very cramped and its light was broken. They weren't too messy, and having detergent there was a welcome touch. I didn't check the showers. The location was decent, but getting there meant taking the metro and walking, around 40 minutes in total. It's a budget hotel, so 4/5 seems fair.

The receptionist was really welcoming, and brought us warm towels for the bathroom when we asked. We had a pleasant stay at the Rachel, with a comfortable room, fairly fresh, clean sheets and a spotless private bathroom. There's a bus stop just three minutes away, which came in handy. For this price, we couldn't have asked for a nicer stay.

The neighborhood was lovely, and the staff were friendly. Since it was my first time in Paris, I had a great weekend. I booked a single room with a private bathroom, and it was spotless when I checked the bed and room on arrival, as I do at any hotel. It feels more like a small studio in an apartment building than a fancy hotel, with few amenities, which makes sense at this price. You're paying less than at some hostels with shared bedrooms, so I don't have anything to complain about. It's outside the center, but the metro, with ticket machines, is a ten-minute walk away and gets you around Paris easily. I don't really understand the negative reviews; maybe some people expect too much. I'd happily stay here again.

The hotel refused to issue an invoice even though I asked several times before arriving, while I was there, and after I left. To me, that suggests possible illegal activity, such as tax evasion. The place is somewhat run down, the quality isn't great, and the location isn't ideal. The staff were hard to approach and it was almost impossible to communicate with them in English. I could accept these issues given the price, and because I'd already seen them mentioned in other reviews. But I'd choose somewhere else next time. If you don't mind taking the RER or a bus, I'd look for a better hotel farther from the center, or a hostel in the city center. I guess you could try this one if you're comfortable taking a risk and don't care about legality. For anyone wanting to file a complaint, the company details are: Address: 1-3 1 RUE DU CAPITAINE SOYER City: 93310 LE PRE-SAINT-GERVAIS Legal category: 5499 - Société à responsabilité limitée (sans autre indication) Name: RACHEL SIRET of enterprise registered office: 38412693400015 Principal activity: 55.10Z - Hôtels et hébergement similaire