Art Hotel Paris Est

The room was a decent size and warm in winter. Metro and bus links are central, breakfast was good and came promptly, and it felt like good value. Finding the entrance from Pantin can be a bit of a hassle, though room service could be better. One serious warning: my deposit wasn't refunded after checkout. Management gave excuses and blamed my bank, especially because I'm a foreigner. Be careful.

The room I requested was a suite with a double bed, but it turned out to be two single beds pushed together. On arrival I was also charged a €100 damage deposit, which I was told would be returned once they'd checked the room after we left. There was no damage, but I still haven't got the money back and nobody is responding to my messages. A lovely gentleman greeted us and was a big help speaking English, since we don't know much French.

The bathroom had a broken toilet, and the shower had very weak water pressure, with water coming out into the bathtub too. There wasn't even a small spoon. The room card didn't work because their device was broken. Breakfast was meant to arrive at 9, but it didn't. I went to reception, where the receptionist first said I hadn't ordered it, then said her colleague hadn't left a message. What I eventually got was an unhealthy, all-sugar breakfast with no meat, although I'm not vegetarian. I'd specifically asked for tea and didn't get that either. Calls to reception went unanswered.

Please make sure people booking through other apps are told about the €100 pre-authorization. It wasn't shown in the information I saw when booking elsewhere. I understand why you need it, since the rooms have kitchens, but guests should be informed in advance. Also, the sign outside is hard to see at night. Some lighting there would help.