ibis budget Paris Porte de Pantin

The neighborhood was quiet, and although the room was basic, it was clean. The bed was firm and comfortable, but the pillows were tiny, more like sofa cushions. As a Gold member I didn’t get any special welcome. For a French brand like Accor, I’ve had better treatment everywhere else outside France.

The area was lovely, with shops and halal food options nearby, and the train station was just a two-minute walk away. The hotel worked well for a family with two or more children, with a decent amount of space. Staff were welcoming, the place was very clean, and room service came daily unless we asked them not to. There’s a free water machine, plus a vending machine and a coffee machine at reception that you have to pay for. Breakfast costs extra and had a decent selection. You can request an iron, subject to availability, and pay a 5 euro deposit that you get back when you return it. Our room’s AC wasn’t working. Staff kindly brought us a fan, but in the heat the room still felt like a sauna, so they moved us to another room, which was better.

The reception area was charming, and it was nice to be able to order food there. Breakfast, though, was very poor and had no choice. The room looked fine and seemed clean, but it wasn’t functional. Water came out of the shower enclosure and flooded it. The receptionist moved us to another room, where the sink wouldn’t drain and the air conditioning didn’t work. That felt completely unprofessional. The toilet was outside the bathroom in what seemed like a storage room beside the heating boiler. The bathroom sink was in the bedroom, and the shower looked like one from a camper van.

Quiet rooms, though they’re too small. The hotel has free Wi-Fi and check-in and check-out are at 12:00. It’s beside a bus station, with the tram about 650 m away and the metro around 250 m away. There are plenty of restaurants and supermarkets nearby.