Aboukir Hotel

The guy at reception was nice, and the hotel is fairly close to the city centre, but the rest was a disaster. The place smelled bad, rubbish wasn't taken out, and the floors, shelves, and lockers were dirty. One toilet in the female dorm had no seat. There were damp, smelly towels on the bathroom floor that looked like they had been there forever and never replaced. I jumped straight from the door into the shower to avoid touching them with my feet. There was black mold everywhere, and the plaster was bubbling and falling away from the damp. The microwave had no dishes, and the dishes we did find were dirty, with no sponge or soap to clean them. One locker even had bread crumbs, and there were no hangers. In the bathroom, there was nowhere to put clothes except a low door handle, so a towel would touch the filthy floor. The window curtains didn't block any light. The curtains around the beds wouldn't move properly and got in my way when I tried to climb the ladder. There wasn't a proper duvet cover, just a piece of cloth you're apparently meant to snuggle in. Ew.

I couldn't get any sleep and left exhausted after just one night. There was no sound insulation, so I heard doors slamming and people shouting all night and right up to checkout. The room was dirty, mice were running around, and the whole atmosphere felt uncomfortable. The toilet is shared on the floor, while the room has a shower, but that doesn't make up for the conditions. The hotel is not far from the city center, its one positive, but the price is nowhere near justified by the quality. I can't recommend a place where a comfortable, peaceful rest seems impossible.

The location is the real gem: right in the heart of Paris, making it easy to get to tourist sights and entertainment spots, with restaurants, convenience stores, a supermarché, and parks nearby. The WiFi was reliable for working and studying, and the small bathrooms were clean and cleaned every day. Yes, the place is petite, the entrance may be smaller than your luggage, and there's no elevator. Still, the blonde lady at reception was polite, friendly, and genuinely tried to give great service. I understand why people have left bad reviews, but that's how I saw it.

The room was filthy, smelled bad, had bugs on the bed, and seemed to be falling apart. Staff were rude and didn't care. On top of all that, they added a random 10 Euro “tax” per person. What a rip-off. Avoid this place completely.