Hotel Aulivia Opera

Clean room and bed, with very nice service. There are lots of metro lines nearby, including 9 and 8, and I could leave my luggage at reception before check-in and after checkout. That made it much easier to visit museums before I could get into my room. I don’t know why so many hotels in Paris lack a small fridge. At least here, you can get free filtered water from reception any time.

The area is handy for exploring, and it’s less than 10 mins on foot from the train station. Breakfast isn’t fancy, but the coffee is very good and it’s nice to grab a bite before heading out. The rooms are tiny, and getting in and out of the bathtub was a bit difficult. Bars nearby keep things extremely loud late into the night and early morning, so you’ll need earplugs. I’d rate it 3 stars rather than 4.

The location is great, but the small rooms and the rest of the place make it hard for me to call this a four-star hotel. Everything feels tiny, including the bathroom and hallways. I have a BMI of 22 and still struggled to get into the shower, so it could be even harder for someone with a higher BMI. The elevator is another squeeze, with two people and two backpacks already a challenge. Some staff were very nice, while others looked like they just wanted to sleep behind the counter. I don’t really care about that, but it doesn’t feel four-star. The light switches also took us a while to find and figure out. FYI, it’s the round thing next to the door, and you press different areas to switch on different lights rather than moving it up or down. Our stay wasn’t bad, but I’m giving 3 stars.

We left after one night, and I’m writing this as a public service because I don’t usually review hotels. The place may be central, but it didn’t feel safe. The online photos were deeply misleading, and I’d urge people to read the negative Google Maps reviews carefully before booking. Sleep was nearly impossible. Noise went on all night, and even with earplugs I barely got to sleep before waking at 4 a.m. and again at 7 a.m. Our first room was filthy. A younger staff member was kind and apologetic and did try to help by moving us, which was the one positive experience. The older male staff member was dismissive, unfriendly, and arrogant. We had to cut our stay short because of the conditions, and he wouldn’t help refund the tourist tax for the unused nights. There were sudden loud noises from the shower and what seemed to be a water leak, though we kept the complaint general. He showed no interest in hearing about it. I’d have accepted not getting back tourist tax that had been paid in advance, since at most hotels I’ve paid it at checkout, but he couldn’t explain why it couldn’t be refunded. When I said the hotel didn’t deserve a four-star rating, he replied with a sarcastic “thank you for your feedback” that sounded more mocking than professional. Save your money. The place isn’t worth it, and that staff member was anything but welcoming. Customer care was nowhere to be found. They seem not to care, and will probably always find someone willing to book.