Citadines Bastille Gare de Lyon Paris

We waited around 30 minutes to check in because one staff member was handling five arrivals at once. We stayed four nights, and our apartment wasn't cleaned a single time. Maybe cleaning costs extra, but after more than two nights it feels like basic hotel courtesy. The first room smelled so strongly of food that it was unbearable. When I asked for a room freshener and suggested I'd clean it myself if they weren't providing cleaners, they moved us to another room. It didn't have the balcony I'd booked, but at least it smelled less bad, so I accepted it. The next morning I found the shower had barely any water pressure. It was also very hot when I first arrived, and there was no air conditioning. I was glad the weather got better later. All in all, I'll probably skip this place if I visit Paris again.

Around midnight, I was handed keys to a room that already had someone in it. The woman was asleep and woke up terrified, which made for a horrible experience for both of us. It felt extremely unpleasant and even dangerous, and I don't think staff gave the situation proper attention. They simply moved me to another room and acted like nothing had happened. The room walls were paper thin, too. I could hear everything going on around me.

The staff were friendly, but we checked out the next day and booked somewhere with more space. There were five of us in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit. The second bedroom was so small I could barely get around the other side of the bed, and there was nowhere for our small carry-on suitcase. There were no cooking utensils, the furniture needs upgrading, and we found a dirty blue towel in the shower. Staff entered our room without our knowledge or consent. The area didn't feel good, with lots of old buildings needing renovation and homeless people camping on the sidewalks. I wouldn't recommend this place or stay here again. It wasn't worth what I paid.

The location is terrific, close to Gare DeLyon, Metro stops, buses and plenty of restaurants within walking distance. The hotel itself was a disappointment, though. Some front desk staff had attitude problems, and the rooms, kitchen and bathroom felt old. The toilet is separate from the bathroom and right by the kitchen, with no heater in either space. The bathtub is high and dangerous to climb in and out of, and there's no shower curtain or full closing glass door. Shower pressure was low, and there weren't enough towels or washcloths. You have to return a used towel to get a fresh one, and there's no daily housekeeping. Extra “essentials” or housekeeping cost another €25-35. The kitchen is outdated and has very few utensils. The room feels unwelcoming and barely heated. There's no summer AC, just a small tabletop fan. Thin walls let you hear the neighbors. The bed is super hard and has a plastic mattress cover, making it extremely difficult to sleep. The TV has no English channels and isn't smart, so there's no Netflix, Prime, Hulu or YouTube. WiFi worked okay when it stayed connected. It's bare bones across the board. Payment was nonrefundable when I booked. If I could've got my money back, I would've left for somewhere else. The website photos are very deceiving, and the place needs an overhaul.