Hotel Des Buttes Chaumont

The staff really made the difference here. They speak English, and when a flight problem meant I arrived a day early, I could book an extra night at the same price. The receptionist was also understanding and patient when we ran into a very strange issue that wasn’t the hotel’s fault. He did his best to help us work out a solution. The hotel’s a great deal for the price, but it won’t suit everyone. The room was small, with an odd layout, though it had what I needed and caused no problems. It was clean and functional, and I didn’t notice maintenance issues. WiFi was okay, not fast, but it worked. There’s a major street nearby, so noise could bother you. I had no issue, but earplugs might help. The stairs are tough, especially for rooms near the top. For metro users, the location is excellent. The station is across the street, and you can get anywhere in Paris. I’d recommend it, unless stairs or city noise are a problem for you. A quieter hotel with fewer stairs would cost a lot more.

Our room was cleaned every day and the sheets were changed. There are narrow corridors, stairs, and an elevator, and all the basics are close by: McDonald’s, Subway, Carrefour, and more, just a minute’s walk. We stayed four nights. The room was small and not very quiet, with the street and Jaures station on metro line 2 only two minutes away. Stalingrad station on line 7 is a ten-minute walk. I also had to pay €26 in city tax, even though it had been included in the price I paid when booking on Booking.com.

It’s convenient for the train station, and the receptionist was kind and very helpful. We skipped breakfast since McDonald’s was ten steps away. Be ready for stairs: we carried our suitcase up to the first floor, where reception and a very small lift are. It only fits two medium-sized people and one person. There’s no minibar or AC, and it’s noisy.

When I stayed at the Buttes Chaumont two years earlier, the service was very good. The staff were friendly and helpful, and they even let us leave our suitcases at reception after checkout since our train wasn’t leaving until evening. I came back from Paris in 2013 after staying at the same hotel the last week of July, and found the management had changed and the service had gone downhill. Apart from the housekeeper, the receptionists always seemed unhappy. It was noisy, and the room doors only closed if you slammed them. Between the constant slamming and just one small towel each in the bathroom, we didn’t rest properly. At the end, we asked to leave our bags for the afternoon and were told, “yes, no problem.” But another receptionist then tried hard to charge us 10 Euros, saying “There is a crisis” and “Nobody does anything for free.” It felt very rude. We don’t recommend the hotel anymore.