Grand Hotel Nouvel Opera

The room was filthy, with hair and thick dust everywhere, and we even saw cockroaches and rats. Breakfast was appalling, with barely any food and what was served was unappetizing. When we tried to check out, you refused to issue a refund. That was unreasonable and unfair. We expect this appalling experience to be remedied immediately.

The rooms were very small and far from exceptional, and you can find much better places to stay in Paris. What really made this a never-again experience was the service. We accidentally left a stuffed toy behind and arranged over the phone with reception for a friend, who lives on the opposite side of Paris, to pick it up. Then the staff acted as if they knew nothing about it. When we followed up by email, they insisted on a fixed date and time appointment to collect a stuffed toy, not a Rolex. We explained that we live abroad and would have difficulty coming back for it, but they rudely hung up on us.

The hotel was old and unrenovated, with poor communication, rude and untrained staff. The whole experience, from the room to management, was very negative. Paris was packed that week and we had no affordable option, so this was a last resort. At about $250 a night, it was wildly overpriced. I know Paris rooms are small, but the sink was barely palm-sized and brushing my teeth without spilling water was impossible. There were signs of mold and rust. There was no air conditioning. It was 35 degrees every day, and poor ventilation made the room hotter than outside. I couldn’t sleep with the street noise, but had to crack the window for air. Bugs came into the washroom through the open window. The staff were rude and unwelcoming both day and night, and it wasn’t a language barrier. We booked a room with two beds, but the night staff wouldn’t give us two keys and offered no explanation. My friend and I had separate plans, so I asked the morning staff for another key. He refused and demanded that we leave the key with him, saying this had been explained at check-in. We’d received no information about that. When I got back late alone, staff wouldn’t let me wait for my friend in the lobby and told me to go home. He only gave me a second key card after I said I’d wait beside him for my friend, who had the only key. The hotel is in Paris, but even the nearest metro is a 15-minute walk. A nearby supermarket was the only positive thing I can say. I’d never recommend this place.

I booked through agoda with breakfast and paid everything in advance, but at check-in they charged me 30€ in tourist tax and said there’d be no check-in otherwise and I could forget about my money. The booking didn’t mention any extra payment, and if it had, I’d never have booked this place. There was no cleanliness, no room service, and the receptionist was rude. Breakfast was cold, and yesterday’s fruit was moldy and rotten.