Hôtel Clairefontaine

We were a family of seven, staying eight days across three rooms. Check-in was easy, and the staff suggested some local places to visit. Our double room was a little small but comfortable, while the two triple rooms were quite spacious, nicely decorated, and had air conditioning and large windows for fresh air. The bathrooms were very clean, with good hot water and hair dryers. Benjamin, the manager, paid attention to all the little details. Reception always greeted us with a smile, whether it was morning or afternoon, and the cleaning staff worked quietly and took care of our rooms every day. Breakfast was fresh and plentiful, with baguettes from a local bakery, different coffees and teas, pastries, cold cuts, and fresh cheese. The hotel is in the Montparnasse district, on a quiet and pleasant street with lots of local markets nearby. I’d recommend it to anyone visiting Paris.

The patio is cluttered with bikes and construction materials, and the website photos don’t show the rooms or patio accurately. I seriously doubt any room is really the 16m² advertised on Booking.com. The hotel has no elevator, and getting up the steep stairs with two large suitcases and a small one was difficult. We booked two nights but left after the first, and the hotel refused a refund. The room was dark, cramped, cold, noisy, and smelled strongly of cigarette smoke from the patio. Rooms on the ground, first, and second floors open directly onto a narrow patio between tall buildings, so there’s barely any natural light. The reception room also felt gloomy and claustrophobic. At night I was freezing and kept being disturbed by noise and smoke. People using the patio to reach a nearby Airbnb building gathered there to smoke and chat. The room door had gaps and did little to keep out the cold, sounds, or smoke. I tried the heating, but there were no radiators, and the air conditioning was loud. The next morning reception offered to move us to a third-floor room, the only one with interior access. It felt even smaller.

From what I can tell, the hotel has changed a lot compared with reviews from two or more years ago. The rooms are great, very quiet, and have comfortable beds. The location is excellent too, fairly close to all the major attractions.

We had to rush our little boy to the hospital during a medical emergency, which was frightening and completely unexpected. I explained what had happened to Hôtel Clairefontaine, but they showed no empathy and refused a refund. They offered to rebook us, then closed the rebooking without ever confirming the new dates. I called several times trying to get help, but the staff were cold and unhelpful. As a foreign visitor, I’d expected basic consideration, and this was the worst service I’ve had in Paris. If you’re coming from abroad, especially with children, I wouldn’t book here. They were rigid and unsupportive even in an emergency. There are plenty of other places in Paris where guests are treated with more care.