Hotel Mercure Paris Gare Du Nord La Fayette

This was adequate for a tourist spending most of the day out, though I wouldn't rate it as a four-star hotel by whatever standards were used. It's a plain hotel in a good spot, about a 10-minute walk from Gare du Nord and Gare d'Est. The staff were friendly and accommodating: after I asked to change rooms, they upgraded me, and both check-in and checkout were straightforward. My room and bathroom were clean, with a balcony for city views, and the room was soundproof, which helped with Paris street noise. The elevator is compact, probably enough for one or two people with luggage. The reception looked dated and smelled stale, so an upgrade might help. Breakfast costs extra.

My only real reservation was the neighborhood. The hotel sits between two busy train stations, so there are naturally some homeless people and shady characters around. There aren't many inviting parks or cafés nearby, though a short Metro ride takes you into the heart of tourist Paris. Inside, the rooms were clean and recently renovated, and modern windows and doors kept outside noise out completely. The staff and the hotel itself were wonderful.

For one night, this place had everything we needed. It's a small hotel, but well located for both Gare du Nord and Gare Est. The room was quiet and nice, with a good shower, and breakfast was good. The staff were helpful too. A very good stay.

I was disgusted by how I was treated. I booked two nights in May back in November and arrived around 1pm, but was told the room wasn't ready. That was fine, since I had plans, and I was told it'd be ready later. After a day of sightseeing, I came back around 10pm and was told there was no room. They eventually sent me to another hotel, but that one had no room either and could only call the original hotel. I had to walk back alone around midnight, feeling unsafe on the streets. The person there seemed not to care when I asked where I was supposed to sleep, replying, “I don't know.” Eventually I was told they'd found somewhere, and I got there to check in at 1:30am.