Hotel So Marais

We were left outside for a full hour in the evening with our sleeping child, then had to find somewhere else to stay at several times the cost of our booking. The hotel has refused to refund us, saying it wasn’t their fault. That’s dishonest and disgraceful service. We’d booked a week in advance and arrived to check in at 9:00 PM (21:00). We’d checked several booking sites, all showing check-in until 10:30 PM (22:30). But the main door was locked and reception was empty. No key code or late check-in instructions had been sent, and repeated calls to the hotel number went unanswered. No one told us the check-in time had changed or that we wouldn’t be able to get into the building. This was the worst hotel experience I’ve ever had. If you care about reliability, communication, and basic decency, avoid this hotel.

I don’t know what the rooms are like, because I decided not to stay due to the lack of service and safety concerns. I’m asking for my $ back. The hotel doesn’t mention that there’s no elevator until after you choose a non-refundable rate. That’s a real problem for older people with heavy suitcases. There was also no one at reception to help or check me in. I waited outside a long time and rang the bell many times before a housekeeper let me in. She knew nothing about my reservation, so she had to call someone and put me on the line. They said I should have received an email with an entry code, but I had NOT.

The location is the main reason to choose this place. The rooms are nicely decorated, but smaller than they look in the photos, though about what you’d expect in Paris. The bathroom is nice. The hotel staff mentioned that the staircase is tiny, and it’s something to keep in mind if you have large luggage or trouble with stairs. There’s no air conditioning, which is a downside on hot summer days.

The area is great, and once we got inside, the room was clean and compact. The entry code email was confusing, though. The bedside light next to the shower gave me a real electric tingle, not static. It was hanging off the wall, and so was the other light. The window described as a ‘courtyard’ view actually opens onto an air shaft.