Hôtel Le Chat Noir

I’m fine with the neighborhood and with paying 300 euros a night. What bothered me was having to ring the buzzer and wait for the front desk to let me into the hotel. My keycard doesn’t open the front door, though I do have to swipe it in the elevator to make the buttons work. I wondered if I’d missed a reader somewhere, but there isn’t one. When I asked about it, the front desk got very defensive. I made clear I wasn’t complaining about the wait, even though it took a few minutes. I just couldn’t see the point of the setup. I asked them to have the manager call me to explain why there couldn’t be a card reader at the entrance like there is in the elevator. I understand the staff didn’t make the decision, but nobody ever called back. Having to beg to get into a room that costs 300 euros feels humiliating. Unless that’s something you enjoy, there are much better hotels.

The hotel is close to the metro and breakfast was good, but my stay was badly affected by two issues. My room was extremely small, and although the location is convenient for public transport, the streets around the hotel are lined with sex shops and casinos. That felt like a very difficult environment for families. One night I called reception from my room for some basic information. A man named Mohamed answered, “Ne me casse pas la tête,” meaning “don’t bother me.” I was shocked by that response. I tried several times to reach his manager and reported the complaint to reception more than three times, but got no response. I can’t imagine that kind of attitude at a respectable hotel.

My room smelled of sewage, and the corridors were noisy with the red-light nightlife. The entrance was dark, and the area felt very seedy. I wouldn’t recommend staying here with children or if you’re a woman traveling alone. There are much better places elsewhere.

We had a great stay. The view of the Eiffel Tower from our room was stunning, especially at night when it was lit up. The hotel is also perfectly placed near the Metro, so getting around Paris was easy, and there are good restaurants nearby. Our room was clean, the shower was fantastic, and the in-house cleaners did a very good job. We appreciated the secure entrance and the very polite reception staff. We’ll definitely be back.