Hotel Le Senat

A clean, quaint, cute place, and well located near the Senate building, which fits the hotel’s name. The rooms are small, as you’d expect in Paris, but perfectly serviceable. They provide L’occitane toiletries, though not in travel-size takeaways. I hope to stay here again on my next visit.

The only thing that bothered us overnight was the polyester pillows, which made our heads hot. Otherwise, the room was clean and tidy, and the staff were welcoming when we arrived and left, even after our key card failed. We had one double bed and a pull-out double mattress, with my wife and me in one and our grandson, nearly 15, in the other. Breakfast was very good value, though I’m not sure anyone would enjoy the red and green pepper cake. The location is excellent: a two-minute walk from Luxembourg Gardens and a ten-minute walk to the Louvre along the lovely rue de seine. We also went window shopping for a flat listed at 3.5 million euros, leasehold at 40,000 per year. We’ll definitely return.

The location was great and felt very safe, even when I was walking around at night. The staff were really good, and I appreciated the little birthday gift. The L’Occitane handwash and other amenities were a nice touch, though there was no hand cream in the washroom. There was also no iron or tea in the room. It’s an older hotel, and while they’ve done a decent job updating it, it’s still quirky and carpeted. The frosted-glass washroom door faces a full-length mirror, so you can see someone’s reflection when they go in. I found that really uncomfortable. You don’t spend much time in the room while exploring the city, so the quirks don’t get in the way too much. For Paris, the price-quality wasn’t bad, though I’m not sure I’d stay here next time.

We were very pleased with our honeymoon stay, especially the location, how clean everything was, and the staff. Vanessa at the front desk gave us world-class customer care. Fantastic hotel!