Hotel Libertel Gare de l'Est Francais

The receptionist on the night shift during our check-in on May 15 made a very bad first impression. After a long journey, my friend and I were tired and carrying heavy bags in the dark. We asked politely where the elevator was, but instead of answering, he twice told us, “You’ll find it yourself.” We had to search for it on our own. I can’t understand why someone at reception would be rude and dismissive about such a basic question. While we waited for the elevator, he came over and said he’d stayed at a 3-star hotel in my country years ago and nobody helped him either. That had nothing to do with us. A bad experience from the past doesn’t make it okay to treat guests poorly, and it was an inappropriate thing for someone in hospitality to say. At check-in we asked to pay the city tax in cash. He sounded annoyed and said, “No, it’s difficult. Pay by card.” We thought he might not have change, so we got the exact amount ready, but he still refused and said, “Card only.” So does the hotel not accept cash, or was it just too difficult for him? He also kept making irritated faces at us. Reception staff represent the hotel. Basic politeness and customer service should be the minimum. We paid to stay there, we weren’t asking for a free stay.

It was easy to get around thanks to the metro being nearby, though most Paris sights still took 20-30 minutes to reach by transit. The staff were polite enough, but I barely interacted with them beyond check-in. The room was on the first floor, with a window facing the street. Every 20 minutes the metro rumbled by; otherwise there were sirens or arguments outside. I could also hear pipes in the walls whenever someone upstairs flushed. The floors didn’t look vacuumed, and I found pills right by the bed skirt. The room seemed newly remodeled and fairly modern, but the bathroom ceiling looked like mildew or mold was starting to grow. The heater didn’t work either. It was a winter trip, with temperatures around 25F-34F outside, and the room got cold.

The location is the main upside: Gare du Est is right beside the hotel, and the metro/underground gets you to the nearest tourist spot in 10-15 minutes. There are lots of food options nearby, and the building has an elevator. The rooms are quite spacious for a French hotel and the beds are comfortable. The downside is the local trains. You can hear them until midnight, so if you’re a light sleeper, good luck. Still, it’s a great hotel and I’d definitely use it again.

It’s clean and costs less than nearby hotels, but the room is only 11 square meters, which is tiny, as expected. The bathroom is even more cramped, with barely enough space to use the toilet. Breakfast is simple with little variety, though it’s a good price at 14 EUR. It’ll do if you just want to fill your stomach. The part I liked least was the building shaking from the underground trains.