Mercure Paris 19 Philharmonie La Villette

The location worked well for the exhibition grounds, an easy 20-minute walk away, and the M5 station is almost at the door. Getting to the city centre, including the Eiffel Tower, took about an hour with a transfer. Breakfast was tasty, with a standard selection, and the service was excellent. There's a luggage safe, but it costs extra. The room was decent, though the carpet needed a proper cleaning and there was a small scratch on the door.

I can't recommend this hotel after what happened. The day before we arrived, I searched specifically for a room with secure parking because I was worried about my car. It has Danish plates, and we know cars with foreign plates often have their windows smashed in Paris. When booking, I clearly said we'd pay cash and arrive around 2-3 AM. After 12 hours on the road, we got there at 2 AM exhausted, expecting to check in and sleep. A manager who introduced himself as Sebastian came out. I asked where to park, and he told me to pay first. We paid for the hotel, and only then did he tell us there were no parking spaces. I was shocked, since parking was the main reason I'd chosen the hotel. He told me to find somewhere else, but how could we do that at 2 AM? It was our first time in Paris, and I explained we didn't know how things worked there. He pointed across the street, saying there “should be” parking, but it was closed when I checked. When I came back, he said we could leave the car on the street at our own risk. I repeated that we had picked this hotel for its parking and didn't need one without it. I asked why he hadn't told us there were no spaces before taking our money, or reserved one for us. When I asked for a refund, he returned only half the amount. That's the short version of this unpleasant experience with Sebastian and the hotel.

This is no four-star hotel. The door system was faulty, and I got locked out of my room every day I stayed. The breakfast buffet was terrible, and don't get me started on the location. I hope this isn't too harsh, but the hotel needs to be demolished. Whoever runs it is doing a terrible job.

An absolute nightmare. My company unfortunately Nona this place regularly, and there's always some problem. One colleague got bed bugs, my room smelled strongly of tobacco, and the beds were uncomfortable. The staff weren't helpful. Avoid it if you can.