Hotel Murat

For the price, it was decent. There's a TV and air conditioning, and breakfast is croissants with jam, meat, and cheese. The coffee is fairly strong. I didn't like being required to leave my key behind when going out, since I didn't feel secure leaving valuables at the hotel. The bus stop opposite gets you quickly to most main attractions without a transfer.

The room was a good size by Paris standards, and the place was very clean. The location was great, with a nearby metro, shops, and good restaurants. The one small elevator can mean taking turns with suitcases, or using the stairs for a leg workout. My only complaint was that the cups I needed weren't replenished in the room each day.

Thin walls mean you hear everything. Bread baking for continental breakfast starts to smell around 4 am, and on the second-to-last night a neighbour who'd had enough of all-night cigarette smoking yelled into the hall at 2 am. It was really startling. Staff do nothing about the smoke, which makes the place dangerous for me as an asthmatic. The elevator limit is 150kg or 330lbs, so be ready to take the stairs, especially from the seventh floor. The cleaning staff are very nice and should be at the front desk instead. The hotel is conveniently beside the metro, bus, and taxi area. If affordability is what you're after, this could suit you.

I'd call it two and a half stars, but couldn't bring myself to give it three. The sheets were clean, and the staff were friendly enough, though there wasn't much warmth or welcome. The elevator is amusingly tiny: two people can squeeze in, but not with their luggage. Our room and bathroom were both small, and the bathroom felt like student accommodation. The carpet on our floor was awful and needs replacing. Breakfast was minimal, just one croissant on a plate and then a few small leftover choices to pick through. I'd eat elsewhere. I don't have any other real complaints; it's okay if, like us, you spend little time in the room. The train station is a good two or three minutes away. Paris trains are okay, but after 11 pm they can take forever.