Hôtel Le Notre Dame Saint Michel

The bathroom setup really affected our stay. Our toilet had no door, and the chain lock on the main entrance door was broken. I don’t know whether every room is like that, but it was a real problem for us. You also have to leave your room key at reception whenever you go out. The location is convenient, with Metro and RER stations nearby, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Reception is up one flight of stairs from the ground floor, with no elevator to that level, which could be awkward with large bags or for anyone who needs step-free access. The room design and access may not work for every traveller.

Elora was a rock star when I urgently needed to book a room after leaving a bad hotel in Paris. She was kind and really accommodating. The older building has art-themed rooms with plenty of space, nice toiletries, and an updated bathroom that felt almost luxurious. From the windows you can see Notre Dame Cathedral across the street, less than a block away, and the quay is right outside. Restaurants and souvenir shops are close by too. I’d stay again.

The room decor was beautiful, and the view was magnificent. Those were the best parts of our stay. The man who checked us in seemed bothered by us, and we felt less welcome than on either of our previous two trips to Paris in the past five years. We also found it odd and frankly suspicious that we had to leave our room key at reception every time we went out, then collect it when we returned. Why did they need to know when we weren’t in the room? If you have mobility issues, note that reception is up a flight of stairs, and that’s where the lift is.

The hotel is about as central as you can get, so some noise is expected. The rooms and bathrooms are awkward and rather shabby, though clean, and everything is carpeted. The shower head had no hook, so you have to hold it. One morning there was no hot water, and the staff just shrugged. One evening the lock broke and they had to pretty much break us into our room. They fixed it the next day.