Pax Hotel

The room was clean, but the hotel was so old that it still didn’t feel clean. The toilet was disgusting, with mold, rust, and a bad smell. Only one power socket in our room worked. There are five floors and no lift, and the neighborhood wasn’t the nicest. Luckily the outside temperature was moderate, because there didn’t seem to be any heating. The room interior got us out early and back late, leaving us more time to enjoy Paris. But for what we paid, I felt like I should have been paid to sleep there. The pictures are far from reality.

The staff were nice, the vending machine was cheap, and the hotel is about a seven-minute walk from the station where the Paris Orly trains run. Our first room had a broken lock, so they moved us to a larger room with a balcony, but even that felt disappointing in size. The beds were worn and sagged in the middle, which wasn’t great for sharing, and everything smelled old and musty. It was very basic. I stayed for the duration, but I wouldn’t stay again.

The location was great, a five to ten minute walk behind Montmartre, by two metro lines and lots of inexpensive ethnic restaurants, cute bars, and tasty boulangeries. The area might feel a little dodgy after dark, though, so a woman returning alone at night may want to consider a taxi or Uber. Paris is expensive, and our private room with a bathroom cost less than a hostel dorm bed. The reception woman was fantastic, spoke several languages, and was kind, helpful, and always smiling. The other employees were like that too, which matters for hospitality. My sister had stomach cramps, and after checkout they let us stay all afternoon, made her tea, and gave us a bottle of water. They also stored our luggage for free. Our twin room was small, on the fourth floor with no elevator, and not the cleanest, but it was quiet and the beds were comfortable. We had a pleasant stay, and I’d recommend it to budget travelers who want to enjoy Paris.

Mice were in our room, and also in the other room the night concierge moved me to temporarily, even though it was unclean. He said he’d give me a better room the next day. On Monday, my first night, one ran over my head. A night later, two ran across the bed and woke my friend and me at 3:45 a.m. We couldn’t take being in the room anymore, so we left and waited three hours in the lobby until it was light enough to go. The concierge never asked whether something was wrong or why we weren’t in our room, even as we clearly left for another hotel in Montmartre. The rooms had mouse droppings and belongings left by previous guests. The staff seemed not to care about the cleanliness of the hotel or serious health and safety issues, and they have refused to refund us. Reviews posted this week suggest other guests had the same problem and were treated with the same indifference. The photos are deceptive, rooms are dirty and in disrepair, and guests are left sharing space with vermin. For your health and safety, don’t stay here. You could be as unlucky as us and get no refund.