Valmy - 3874 - Paris - HLD 46042

It’s a great affordable option for a long weekend, and I’d stay again. The room was clean and pleasant. We were on the first floor and heard very little street noise unless the window was open. The bathroom was clean too, and the shower had strong pressure and drained well. Reception staff were helpful. We skipped breakfast, but did miss having tea and coffee facilities in the room. The location is great, with lots of places to eat nearby and the main stations close by. There’s a good bakery and bistro about a two minute walk away.

The location works well for a budget stay. Gare de l'Est is six minutes away on foot, Gare De Nord about fifteen, and there are plenty of restaurants nearby. Skip the shops inside the stations and try local grocery stores outside instead. The rooms need a lot of improvement. The hallways are dark, and there’s no cup, glass, or kettle, so no tea or coffee in the room. The small fridge barely works, lighting is weak, and the old-style heater needs replacing. Breakfast is very basic, just a few croissants, bread, baguette, fruit, orange juice, and coffee. Service was actually not bad, and they can store your luggage, but there’s no check-in before 3pm. City tax is £5.50 per person per night. It’s okay for a budget, but not Eurostar standards. It feels very old-fashioned, like the 80s, not modern.

The room was clean and the location is decent, about a ten minute walk from the train station and a thirty minute walk to Notre Dame. The hotel is adequate if you’re on a budget, and I got the deal I was looking for. But the toilet and shower waste pipes run from top to bottom, so you hear whenever anyone uses the toilet. If I came back to Paris, I’d look for another hotel.

It was okay for us, but I wouldn’t stay again. The hotel is basic and nondescript, though the staff were friendly and accommodating. The rooms and hotel looked clean, but halfway through our stay the housekeeper found socks under the beds that weren’t ours, so I wondered if cleaning between guests was only superficial. The room had no safe or drawers, and the lighting was better in the bathroom than in the bedroom. We’d read earlier reports about bedbugs, but thankfully didn’t find any. The rooms weren’t very soundproof: I couldn’t hear people, but could hear pipes and doors. It was freezing in Paris, so we were grateful the room was warm.