Villa Pantheon

Paris itself was amazing, but I won’t return to this hotel or recommend it. I expected much more for the price and a four-star rating. The outside looked like the Ritz, while the inside felt like a Holiday Inn. The room stayed extremely hot because the AC didn’t work, and the street outside was loud at all hours. The beds were the hardest I’ve ever slept on, so I barely slept and couldn’t enjoy the holiday. There were only three pillows for two people. In January, hundreds of tiny orange fruit flies were in the lifts and around the basement breakfast bar, landing on uncovered food. We went to breakfast once in our six mornings, on the first morning, and nobody greeted us. The TV had only two English channels, with cabling exposed at the back. The shower pressure was weak, and the bathtub was scratched.

I’ve stayed a few nights, and this is still one of my favourite hotels in Paris. The breakfast is really nice, the rooms are very clean and have baths, which I love, and the staff are beautiful. There’s a pool table and good bar, art all over the walls, and pool and music in reception. I like keeping my room orderly, so I cleaned it myself and left gifts for the hard-working cleaners. But one night staff member made me feel unsafe. They were threatening and very arrogant, and seemed scared of women or perhaps resentful. They played guitar at night and tried to lure women in. They were good at guitar, but that doesn’t excuse how they treated me. I was travelling alone with a lot of luggage, and they refused to help, then laughed as I struggled with my suitcases. I got stuck in the revolving doors. They also threatened to call the Police because I had many bags and called me mad. I was fine, just rushing to the airport. I’ve travelled a long time and had collected gifts for my children in London. That isn’t a crime. I stay in hotels for safety, and baggage can make you vulnerable. One staff member can spoil a hotel. Management should address this. Good staff care for customers and help them. Customer service needs empathy and care. I hope this gets addressed. This is one of my favourite Paris hotels. Bisois x

The water in our room only got a little warmer than lukewarm, so after a long day exploring Paris, a hot shower wasn’t possible. The soaps and shampoos were watered down too. We’d been told at check-in that our room was very quiet, but every day at 8am we heard saws and construction in the next room, and nobody had warned us. On our last night, we asked reception to open a bottle of wine. When a staff member picked up the cork, a swarm of fruit flies rose from the bar. All in all, it was disappointing. There are plenty of hotels in the same area for the same price that would be a better choice.

We had a wonderful stay. The staff were very friendly, and the location is perfect. The hotel is a bit dated but still comfortable. Street-facing rooms can get noisy, though not as bad as places around Saint Germain.