Le Descartes

The rooms are small but decent, and nice enough. The shower doesn’t keep the water contained, so anyone standing at the sink will end up with wet feet. The AC wasn’t working. There’s an interesting garage elevator, but to get to it you have to go the wrong way down the street. More confusing than the usual France. It’s a budget hotel in a decent spot for walking, and not far from the train.

The staff were incredibly kind and helpful, the rooms were clean, and breakfast was awesome. Still, it was disappointing to find so many things out of order when we arrived: the car park, spa, steam room, fitness equipment and shower head. Good hotel overall, but it felt like everything was broken.

Friendly service and a good breakfast, with the train station within walking distance. The bathroom has no hooks for clothes or towels, there’s no extra lock on the door, and no complimentary bottled water. Fine for an overnight stay.

Reception mistakenly sent other guests into my room while I was already there. The door doesn’t have a mechanical lock, so there’s no way to stop people from entering. That invasion of privacy felt serious. I might have been asleep, in the shower or on the toilet, and that would have been terrible. If I’d been out, they could have taken my backpack, computer, wallet or documents. The receptionist offered me a glass of champagne for the mistake and the discomfort it caused. The error itself seems quite serious to me, while the response from reception felt quite unserious.