ibis Paris Nord Porte de Saint Ouen

Very basic. The rooms are clean, but the whole hotel constantly smells of bleach. There isn't even complimentary bottled water in the room. The key cards kept malfunctioning, and I had to replace mine three times during a two-night stay.

I spent four nights here and found it comfortable and dependable. Getting around was easy: about a ten-minute walk to Saint-Ouen metro and seven minutes to the tram, with bus stops easy to reach too. My one letdown was the room had no kettle or coffee. If you want caffeine first thing, you'll have to go down to the lobby.

The location has plenty nearby, including Subway and Lidl, but there were several things that made the stay uncomfortable. Room service threw away my child's sandals from under the table, and also tossed a clear zipped bag of creams for my seven-year-old's skin condition. I'd put the creams on the little bathroom bin because there was hardly anywhere else to put them. I asked reception, but they couldn't help. There's a bathtub, but no plug was provided, so you can't really use it for a bath. The sheets were clean and changed daily, at least. I hadn't made the booking and didn't know what to expect. It was meant to be cheap, and that part was true. The area felt scary at first, especially coming from M13 Saint Ouen under the bridge. The building looked shabby inside and out: dirty walls, scratched paint in the rooms, and a hole in the hallway. There was a bucket at reception catching water from the air conditioning, or maybe something else. Construction was supposedly scheduled from 8:30 to 16:30. Reviews had mentioned the same work five months earlier, so it may be worth calling to check whether it's finished. People also said the heating and air conditioning didn't work, and they were right. The first three days were hot, and opening the window didn't help. Then it got colder, around 12-7°C, and the room felt too cold. One room had an electric heater, but it wasn't comfortable. You hear everything through the very thin walls, especially the construction from 8:30, so it only works as a place to sleep if the people around you are quiet. Getting into the room was annoying too: I had to reset the key card at least once every day. The lift was rough and had trouble closing its doors, so I'd take a room on the first floor.

The reception team and kitchen staff were all very good and helpful. I stayed at Ibis saint ouen from 5-12 October, and it was a really good experience. Thanks to everyone for making my first trip to Paris comfortable and memorable.