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Has anyone stayed at the Paris-Hotel-Londres-Eiffel hotel?

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Has anyone stayed at the Paris-Hotel-Londres-Eiffel hotel?

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Old May 20th, 2004, 11:11 AM
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Has anyone stayed at the Paris-Hotel-Londres-Eiffel hotel?

Has anyone stayed at the paris-hotel-londres-eiffel hotel? If so, what was your experience/impressions of the hotel? Thanks.
nadiafrance is offline  
Old Jul 30th, 2005, 11:20 AM
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This is a very old post, so I doubt my reply will help Original poster, but for anyone else who finds this by searching using the name of the hotel, I've decided to reply.

I returned from a 2 week stay there July 3-17, 2005
I booked there because our Rick Steves tour used that hotel. Instead of looking for other hotels, I just extended our stay another week. Bad idea. Rick Steves' 2005 Paris guidebook (p.340) calls it "immaculate". It is not. The room we stayed in, #41, had not been dusted or vacuumed for a long time. The dust buildup on the baseboards behind the doors seemed as much as I would get in a forgetten corner of my garage,certainly weeks old. I'm guessing that the maid never looked there because the door would be propped open while she was inside. The rugs were filthy and stained. There was mold in the grout, and on the shower curtain. There was a hole, about 5 in. by 5 in. behind the toilet apparently to allow access to the plumbing but the tile cover could not be made to stay put. The wall paper in the hall was tatered, then removed, exposing more mold.

I am allergic to mold, and dust. I did ask the maid, actually taking her to my room and demonstrating to her, but she never did anything. I did not report this to the owner because I was still intimidated by the less than helpful disdain when I asked to have the shower and mini 'fridge repaired.

The desk clerk and owner finally did fix the shower (we had to kneel down to shower, or use it as a hand held); the plastic screw was stripped so the had held could not be made to stay in it's highest position. And they fixed the mini fridge that was heating rather than cooling (I'm serious. The air conditioner kept things cooler!) after a couple of complaints but only because I finally told her that I was sorry to have to give a poor evaluation on my Rick Steves report. The owner enthusiastically showed me the newly renovated room andbath on the second floor. However, I'd have preferred some immediate attention to my comfort, not the preview of renovations. We were there paying for room #41, (not newly renovated room #25) at 143 Euros a night. I can only think she hoped I'd not report my discomfort.

The other annoyance was a policy that stated "no food or alcohol is to be consumed in the rooms." Tis is not mention by Steves, nor published in any printed way by the hotel. It was explained by our tour guide as necessary because spileed red wine stains the rugs. Since I don't drink red wine (migraine), I paid no more attention. After all the mini fridge was stocked with the usual drinks. We were invited to eat our picnics in the breakfast lounge. With Rick Steves tours leaving from there, that lounge was far too busy to use. Besides, why would anyone be expected to either dress or wander in a hotel in their nightclothes for a bedtime snack, or for breakfast? We were loudly and publicly reminded of the policy, on the Monday after our tour was over, when she saw us carrying bananas, cheese, and yoghurt etc to our rooms. Her explanation was that "vermin" were attracted to rooms where food was consumed. We then obeyed the spirit of the rule, storing all foodstuffs in the (now new) mini fridge, using our towels as huge 'bibs' to catch any possible crumbs (though if they'd vacuum ... ) which we shook out the window and by carrying all wrappings and banana peels out of the room.

The hotel offered a decent breakfast but at 13 Euros per person a day, it was much too expensive. Given that Steves' philosophy is to shop in local markets and to eat picnics, we were mystified by this policy. I did ask at other hotels in the area and in the Marais. One other hotel posted the same policy. However, I found 4 more at the same price that could not understand my question , "Are we allowed to eat in our room?" The desk clerks explained in extreme politeness that "Madame could eat in her room, of course." They seemed to think I was slight daft! Without enough French I hated to take their time to try to explain why I was asking such a question.
So anyone going to Hotel Londres Eiffel may get a newly renovated room, especially if they book on a lower floor.
Has anyone else experienced this "food policy" in Paris or any other place?
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Old Jul 30th, 2005, 02:09 PM
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So sorry to hear about your awful stay. Rick Steves obviously does not review his recommendations.
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Old Jul 30th, 2005, 06:21 PM
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Thanks for the kind words, Francopile03.

I did post an evaluation, and a separate email to Steves' company, but so far all I've had in reply was the standard formula, "Thanks for the information." Steves is in Paris this week, but with all that's been going on in London, I'm not surprised that he hasn't replied. The hotel has deteriorated obviously since it was last inspected. The 2005 guidebook is not accurate any more. But I'm already booked for another tour with ETBD company.

As I said, the hotel was a disappointment and annoying. But despite that we actually we had a lovely time. The tour was excellent. We met some lovely people taking the tour. And the locals were so helpful that we began hiding our map! Well, maybe it wasn't the map. I had my lovely young daughter with me.
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Old Jul 30th, 2005, 07:32 PM
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I hope your next hotel will make up for this disaster. Your hotel can really make your trip a sad one if it's not good.
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Old Jul 30th, 2005, 07:40 PM
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I have taken a look at a few Steves recommended hotels and, frankly, I would not stay in any place on his books' recommendations. And the worst meal I ever had in Paris was a Steves' rec. Some of his museum and sight seeing tips are good, but food and lodgings aren't his strong points, IMO.

Also, I believe you said the room was 143 Euros plus 13 Euros for breakfast. 156 Euros for a crummy room and breakfast! Next time, look for a room in Paris on this forum: it is loaded with good recommendations at better prices.

I was in a room at the Poseidon Hotel in Positano, Italy that asked that food from outside the hotel not be brought into the hotel rooms.
tuscanlifeedit is offline  
Old Jul 30th, 2005, 07:42 PM
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(accidentally hit the post button before finishing the above)

Everyone I spoke at the hotel seemed to resent this. I know I just ignored it, and ate and drank what I wanted to in the room. However, this is different than no eating or drinking in the room... that seems crazy. So many hotels will offer breakfast in the room, especially in Paris.
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Old Jul 30th, 2005, 07:48 PM
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I feel that is the case with R. Steves's recommendations too. Not all are winners if you read comments on tripadvisor.com. Even he recommends hotels that he konws are not that nice such as Hotel du Cadran which he describes as having a 'shiny lobby but no charm and tight, narrow pricey rooms'.
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Old Jul 31st, 2005, 05:15 AM
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Tuscanlifeedit,
I did wonder if they were cross because we weren't eating their pricy breakfasts.

But, the filthy room condition as as inesplicable. I just kept expecting cleaner. My daughter wondered if they just didn't have a decent vacumm. But, mold? That can be cleaned with regular bleach and a scrub brush!
No, they must have had new owners since Steves first evaluated the room.

Now I'm leery of the two hotels I;ll be in next:
Hotel Belle Arti in Venice and Hotel Accademia in Florence in October.
everittp is offline  
Old Jul 31st, 2005, 12:20 PM
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ttt
everittp is offline  
Old Aug 27th, 2005, 12:24 AM
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Hotel de londres Eiffel paris

To answer Ms Everitt e-mail, I’m very shocked by the way this lady is describing our hotel.
I do agree that we had to sort out some problems in her room but as soon as we’ve been aware of those problems we took care of them:
Shower holder broken
Trapp to access the pipes under the shower in bad condition

Some of the wall paper in the corridor had to be taken out because of a leek and couldn’t be replaced before the wall would dry.
About the vacuum cleaner in the rooms the cleaning ladies are using it very carefully every day.

Now I would like to answer to some lies that I read in this message:

For the mini bar, this lady says that it didn’t work, we went to check and found it unplugged. We plugged it back and tested it. It worked perfectly. In case this lady wouldn’t know that: to create cold you need a resistance creating heat around the appliance itself.

This lady says that I showed her the new bathroom to avoid a report from her after those troubles. How mean!! I just did that to explain that we were in the process to redo all our rooms and bathrooms. And if I had any of the new remade rooms available for her I would have moved her to one of them.

About the breakfast, it’s not 13 but 12€ and I checked on her bill and realised that we didn’t charged her for any breakfast!!!

For the food in the room it is correct that we ask our customers not to store food in the rooms (like most of our colleagues around) for obvious hygienic reasons. What Ms Everitt forgot to mention is that we offer our clients who want it to store food in our fridge in the kitchen. And I never mentioned anything about alcohol, it’s an absolute lie, lot of our clients borrow cork screws, glasses or ice cubes from us. She also forgot to write that we offered her the use of the breakfast room whenever she wanted with plates, napkins and knives and forks from our kitchen…


I want to finish with a simple question: If this hotel is that bad, why did she stay 9 more nights after the end of her organised tour?

Now I’d like you to read the note that Ms Everitt left handwritten on one of her professional card/
« thank you for your prompt attention to the shower and also the mini bar is most appreciated. I apologize for not being more prompt in bringing these matters to your attention »


I can scan it and send to anybody interested!!

Now I thing that that type of person being so derogative and mean shouldn’t see the net as a way to pass their bad moods.

Nobody is perfect, my staff and myself have been trying for the last 7 years to give some character to our hotel, most of our clientele is happy with that. I just hope that those who will read this message will understand how we are moved by that kind of lies and meanness.

Thanks for your understanding.

Madame Prigent Isabelle (the manager)

londreseiffel is offline  
Old Aug 29th, 2005, 02:10 AM
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londreseiffel: nadiafrance said "The hotel offered a decent breakfast but at 13 Euros per person a day, it was much too expensive." Sounds like she didn't order it, which was why you didn't charge her for it!

It was inappropriate of you to use her surname here on this forum.
Margie is offline  
Old Aug 29th, 2005, 02:12 AM
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<It was inappropriate of you to use her surname here on this forum> MY MISTAKE! I didn't realize that nadiafrance posted before everitt.

My comment about breakfst still stands.
Margie is offline  
Old Aug 29th, 2005, 05:52 AM
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To londreseiffel: 12 or 13 E is still too much for breakfast no matter how you look at it. As a traveler, I feel if the room wasn't in perfect condition, you shouldn't have put a paying guest in it. If you are renovating, that's your problem. We are paying for a good room.
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Old Aug 29th, 2005, 06:06 AM
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To me the breakfast charge is typical for Paris nowadays. The renovated rooms may have been offered to individuals instead of to tour bus clients. However, the guest decided to stay there after her tour so it would have been a nice gesture to have been offered a newly renovated room instead. Yet that was not possible as the owner claims there were none available. But it is unfortunate the same rate is charged for an unrenovated room yet I don't think anything else could have been done differently.
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Old Aug 29th, 2005, 07:35 AM
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We stayed in a lovely hotel in Paris recently and the breakfast was offered at 7 Euro. Not 12E.
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Old Aug 29th, 2005, 07:44 AM
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I think I looked at about 100 hotels over the last few days, trying to book something ~100 euro per night, and most of the ones I saw charged 10E.
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Old Aug 29th, 2005, 08:19 AM
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It depends also on the hotel category, location, and the type of breakfast they offer. I have stayed at Hotel Verneuil in St. Germain where they offer a continental buffet breakfast for 12 euro. The Hotel de Lutece on Ile St. Louis charges 11 euro for a continental breakfast. But St. Christophe in the Latin Qtr. charges only 8 euro. So there is no one set price. The Londres Eiffel breakfast cost is typical to me.
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Old Aug 29th, 2005, 08:51 AM
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I would be more concerned about the idea that the room was dirty than worrying about the cost of breakfast. If I read it correctly, it doesn't sound like everittp took breakfast, even though the owner makes it a point to say she wasn't charged for it.

If breakfast is too expensive at the hotel you simply go to a cafe. If the room is dirty and moldy you have another problem which is more time consuming and more expensive to solve.

Everittp, are you entering a report on tripadvisor?
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Old Aug 29th, 2005, 08:58 AM
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I would like to know what is the issue about the breakfast charge. It's optional and the hotel is not overcharging as the cost is typical. Sure you can find hotels charging more or less than the 12 euro, but the cost is not unusual at all.
francophile03 is offline  


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