Hotel Beaubourg in Paris?
 

Has anyone ever stayed at this hotel in Paris? If so, how was it and how was the location? We will be in Paris for 5 nights and I do not want to get stuck in a terrible place.

While you're waiting for a response, did you read the reviews on Tripadvisor.com?

Thanks for the TripAdvisor site. Most helpful.

I haven't stayed at the hotel and I see it gets generally good reviews on Trip Advisor but personally I wouldn't want that location - especially if I were going to be out late at night. The Pompidou Center-Les Halles area can be a bit creepy, at least for me (and I'm not generally a wuss about these things), after dark.

Creepy in what way?

StCirque, I'd like to hear more about this too. I was under the impression that the creepiness was the case, oh, say, 10 years ago or so, but it's not really creepy nowadays. I don't have much experience in the area; have walked about once or twice in the evenings there and didn't really notice anything one way or the other, but I'm no Paris expert so I appreciate any info.

Especially because I have an imagined quick trip to Paris bubbling away in my brain right now. ;)

Well, I really don't want to give the impression that you're going to encounter violence, because IMO Paris is a LOT safer than, say, the DC area where I'm from. That said, the Chatelet station always seems to have a lot of thuggy-looking teens and young men around it, and the past two years when I've been around the Pompidou center after dark it seemed there were a lot of roving groups of young men who didn't look too wholesome. Maybe it was just chance - I don't live there, so can only offer my impressions.

Thank you for clarifying, StCirq. I don't know Paris well enough to know which streets/blocks I like and which I don't. I know I generally like the Marais, but beyond that...

Guess I'll have to visit a few more times to scope things out. :)

Enjoy your trip, Marshamcc.

I'm with St Cirq on the Pompidou area--some unsavory types with whom I feel uneasy.

Robyn France

We stayed at the Beaubourg in 2000. The staff was friendly and the location was good. I did not feel at all unsafe. It is not what you would think of as Les Halles/Chatelet. It is on the edge of the Marais across the street from the back of the Pompidou on a small side street. My complaint was that I think we may have been given the worst room in the place. It was down a back hallway that seemed to be away from the other rooms and it was on a courtyard that was not particularly pretty. The room was tiny. The bathroom was even tinier and even though I am on the small side I just fit into the shower. The room was also on the cold side. We did not have a refrigerator as mentioned in some of the reviews. I should have asked for another room, but it was Christmastime and everything seemed very crowded and busy and frankly my language skills are limited and I felt (probably unnecessarily so)intimidated by the whole thing. The water was piping hot so after a day out in the cold I did squeeze into the shower to warm up. We got used to the room and as I said the location was convenient. The Rambuteau metro was right up the corner. However, after this stay we have always stayed in an apartment in Paris and I think part of that has to do with the tiny, cramped room at the Beaubourg.

Have a look at:

Hotel Jacques de Molay (3rd)
http://www.hotelmolay.com/
http://www.parisby.com/molay/pages/profile.htm
by Square du Temple - 151-176€ (breakfast included)