Hotel de Varenne - Paris

Old Aug 16th, 2005, 02:14 PM
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Hotel de Varenne - Paris

Can anyone offer any information or first-hand experiences with the Hotel de Varenne? The hotel was recommended to us, but I am wary. The web-site makes it seem too good to be true...Thanks!
Nervous Nelly
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Old Aug 16th, 2005, 03:36 PM
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Friends of our always stay at Hotel de Varenne and just rave and rave about the place.

There are lots and lots of recent reviews over on TripAdvisor.com
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Old Aug 16th, 2005, 05:52 PM
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Hi traveljan

We stayed there about a year ago and liked it very much. The desk staff were reserved and polite, but helpful. The inner courtyard is charming, especially if the weather is good. Breakfast is nice, but typical.

Our room was smallish but had enough room for us... the bathroom was huge. Rooms were clean, but furniture was not shiny new. Our room had a small fridge in it, which we made very good use of.

A large closet, dresser, night stands, small television. I think we had the only room with an Eiffel Tower view, which we loved. Bathroom was on the front of the hotel, and a little noisy in the morning; ear plugs would help if you are in the front.

Our room had a bath and not a shower. I negotiated for breakfast included, instead of extra, which they honored.

I would stay there again. We love the street, and stayed in another hotel on the same street.

If you have other questions, you can email me at [email protected]

Debbie
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 12:44 AM
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Hello!

I stayed in an hotel nearest to Invalides that was Hotel Saint Dominique, and this one is I can highly recommend it to you. It is a charmng 2 star hotel with a flourished little patio. Rooms are really clean and bathroom too.
It is one of my favorite in Paris. The 7th is really nice to stay, a lot of things at walking distance. There is also the famous Rue Clerc just near the Hotel, with its opened market.
http://www.saintdominique.com
Have a nice stay in Paris!
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 05:56 AM
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To be honest, Morganne, the poster has asked about Hotel de Varenne only. I'm sure Hotel St. Dominique (#522) is good but it doesn't rate very well on Trip Advisor as much as the Varenne (#8).
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 10:33 AM
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Thank you very much for the posts, they are helpful and reassuring!

Jan
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 02:56 PM
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After scouring this site, Trip Advisor and Venere, I too settled on the Varenne. BTW, I called the hotel and learned that all rooms now have shower curtains!! We will be in a standard double next April. It looks really nice, the reviews are consistently excellent, the location appears terrific, and the person I spoke with on the phone was very helpful. Let us know how it is!

Dave
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 02:59 PM
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Just another word about the street the hotel is on: we love it. There are wonderful food shops, bakeries, pastry and candy shops, green grocer, general grocer, and so much more. I had the best chicken sandwich of my life in a take out shop on this street. Wine, water, a cute cafe at the north end of the street, and more. I wish I were planning a trip there now.
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Old Aug 17th, 2005, 09:42 PM
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We decided to book the double room at de Varenne and give it a shot. I'll post when we return to share what we found. Thanks for the tips on the street...it sounds wonderful!
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Old Nov 16th, 2005, 03:22 PM
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Dear DCD,

I remembered that you were scheduled to stay at the Hotel de Varenne this upcoming April and I thought I would post to review of our stay and pass on some info. First, the location of the hotel is perfect. There is a metro stop fairly nearby; it is very near Invalides (Napoleon's Tomb) and the Eiffel Tower. The street itself is charming...we were doors down from a tasty patisserie, (which we patronized daily!) a bank/atm and a quick mart. We made stops at the mart periodically for bottled water, snacks, etc. for our room. The hotel is good. The US equivalent would be like staying in a very nice Best Western...nothing fancy, but altogether adequate and clean. The room was smallish, but it had a fairly large bathroom. It had a TV, small refrig that we utilized, and a safe. Just a warning, our room did not have a shower curtain, just a showerhead and a tub. So, if this is important to you, you may want to request a room that specifically has the shower curtain. (The hostess said there are a few.) The hotel has daily breakfast, but we did not eat there, preferring instead to have a "cafe" and croissant down the road a way. We stayed on the third floor and our room had a peek-a-boo view of the Eiffel Tower, which was nice. (Possibly the same room as "Tuscanlifeedit" in the thread for this post.) We used the stairs, but there is a tiny elevator if needed. The staff were reserved but polite. Internet access is available, but for a fee of 6E per half hour. The hotel's inner courtyard was nice, but it was really too chilly to enjoy during our stay. For the price, location and overall value, I give it a thumbs up and would stay here again. Lastly, we ate at a fabulous restaurant within a ten minute's walk from the hotel called "Pasco" on the rue de la Tour Marbourg...can't recommend it enough. (Reservations are helpful) The food was outstanding and the wine excellent as well. (We highly recommend the Crozes Hermitage!) We also really enjoyed the bustling cafe at the Musee D'Orsay, with the giant clock overhead. The food is surprisingly good for museum fare. Have a great trip!
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Old Nov 17th, 2005, 07:03 AM
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traveljan- You are so thoughtful!! Thanks for the hotel review. I'm going to print a copy of your post so I'll remember the restaurant recommendations. And I will request a shower curtain room. Any other restaurant recommendations? Neither of us speaks a lick of French and, when I was last in Paris 20 years ago, I was intimidated by most of the unfriendly places I tried.

Dave
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Old Nov 21st, 2005, 11:08 AM
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Hi Dave,

No problem, glad to help! Two other restaurants we enjoyed were:

Le Maupertu (on Avenue de Tourville, within 10 minutes of the hotel). They had a tasty selection of meals, and a delicious apple crumble dessert! I think our meals came to 70E for 3 courses plus wine. We had good and friendly service. (We found food prices to be VERY expensive, even at cafes and brasseries.) For an authentic cafe' experience (tiny, street side tables crowded together and lots of people watching) we loved the old literary cafe, "Les Deux Magots" on Blvd. St. Germain (near Odeon exit on Metro, I think). It is near the "Place Sartre/Beauvoir" made famous by the two writers. It also had a great location directly across from the oldest church in Paris, St. Germain des Pres, with parts of it dating back to 1000. We sat and watched the passers-by, drank champagne, had the best Croque Monsieur in Paris, and then walked across the street and to see the church. A great afternoon! The waiters here were a bit snobbish/condescending, but the location is so good we hardly noticed.

Enjoy your trip!
-Jan
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Old Nov 21st, 2005, 11:36 AM
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Jan -- Thanks again. BTW, I just emailed the Varenne and have now secured a "shower curtain" room! Appreciate the tip.

Dave
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Old Feb 18th, 2006, 12:33 PM
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My husband and I are staying at the Hotel de Varenne in May. We have a standard double room with shower and separate water closet. Help? Is the water closet located in our room?
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Old Feb 18th, 2006, 12:37 PM
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Yes,it is! It is just in a separate compartment with its own door. The toilet compartment is usually right next to the bathroom.

I've replied to your original post; you can check by clicking on your screen name.
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