Hotel Madison (Paris) -- not THAT great
 

I wanted to add a comment on the Hotel Madison since so many people seem to praise it in this forum. I stayed there with my parents a few years ago and found the staff to be extremely rude and arrogant. They were not so bad to me -- perhaps because I speak French -- but they were awful to my parents. For example, they ask that you leave your key at the front desk when you go out. One time, my mother forgot and left it in the room, and the guy at the desk complained and criticized when she asked him to let her into the room. (I then chewed him out in French, telling him that it wasn't our fault that he hated his silly job. Boy, was he shocked.) I saw the same desk clerk be rude to other people in the hotel, over issues like whether the guests had used the minibar. Sure, the hotel has a great location and some of the rooms are pretty. (My parents room was terrible -- large, but had a view of a brick wall.) But there are better hotels out there with friendlier staff.

For several years that was a common complaint, but then a year or so ago it changed - maybe a new staff, or owners, or attitude. Nobody has reported that. On the contrary, people said staff was helpful. For more Paris information e-mail me – [email protected]

I stayed at Hotel Madison about ten years ago and agree about the arrogant staff. I, too, had one of those lovely rooms overlooking an air shaft. Ugh. <BR> <BR>I wonder if the one room I stayed in is still haunted? Anyone have a friendly ghost visit them - it was a double room on (I think) the second floor.

...stayed there "several years ago"..."ten years ago"... <BR>Jeez! Who cares what it was like YEARS ago!!!! <BR>People want to know what places are like NOW! NOT YEARS AGO! Why waste your time posting about what it was like YEARS ago????

Just stayed there last week and the staff is rude, the rooms run down, the area seedy, and the rates out of reason for what you get. The same front desk clerk must still be there because I have never been so rudely treated at any place in the world. I found out that he is not French but is actually a Croatian that has lived in Paris for a number of years and he hates Americans. I also learned that the head housekeeper is from Albania and most of her staff are Romanians. Odd mixture. Perhaps that explains all the garlic that was hanging on the walls of the hallways (to keep the werewolves away?) and why most of the staff wore these really large silver crucifixes around their necks in plain sight (to keep the vampires away?). All in all a really strange place, but the beds weren't too bad if they would have just changed the sheets once in a while. I was there for 2 weeks and never got clean sheets. Towels every third day. Strange. But the food in the breakfast room was not too bad, although I could never identify that one strange dish. Looked like some kind of meat but not sure. Tasted OK though, sort of like chicken. What do Romanians and Albanians eat?

Thanks for the tip and your description of the measures taken to prevent werewolves and vampires was very funny. <BR>I'm sorry you didn't have a better stay there. <BR>I was wondering if you passed by the Millesime and if so, how did it look to you? <BR>Would appreciate anything you have to say about it. <BR>Remember... there's only one way to kill a vampire... <BR>LOL <BR>

ttt

Actually my post was a spoof. I have never stayed in this hotel, I have never heard of it. I have no idea what it is like. I always stay in the 7th at the Grand Hotel Leveque. Again, my first post was a SPOOF and should not reflect on the hotel in question. I apologize and will never do this again. I am so ashamed on myself. Please forgive me, and do check out the hotel for yourself and let us know what you really think. <BR> <BR>

Wesley, you're sad.

I thought your post was pretty funny, Wesley, so don't beat yourself up. I thought it was real obvious mainly by your statement of what a seedy part of town it was. I went to a Catholic university in St-Germain one summer and did go to school with some Croatians, so I had to laugh.

Christina - did you go to the Institut Catholique?