There have been several good recommendations for the Madison on this forum. However, I have just read a very unfavourable review on epinions.com (albeit 3 years old). According to this guest, the hotel itself was great, but the staff was horribly rude and unhelpful.

Can anyone advise on this? We were thinking of staying there next July.

If the recommendations on here are more recent than three years old, then I would go with those. Whether you are reading epinions.com or Fodors, either way, you are getting someone else's opinion/experience. Go for the more recent ones.

I've read horrible reviews of hotels I already had reservations for when it was too late to cancel. When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful they were. Don't take one persons opinion (not even articles in travel magazines)and especially not a three year old opinion.

What is rude to one person , will be nothing to another. If you read a list of reviews and every single one said something about how rude they were, it might have merit, but I have found that reviews of that sort are not to be relied on.

I am booked for the Madison at the end of the month. I already called the hotel twice. The first time it was to confirm if my reservation was ok. The second was to ask them to book me a table at Epi Dupin. Both times they were incredibly kind ,polite, helpful and very nice. I wouldn't pay atention to that opinion you read.

This one unfavorable comment occurred in 2000. Since that time no other negative remarks so maybe that employee has either left the hotel or has been terminated.

And it is true that what one person perceives as rudeness just may not be interpreted as such by someone else.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments. I really don't want to spend tons of time shopping around for a hotel. I want something in an interesting neighbourhood, well located for sightseeing, non-tourist-trap restaurants, airconditioning, and comfortable, nicely furnished accomodation. The descriptions of Madison seem to fit the bill. They are quoting $220Euros for a Boulevard view with double bed - does this seem in line with similar types of hotels?

Le Madison is pretty expensive so I think the quote of 220 euro is about right. Hotels in St. Germain charge more than in other locations due to the popularity.

The view will be of Blvd. St. Germain just across the church. We walked by the hotel and it's a very nice area, the boulevard is quite busy of course, but with closed windows it'll be quiet in the room I'm sure. Plus the hotel is set back a bit away from the boulevard.

Are there any suggestions for hotels that have similar attributes of the Madison but are priced better?

JM- I have posted numerous positive posts in regard to le Madison on this board, I consider it to be one of the best 3 star properties in the 6th,I have always received gracious and attentive service.
However the prices are climbing every year & with the decline of the $ it can burn a whole in ones' wallet fast.

On my last visit to Paris I stayed at a charming property in the 5th near the Pantheon here is the web site www.hoteldupantheon.com also check out their sister property Grands Hommers, I think it is a little more up scale.
Viva la France
Fluffy

That price is very much in line with similar hotels in that area -- that is one of the most expensive hotel areas of Paris, that's the reason. I think the suggestion of the Hotel du Pantheon or Hotel des Grands Hommes are good ones, although they are in a difference area, of course (but nice and convenient).

The Hotel Relais St Sulpice is a nice 3* with AC not far from the Madison, and it is a bit cheaper (about 195 euro for their deluxe rooms from the web site):
http://www.pariserve.tm.fr/hotel/rel...ce/annonce.htm

I don't stay in that area but I think the usual 3-4* hotels with AC in that area people suggest are not going to be less than 200 euro (ie Aubusson, Relais St Germain). The Dauphine is and has AC
http://www.123france.com/europe/fran...s/hodaupus.htm

JM,
I've found the staff at the Madison very caring, helpful and Alain, the concierge/bellman/desk manager of sorts, is a man in perpetual motion and very funny. He has a very vibrant personality which might come across the wrong way to some, but we thought he was delightful. We liked him and he pampered us. The entire Madison staff made us feel very much at home, and Christian took good care of our restaurant reservations and drove us to the airport.
We found them kind and very helpful.

Both hotels that Fluffy mentions, the du Pantheon and its sister the Grandes Hommes across from the Pantheon in the 5th are both really lovely properties and tempting (also lower priced), but the Madison has an absolutely killer location!

These 3 days in Paris are a chaser to a
Baltic/Scandinavia cruise that we're taking to celebrate the second anniversary of my 25th birthday. It's been 26 years since I've made it back to Paris - I think a bit of a splurge on the Madison is in order. (Actually, in Canadian dollars that's quite the splurge!). I thank everyone for their valuable input.