Those handhelds can waste JUST as much water if you leave them running. A "navy shower" solves the wastage problem but a lot of people figure they've paid for a hotel room and all the water they want, all the lights on they want, etc., etc.

I agree with Kerouac, maybe the showers should be viewed as just another part of the french experience. I've been to France quite a few times, and I would have to think hard to remember if I ever had a curtain/door. It is not something I would serach out.

I went, I showered.

Reminds of the stories of the facilities in Ghana when I went...if France worries you...

Oh and one more pet peeve- the lact of counter space in these bathrooms- you can maybe fit your toothbrush and comb - but thats it. Now if its just guys maybe, but for women this is clearly not going to cut it. They have creams, brushes, make up, lipstick, etc.

Ok I guess I'm just spoiled by the Asian hotel experiences - pay your $200 and get 5 star quality, great bathrooms- double sinks, stand up showers with real doors, make up mirror, plush towels, bathrobes,coffee maker, and the room decor is up to date.

I guess I'll have to lower my expectations when we vist Paris again. Its our favorite city but not when it comes to their hotel experience. I love the small hotels with character but not paying a lot for what we get.

BillT,
I guess it's what I would called travel personalitiy.

Some people put a premium on the hotel, the services, the fluffy towels, etc. Others see it as a place to store luggage, and a human body for 8-9 hrs a day

That being said, a clean centrally located room can be found without spending $$$.

The handheld shower with no curtain is a European curiosity I will never understand.

This thread reminds me of all those "all the hotel rooms in Paris are small" rationalization threads we've seen.

Like the bathroom counter space, it all depends on which hotel you stay in. I've had bedrooms in Paris hotels which were way big enough but I also was willing to pay for that so-called "larger" space. It's when you DO pay and you STILL don't get what you think is your money's worth that can certainly cause concerns and understandably so.

Dukey1 - that is an excellent point. You can pay more and think you are getting more but sometimes it turns out that you don't. In the end its a crap shoot. The hotel experience is important to us-so that is why I continue on my long quest to find a hotel in Paris that meets our needs.

Holiday Inn Opera, Rue L'Echiquier, gave us a kingsize bed, a beautiful modern bathroom with heated towel rack, Italian tiles, mini-bar fridge etc. Our room faced the inside courtyard and had no view but the outer rooms don't have much of a view either.
I was impressed by the very wide thick carpeted hallway serving the rooms on our floor.
One renovation not attended to was the teeny little elevator which could only take one person at a time - didn't bother us and I guess the lift shaft cannot be widened. Actually it was the only thing in that hotel which let you know you were in Paris!
I see some of the feedback isn't too good - don't know where those folks were housed but we were in the lap of luxury!

Our hotel on Ile de La Jatte (on River Seine) had one of the biggest bathrooms I have experienced in hotels. Only other HUGE bathroom was at The Hotel Torcy, rue Torcy. You could move a bed in there!

Bathroom with the best view......Hotel Duquesne, Rue Duquesne, 75007. It had a French door (long window) which revealed the Eiffel Tower in all her glory - Especially at night when she gave you a sparkle whilst you brushed your teeth!

BillT,

Would you consider renting an appartment? Most, if not all, ads will feature photos, so you can see before you choose. Combine with reviews here...and away you go.

Tod- having read a number of reviews on this hotel (Holiday Inn Opera) - it clearly would not do for us. The hotel needs a renovation and this is coming from the manager of the hotel.
Too many negative reviews posted and that is always a red flag for us. I will check out the others you mention- thanks for your input, its always appreciated.

I have no problem at all with hand-held shower attached to the wall. It is what we had in almost all hotels in France and it is what I like. I am one that I do not like at all the fix shower head which is a standard in USA .

In all the hotels in Europe we had door or curtain ; I don't remember at least one without them! And I am not speaking about not luxury hotels.

Regarding the size of the room and of the bathroom, I learned something: we always book (if available) the room with bath and not only with shower (even I do only shower). These rooms and bathrooms are bigger than rooms with only shower.

If you use a hand held shower attached to the wall you have to constantly turn it on and off (on to get wet, off to soap, on to add water to soap, off to suds up, on to rinse and wet hair, off to apply shampoo, on to add water to shampoo, off to suds shampoo, on to rinse shampoo, off to add cream rinse, on to wet cream rinse, off to suds up cream rine, then on to rinse). Can you tell me that people actualy go through all this rigamarole every morning - instead of just standing under a running shower and doing it all in half the time? (And god help any poor woman who trie to color her hair at home!)

I know there is supposed to be a way to attach the tube thingy to the tub or wall so you don;t have to keep turning it on and off - but every time I have tried this it runs amok and sprays water all over the room.

We only stay in places with real showers - among other things.

As for water wastage - you can easily get water saver shower heds that use only about half the regular amount of water. Mandated where we live - and still have plenty to wash yourself and your hair.

Well I am surprised Bill as we were there only 6-8 short years ago and everything looked brand new at the Holiday Inn.
I distinctly remember my shoes sinking into the deep pile of the hallway carpet and the delight at our modern room. What a shame it needs re-doing.

You won't survive Hotel Torcy unless you are extremely patient and expect no receipt and no elevator and noisy Russians down the hall. Curtains that don't match the wallpaper and well washed but very clean bed linen.
This was an experience with a culture not at all familiar to us but non-the-less tuned out a very good stay in a huge bedroom & enormous bathroom.

If you are looking for a touristy-close-to-all-sights, The Hotel Grand Ile de la Jatte won't suit you either because it is on an island in the Seine amongst very exclusive residences. This island is for romance, honeymooners, artists and folks who love to walk along the river bank. It's quiet, very quiet.
Heres the link for you:http://www.hoteldelajatte.com/index.html

Due to the quirks of old buildings, more than once I have stayed in rooms in France where the bathroom seemed huge and perhaps even larger than the bedroom. This sort of surprise amuses and delights me. (Oh, and my room at the KL Station Hotel in Kuala Lumpur to this quirk to an infinitely higher level.)

"...We only stay in places with real showers - among other things..."

I sense a cultural backlash coming...

nytraveler:
I had to laugh when I read your post- if I subjected my wife to that sort of thing (the tub and shower hose thingy) then I suspect I would have to turn her loose on the french designer shops in order to get out of the hot water I would find myself in at that point. Even then I'm not sure it would be enough!

No - I love traditional european hotels - much prefer them to modern american style cahin places. but- since most of the baths were added on later I don;t know why they couldn;t put in proper ones with real showers.

We do end up in hotels (almost always) with real showers. Once we had booked such and when we arrived late due to traffic found ourselves in a room with a faux one. They moved us to a real one after 2 days - I think the maids were tired of mopping up the floods of water resulting when the faux ones ran amok and sprayed water all over the bathroom.