Elsa

The question that I posted this morning seems to have disappeared, so here goes again. In the past the Relais St. Germain in Paris has received very favorable reviews. However, reading recent reviews in the Rants & Raves section I see a number of people are quite dissatisfied with this hotel. Has anybody been there lately that could give some thoughts - pros and cons - of this once highly regarded hotel.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance.

Patrick

I was puzzled by your post as I found the Relais St. Germain to be an outstanding hotel on my two visits there, one stay lasting a week. I found the staff helpful and courteous -- some extremely outgoing and friendly. Reading between the lines of those rants, I come up with a couple of comments. First, I even wonder if the three negative ones in a row all came from the same disgruntled person, but next:<BR>A) Yes if one opens the windows onto the Place Odeon, it will be noisy. That is why the hotel has wonderful double glazed windows which cut out all the noise and air conditioning so one doesn't need to open the windows when you need quiet. This is true of any good hotel in a busy area.<BR>B) Someone called the room "ordinary". As an interior designer myself, I'd love to see the spectacular home that poster must live in. I have been inside four of the 20 or so rooms and peeked in quite a few others, not to mention the four or five shown in various decor magazines that have featured this hotel for its decor. All were beautiful and charmingly furnished. I would be thrilled to live in any home decorated in such an "ordinary" way.<BR>C) When we booked we were told clearly that the room price includes breakfast. When we checked in we were shown the breakfast room and told about the hours -- pretty extensive. How anyone could stay in that small hotel and pass through the small lobby and not find the breakfast room off to the side is totally beyond me. To say they couldn't find where breakfast was served is just plain stupid.<BR>D) The most negative comment was from some one who booked six months ahead and complained because they billed them for a deposit immediately (just like they clearly state they will do) and then "gave us a hard time" about cancelling. It sounds like these people were just shopping and trying to book a bunch of hotels and then got upset because someone was actually going to ask them to honor their committment. They apparently got their deposit back -- so what is the problem? <BR>So if you are looking for a charming and lovely hotel in a lively and central to the 6th location, you couldn't do better than Relais St. Germain, in my opinion.

Linda

We have stayed there three or four times.The location is great..the staff very accomodating....the rooms pretty and varied ( check out the penthouse room with terrace...rooms with small kitchens, etc).<BR><BR>On the left bank we have stayed at the Montalembert,the Pont Royal,and the St. Simone,and like Relais St. Germain the best.<BR>

Elsa

Patrick - I had remembered in one of your previous posts that you mentioned you are an interior designer, that you had stayed at Relais S.G., and that you really enjoyed it. For those reasons (not to mention the fact that you do SOOOOO much traveling and seem to know what's really nice) I was surprised to have read those negative comments. Thanks for "reading between the lines" for me!<BR><BR>Thanks also for your reply, Linda.

Fred

The reports I have have been almost entirely very favorable. You'll always find someone with some complaint about every hotel, restaurant, whatever. Here's what people who stayed there said about it:<BR>Le Relais Saint-Germain (4 star left bank)<BR>tiny - 22-room hotel<BR>rooms tastefully decorated<BR>room was very nice<BR>very cold front desk<BR>Service in general was not up to what I expect when paying 1700 ff a night <BR>The rooms were lovely<BR>staff accomodating<BR>We were quite happy with it.<BR>had a wonderful experience <BR>quaint room<BR>great decor, great staff, small and personal.<BR>most enjoyable<BR>small, with good sized rooms<BR>charming<BR>a wonderful small hotel<BR>Our room was very large and beautifully decorated<BR>For more Paris information e-mail me: [email protected]

Pat

Does anyone have a web address for the Relais St-Germain, please? A search on Yahoo didn't help.<BR><BR>Thank you.

AGM/Cape Cod

Elsa,<BR> We just returned from a week at the Relais St. Germain. It was wonderful as always. We find the location to be ideal even though the area is busy and can be noisy. Paris is a city with city noises. <BR> The help on the desk has changed since we were there last July and was very accommodating. (I wouldn't change my reservations due to comments about the staff of a hotel unless they were the owners. There is turnover everywhere.) And the gentlemen who man the breakfast room are very friendly and speak excellent English.<BR> We had the same room as before with a suite type arrangement which suits our needs. I find the only minor quibble I have about the room is that the bathroom is a little small.<BR> I hope you like the Relais St. Germain as much as we do. Don't forget to go to Gerard Mulot (on Rue de Seine) for pastries, and the Marche Saint Germain (just a block beyond Gerard Mulot) for flowers, water, cheese, fruit etc. <BR>Pat- Unfortunately the Relais St Germain doesn't have a website. I meant to ask why not. They don't seem to be lacking for customers.<BR><BR>

Christina

that hotel belongs to the Atel Hotel Group and is located on their web site www.atel-hotels.com

ttttt

tttt

topper

topping for Jon

Tony

My wife and I have stayed at the Relais St. Germain and loved it. Can't understand the complaints about the front desk. The concierge was always very friendly and helpful, recommended several wonderful local restaurants, and assisted us with reservations, directions, etc. While the square below was noisy if you had the windows open, that was part of the charm. While the hotel was fully air conditioned, we liked having the windows open. We especially liked being up early in the morning watching people shopping, or business people getting their business ready for the day. We have stayed in the same room on our visits (by requesting it in advance). It was nicely decorated, had a nice ensuite bath, although taking a shower without a shower curtain was a bit messy. The included breakfast was a great way to start the day and the service was excellent. If you are going to stay there, you have to understand that this is a boutique hotel. It is not a Hyatt Regency or a Meridien. If that is what you are looking for, you shouldn't be staying at any of Paris' boutique hotels.

alison

Tony's correct about boutique hotels. These are the small, charming types. But staying in chain hotels like Le Meridien doesn't compare. We stayed at the Le Meridien Etoile at Porte Maillot a few years ago. It had zero charm. And to top it off we paid alot for a small room.

Elsa

There may have been a change of personal when we stayed at the hotel less than a month ago. The 2 women on the front desk ( they had different schedules - ie days on & off) were DEFINITELY not very friendly (we made no unusual requests). The gentleman at night, however, couldn't have been more pleasant. Unfortunately, it was during the day that we had a couple of questions re how to get from the hotel to "wherever". The Relais Christine is in the same vicinity and I believe within the same price range. Maybe someone would have some feedback on that hotel so that you could make a comparison btween the two.

Gaston

I hope these recent negative comments are an abberation. I really like this hotel and had planned to stay there again on my next trip to Paris. Relais Christine is located on a quieter street but is also more expensive and a bit more sedate for my tastes.

Patrick

I'll probably get slammed for this post, but here goes.<BR>I, too love Relais St. Germain and would always stay there if it weren't just a bit high for my budget for my long trips. But I sometimes think these comments come about as a bit of over reaction to the price of the hotel. Suddenly somebody paying nearly $300 for a hotel in Paris demands and expects something the quality of the Ritz or George V -- even though those places are twice as expensive.<BR>Have you ever noticed that the cheaper the hotel, the more forgiving the customers are. I am sometimes amazed by comments like, "we complained about the mold growing on the walls and the owners were real nice about cleaning it off for us", or "although the air-conditioning didn't work, the management was so nice and provided us with a little fan". These are actual typical comments about cheaper hotels. Yet when a place costs a bit more, we get comments like, "we couldn't find the breakfast room" or "the receptionist was very short with us".

Elsa

Patrick - I don't want to argue w/ you re the RSG, BUT for example --- We knew where the Georges Rest. was located and how to walk there from RSG. However, just b/4 we were going to start to head over there I noticed that a bus stopped practically outside the door of the hotel. After walking around all day, I thought maybe we should inquire of the lady at the desk if the bus went near the Georges Rest. She curtly said "I thought you knew how to get there." She could have answered pleasantly with a simple "oui" or "non" (I don't know very much more than that in French). There was another "simple" question we had that was answered in the same way by the other female receptionist. We enjoyed the "boutiqueness" of RSG and the location was very good. The gentleman at the reception desk at night could not have been more gracious and pleasant.<BR><BR>On a side note, Patrick, I along w/ many others on this forum appreciate all the information and feedback you give us re so many of our inquiries. Thanks.

Patrick

Thanks, Elsa. I guess my real point is that no hotel can guarantee that all their employees will be polite and friendly all the time and a single incident or problem with one employee, while it should be brought to the attention of the management, shouldn't really warrant a slam against a hotel generally. <BR> <BR>My very first trip to Paris, we were staying in a five star hotel. On the second day I went to the concierge and was asking him about how to go to Giverny. (This was before the days of internet planning). I asked how the best way would be to get there and how long it might take -- should we do a train, bus, tour, or rent a car. He looked me square in the eye and said, "when you know how you want to get there, then come and ask me and I will help you." I was stunned as my whole reason for asking him was to get his opinion on which was the best way to go. Even the best hotels can have a rough or rude employee, but this guy was actually the paid concierge -- paid to answer questions and help people.

topper

Topping for Robert