Betsy

I just got back from Paris and because of my itinerary stayed in Paris 3 different times in 3 different hotels during the trip. This time on my own I took a gamble and went with a budget hotel that has a/c just in case. UGH! The Hotel de Turenne. I had booked a double w/bath hoping for a better room then a single. The room was shabby, stained and the towels were gray from age. Also I didn't feel the bathroom was well cleaned and I'm not super picky.I stayed there again a few weeks later w/a friend and that room was much nicer w/newer towels and seemed cleaner.<BR>My favorite this trip was The Lenox St. Germain on Rue Universite. It is a 3 star. The staff was great, the rooms were small but elegantly furnished and the bathroom was deluxe! The worst part was that there was so much street repair going on in that area and it began at 6:30 every morning. Even w/the windows closed it was impossible to miss.

Alice

As a 'rebuttal' to Nancy's feedback, we had a corner twin room at the 2-star Hotel de Turenne in April 2002, facing the avenue. I will grant you it was not fancy (maybe some nicks in the desktop, a worn spot at edge of hallway carpet) but I thought it was fine for $80 a night. The room had a desk, chair, ‘closet’, TV, 2 twins, nightstands and 2 windows opening out for a nice breeze. The bathroom had twin sinks (loved that) and a deep tub. Everything was clean. The Portuguese man at the front desk was very nice, enjoyed making morning small talk. The continental breakfast was fresh every morning and the server could even smile . I would not want to scare off any potential customers because it seems to be a good value in a very nice location, near Ecole-Militaire, Tour Eiffel, and Invalides. It certainly doesn’t qualify from my experience to be mentioned in the “worst hotel” thread; nowhere near the horrible conditions described for others' worsts. Just another client’s opinion . . .

Julie

My husband and I stayed at Hotel Lutecia and it was one of the best hotel experiences I've had in the world. I was very impressed by the concierge. I walked up, said my name and they automatically knew my room number. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

Lianne

Two Best hotels in my opinion :<BR>- Hotel Vendome. Great central location, spacious room, lift, a/con. Service is good though not as polished as what you'll get at the overpriced Hotel Crillon.<BR><BR>- Hotel Pergolese. Not located in the heart of the action but still close to cafes and the tube. Very relaxed atmosphere, service is genuine and friendly. Trendy room decor with room safe, air con & lift.

Gigi

The worst hotel I have stayed at was Hotel Henri IV. What a dump.

Capo

Regarding the Hotel Esmeralda...<BR><BR>I haven't stayed there but have considered doing so in the past. The only reason I haven't stayed there is that it's always been booked. Which means that, for whatever reasons, a lot of people must like staying there. One thing it certainly has is a superb location, right across from Notre Dame and on the lovely little Square Viviani. And, judging from the tiny little lobby, it has a funky old Parisian charm, not likely to appeal to those who like their accomodations less than white-glove-spotless (One person's "funky old Parisian charm", of course, can be another's b&ecirc;te noire.) Almost every description I've ever read says something along the lines of "this is a hotel that's not for everyone" but that the hotel also has its die-hard fans. <BR><BR>A person here posted that they had a *singular* terrible experience there many years ago. I don't doubt the story, but it is *one* person's story. You have to take a story like this in a greater context, that if the Esmeralda was, in fact, *that* terrible, it likely would not be in business.<BR><BR>Now, I posted about my *singular* experience at another Parisian hotel, the Petit Trianon in the 6th. It had a real drab and depressing room, with a very lumpy bed and threadbare towels. But, I did not see any other rooms, the woman who ran the hotel was very pleasant, and, for this part of Paris, it also had a great price (about $55 for a single, back in 1998). So, while I didn't expect anything quite that shabby for the price, I also didn't expect anything real nice. Furthermore, for those who might want to stay in a great location in the 6th, but want to do it on a budget, I wouldn't recommend against this hotel. Instead, I'd just say be aware of what you're likely going to get for the money. <BR><BR>To sum up, I think if any hotel is consistently bad, or consistently treats its customers (or, as in the case of the Esmeralda story, *prospective* customers) terribly, it may not remain in business and almost certainly won't continue to be fully booked.

Capo

Gigi's comment about the Hotel Henri IV is another example about one person's funky Parisian charm being another's b&ecirc;te noire. <BR><BR>I'd always read interesting things about this hotel so when two friends and I were in Paris in 1996, we stopped by to take a look at it. We must have talked to about five or six different groups of people who came out of it and they were about split, with half loving it, and half hating it.<BR><BR>As with the Esmeralda, what this hotel has going for it is a superb location, right on the picturesque Place Dauphine. Some people like a hotel for the classic real estate reason -- location, location, location -- even if it's shabby and run-down.

jeff

My favorite hotel is in the Saint Germain de Pres arrondisement. The name of it is the Hotel Madison. I have never been disappointed. The worst hotel experience was named Hotel Montpensier in the 1st arrondisement. The hotel smelled like B.O. and the plaster was coming off the walls. The beds were as hard as a rock.

xxx

I've noticed that a few guidebooks mention that the Esmeralda may not be for everyone, the reasons are given already. The same goes for the Henri IV. Why these hotels are always booked amazes me also. I could see that for some people it's because of their budget. But for the most part I believe that the more a hotel gets good or bad comments there are many that want to see for themselves what it's really like.