Just completed my second stay here and figured it was time to review it!
First of all, my fellow Americans, Best Western is not a scary brand in Europe. Au contraire! They have taken over a ton of small hotels and buildings in great locations in Paris, and offer a far more upscale experience than the brand connotes back home. So - don't fear the blue and yellow logo!
Next up - the staff. Super friendly and helpful. Most speak excellent English. The concierge was able to handle email requests prior to arrival in English as well as in my grammatically stunted French.
They upgraded us to a nicer room because we were celebrating our anniversary. Classy!
Now on to the room and its amenities...
The rooms vary wildly, this is an old building and full of character so you never know what you're going to get. One thing I can promise is that your room will be small, but I've been in worse in Paris! My first room had a window in the bathroom so it was full of light, but my second room was kind of dark. Both rooms overlooked the street and had French doors (what else would they have in France?) opening out to a little tiny terrace. Very nice to get some fresh air in the room. Closets in both cases were very small and had a curtain instead of a door. I have never stayed in a standard room; I bet they are teensy tiny. I upgraded myself 1-2 levels both times and therefore was able to find a spot on the floor wide and long enough to do a little yoga practice.
Beds were comfortable, pillows slightly less so. King size beds may be two twins pushed together so ask for a queen if that bothers you. Desk space is limited.
Bathrooms are simple but pretty clean, and everything works. You will only get soap and shampoo here, no moisturizer or shower caps (although they have them downstairs upon request) and only 2 towels. They get bonus points for ensuring there is a power outlet near a mirror in case you want to plug in a curling iron or something and do your hair.
The wifi is included in the room rate and can be used with as many devices as you want, which I really appreciate in a hotel. It worked fairly well, not as speedy as you might hope but decent enough.
Location, location!
The location is a great compromise against price; if you're willing to walk 10-15-30 minutes, you can get to lots of places that tourists want to be. It's super close to the Quartier Latin and slightly less close to St. Germain (maybe a 10 minute walk to some really great shops and cafés). The Jardin du Luxembourg is a few blocks away, which is great if you want to check out the park or have kids who need to blow off some steam or sail a little boat around the pond. It's also a longer (but very pleasant) walk to the Louvre, Notre Dame, or the Ile St. Louis, which is really convenient. A bit of a longer walk to the Musée d'Orsay. The Sorbonne is literally across the avenue. The only thing it is NOT convenient to is the Métro, it's maybe a 10 minute walk to Odéon and a minute or two more to St. Michel. I didn't really mind that except when it was raining. It is also very convenient to the Luxembourg stop on the RER B, also, which goes straight to the airport, so more bonus points for that.
I would definitely recommend this place if you don't want to spend hundreds of euros on your room but don't want to stay in some totally random neighborhood either. read more