As our sales team arrived on Thursday as a large group, we were surprised by a nice waiting room with the hotels history on the walls. Since our sales are down this quarter, we opted for a more budget hotel. As we split into separate rooms on different floors, the elevator we needed to get ourselves and our luggage onto the 3rd and 4th floors was so small we had to go two at a time, meaning by the time I had gotten to my room, it was already time to leave again for dinner.
As a 6'2'' American man, this hotel is not very ergonomic, with narrow halls and a tight staircase. These Parisian attributes however, contributed to the uniqueness of the hotel and stood out as authentic, instead of the modern slick hotels in the area. 'Köstlich' as the Germans would say.
The door for the room was difficult to operate, and the doors to the bathroom and shower rooms were not lockable. This was a problem as I was traveling with colleagues, and needed my privacy in an already tiny room. As four to a room, we rapidly ran out of sockets and fresh air, and unplugged the tv to be able to charge our phones. In the bathroom, there were three towels but four glasses, with one being larger than the other three, as well as the only source of heat in our room during winter, a towel dryer. The included 'vegetable soap' fused itself to the sink with just a little moisture, and was entirely unusable afterwards. Shower included body wash, but no shampoo or conditioner, resulting in messy hair for the sales conference during the weekend. Sarah, our human resources rep. was especially annoyed. Every shower resulted in a steaming sauna for the whole room, as ventilation opportunities were limited to the entire window being open, which was not an option on 34 mornings. This left the carpets moist and very cold, and had had its effect on the walls, which did not look very new.
After unpacking, it took quite a while to hang up my suit, because the hangers were extremely counterintuitive, and took a hot sec to understand.
10 Euro breakfast offered little selection. Frustrating. The coffee and juice machines were so loud, enjoying the slightly interesting variety of marmalades was impossible. Cornflakes are dispensed ineffectively, resulting in 'bottom of the cereal box' sized flakes, which dissolve into the milk. Soy and Almond milk are not offered, but customers are encouraged to add cheese and yogurt to everything. Seating is directly beside either the kitchen, the loud drinks machines, or the buffet, were people reach over your head to get a croissant, resulting in buttery flakes on my brand-new GAP tie, and non-conditioned hair.
This hotel is all about location and utility. As a tourist or as a businessman, it is hard to find a better priced hotel right in the middle of it all, with a metro station just a few hundred feet away. Sightseeing, working, and bar diving with Elisabeth and Jake from international relations was all accessible on foot, with the reception giving directions and help in seemingly any language required. The cleaning staff is polite and effective, with our rooms being ready on time, and towels being replaced daily. Top notch.
Overall, this hotel offers a competitively priced stay in an amazing location, and adequately deserves its 3-star valuation. With some updating to the rooms and breakfast experience, this would easily pass as a 4 star hotel. read more