My friend and I booked this inexpensive hotel on the Boulevard Saint-Michel for its proximity to several locations we wanted to visit. It's not fancy; the creaky, infirm floors are carpeted with less than stellar material, the halls and stairwells narrow and claustrophobic, the rooms sparsely furnished, and the bed less than optimal. But hey, I didn't come to Paris for the hotels: I came for the sights of this romantic city!
Hotel de Suez is a bed for the night and not much more, so don't expect otherwise. That being said, I had one of the most haunting, magical, memorable moments of my European trip here, when I was awoken at 2:00am to the sound of a beautiful soprano voice, singing in pitch-perfect French, coming from the courtyard-facing window. The guest below us, strumming a guitar to accompany her melody, was angelic, enchanting, and filled with heart and soul. It gave me goosebumps and made my hair stand on end. At the end of her song, I loudly clapped out the window and thanked her profusely, and was rewarded with her hearty laugh and thanks in French. Some people might be upset at being awoken in the middle of the night by a stranger's performance, but I was far too enraptured to care. I was nearly in tears!
Obviously, the experience above doesn't come standard, but I wish it did. If so, Hotel de Suez would be a five-star hotel for the entertainment alone! If you do stay here, come for the location, and stay for the midnight angel downstairs...if you're as fortunate as I was! read more