Friends tasked me with finding a hotel within a given price point and based on reviews and location the Hoxton was our choice for a 4-night stay, beginning Monday, May 27.
When we arrived around 11 am, the lobby was abuzz. As others have noted, this is a busy lobby occupied by individuals not necessarily staying at the hotel (spend any time in the lobby, and that is apparent). Not a problem nor a surprise. There are 3 distinct bars (Rive, Planche Wine Bar, and Jacques' Bar, my favorite. As the waitress for recommendations in the area. She is a gem!) and an excellent restaurant (Rive). Rive's lobby bar serves non-alcoholic breakfast offerings and is a lovely space.
Friends were hopeful that we would obtain early check-ins. That didn't happen and I never expect it when traveling. The hotel will accommodate holding your bags until the room(s) are ready. With that said, don't expect to have space to pull anything out of your bag before handing it over for storage. Because the lobby is so crowded, and the reception area tiny, there is no room to maneuver. Bathrooms are a steep flight down, so changing isn't realistic.
After registering and checking our bags, we went to Rive for lunch. Four of us had the cheeseburger (needed to carb load after the 9-hour flight!). The burger was so good I decided to have it again as my last meal before leaving Paris.
Seriously, get the cheeseburger at Rive! It is better than any I've had at a cafe.
You may be wondering why the 2-star review.
When we were able to get our rooms late in the afternoon, I was met with a rather large canister vacuum cleaner right outside my door. My first inclination was that housekeeping was still in the room. I knocked, listened at the door, and finally entered after moving the vacuum from the front of my door.
36 hours later, that same vacuum remained in the hall. Slightly moved, but still in the hall.
The following day I left my room at 8 am and returned to the hotel at 3 pm. I went up to my room only to notice it had not been serviced.
This is important to note. When you check in they will ask you at reception if you want your room serviced daily. Included with daily service is a restock of water in the refrigerator. My party had 3 rooms (all on separate floors) and we all requested that our rooms be serviced daily.
Before I went back out that afternoon, I stopped at the front desk to mention that my room had not been cleaned/serviced and asked if it could be done over the next 2 hours. The receptionist was lovely, apologized, and told me certainly. Two hours later when I arrived back at my room, the room was still not serviced.
Ok. Stuff happens. I needed time in the room before heading to dinner so I put the Do Not Disturb (Non) sign on my door.
The next morning at 8 am, as I was leaving the hotel I stopped by the front desk to mention that my room was never serviced the prior day, even though I notified the front desk of that issue, and was told it would be taken care of. Once again the front desk personnel was apologetic, and assured me that the room would be made up, and the refrigerator re-stocked with water. I let them know I would be out for 8 hours.
You guessed it, another day not having my room serviced.
Discussing this with my friends, I found that each of us had the same issue.
I travel internationally a great deal. Admittedly, this is a less expensive hotel than where I would normally choose to stay. Nevertheless, I don't feel it is out of the norm to expect a room to be serviced, especially if that expectation is set upfront -- by the hotel no less -- at check-in.
So, if I had to sum up the Hoxton it would be as follows -
- Great location, near some excellent restaurants (check out Frenchies!)
- Nice enough rooms although closets are minuscule (cannot accommodate a full-length dress), and there were only 5 hangers (not normally a problem, but there is zero draw space; just a few small cubbies.
- Oulet in the bathroom that accommodates a blow dryer. That is a bonus and rare even in much pricier hotels.
- Your bathroom will have a good deal of puddling from the shower. No way around it as the shower door only opens outward, and there is no lip. Part of the reason not having service is a problem. Towels get used up quickly.
- Don't expect housekeeping and you are less likely to be disappointed.
The Hoxton did send me an email asking me how my stay was. I responded to that email a week ago with feedback on the housekeeping issue. I never received any response.
The Hoxton Paris is a one-and-done for me. read more