Hotel L'Hôtel Royal Saint Germain (Paris, France)

Guests who stayed in the Royal St Germain Hotel were very pleased with the location, both for the local colour, and its convenient access to the Metro and buses. Many of the attractions of Paris are within walking distance of the hotel and there is a good choice of bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity.

The staff are friendly and helpful with advice and directions for enjoying Paris. A guest from Canada who inadvertently left the key to the safe on the stand in full view in the room was relieved that there was nothing missing, even though there were contractors working in the room to replace the TV at the time.

The rooms are well planned, and kept very clean. The convenience of the mini-fridge, air conditioning (it was very hot in Paris for these guests' stay) and hair dryer was all very much appreciated, as were the blackout shades which made sleep easy. The bed linen is good and guests were delighted that the hotel replenishes the fridge with water, beer and soft drinks every day for free.

The thin walls meant that one could hear all the was going on in the adjoining rooms, including arguments between the neighbours. There was no extractor fan in the bathroom, where the cleaning had not been fully effective, leaving black mould on the ceiling and tile grouting. The Wi-Fi was not entirely reliable.

A guest was disappointed at having to pay extra for the breakfast. The local ambiance of the street was interesting, but noisy at night, with frequent police sirens.

All in all the Royal St Germain is a comfortable hotel of character, in a central location where the city noises are understandably somewhat intrusive. A genuine Paris experience.