• Couple, 11 May 2010
  bee, United Kingdom
• Acceptable 2.8/5 (detail)

Well, I can only say that if travellers think this is a 4 or 5 star hotel, they obviously haven't stayed in one ! Shabby Chic is different from just plain shabby ! I think when new it was probably fab, but so much of it is looking sad and worn now - it needs an overhaul. There are no facilities apart from a tiny reception area, and a minute underground breakfast room, so if you want to be holed up in your room with no other areas to go to, this is the place for you !
We expected a shower, but only got a jacuzzi....when I asked the French receptionist if we could change, he was so rude and offhand, and basically turned away from me and said he couldn't help - then he ignored me until I went away !!!!
Rubbish design of the jacuzzi meant the bathroom resembled a tsunami if you used the hand held spray when sitting in it...spent a lot of time mopping up gallons of water! Good points - Polite young man made a nice breakfast for us - the cleaning staff were very helpful...and you can sit at your open louvre window watching the pimps, drug dealers and prostitutes doing their thing round Pigalle from 8am onwards - mighty interesting ! Also, it is very close to Montmartre and there are lots of small but excellent restaurants and bars up the side streets if you search them out - not on Pigalle ! Do I sound unimpressed ? True. I have stayed in many 4 and 5 star hotels around the world, so know the difference....this is not it ! However, if you fancy staying in something which is a little bit seedy in an area which is DEFINITELY seedy, this will be right up your street. Lastly, I am NOT American, I have travelled extensively in Europe and know what to expect, so I am not talking from a viewpoint of no experience .
I have never written a review of a hotel before, so you know that I must have felt fairly strongly about my experience to have bothered to do this !