Le Senat - Paris, France     

We stayed at the Hotel le Senat on our first-ever visit to Paris in February 2007. We had the good fortune to be upgraded to a suite with a terrace with a view overlooking the entire city, with Sacre Coeur on the far horizon. When someone asked me what the best part of our trip was, I actually said "the view of Paris from our hotel room!" The suite had a small entryway area with a desk, closet, and wc, and then a stairway leading up to landing where the main bathroom was located, and then one more step up to the bedroom which had a king bed, flatscreen tv, very modern little euro track lights all around, and a table and chairs, as well as the aforementioned terrace. The bathroom, as noted in other reviews, is all black and white marble and metal, heated towel racks, Hermes bath products, and our bathroom had a skylight as well. Just a terrific room with an unbelievable view. The staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful, and were willing to coach us on our very poor French while also speaking very good English for those times when we just couldn't follow along. They were great wih directions and recommendations, helped us re-book our Eurostar tickets so that we could stay an extra night, and were just a pleasure to deal with under all circumstances. The hotel location is excellent, with the Jardin de Luxembourg right across the street, and the whole St. Germain district right out the door. It is a short walk (10-15 min) to Notre Dame, and more like 25-30 mins to the Musee D'Orsay, Louvre, and Eiffel Tower. The RER station is also very close by, within about two blocks of the hotel. We found this train a little confusing to use compared to the Metro (because of the different platforms in the lower level at the Gare du Nord), but it is worth figuring out as it is only 3 stops from the hotel to Gare du Nord and many Metro connections. We did not have breakfast at the hotel so I can't comment on that, but there are many cafes within a few minutes walk and a little Tabac-type store right across the street for wine and fresh fruit etc. Overall, I think the Hotel le Senat is a great little Paris boutique hotel at a good value, and I highly recommend it!

This was our third trip to Paris and we wanted to stay in the St Germain area. Having checked Trip Advisor for hotels the reviews for this hotel stood out. The hotel is as previous reviewers have said located very near Luxembourg RER station which is the direct train from Charles De Gaulle. The hotel itself is well maintained and as expected the rooms are very clean if a bit small. However as with most city breaks spending time in the room does not tend to happen much. Breakfast was included in our cost and it was sufficient with enough choice to set you up for the day ahead. The gardens across the road are worth a visit and so is Au Petit Suisse bistro just down from the hotel on the corner directly across from the main entrance to the gardens. A nice vino and some people watching is well worth trying out. Location is great if you turn left when coming out hotel you will end up on Boulevard St Michel which will take you directly to the river and Notre Dame etc. If you turn right it will take you into the heart of St Germain area. No complaints on the hotel at all and lived up to its reviews.