Villa Luxembourg - Paris, France     

A great location for a basic hotel. The 4 stars really don't mean a lot but the area is great.The rooms have been well described by others and likewise the staff.Our man booked us a table at a fantastic bistro ( La Regalade- as recommended by Time Out) where , for 33 euro, prixe fixe we had a meal fit for Kings and Queens. On our way we stopped off at Charley Birdys, a jazz cafe , where we caught the happy hour (M-F 5-8) and enjoyed the buzz. All around the area are great bistros (including the famous La Coupole,where we had brunch on Sunday) and it was a very safe environment .Jardins de Luxembourg are wonderful and we had caught the Catacombs and cimetiere on a previous visit. Around Mountparnasse is a safe mixture of arts n sleaze and we walked to and from the Champs. Attended a fantastic version of Mozart's requiem in the Eglise de Madeline on Saturday night , with a 60 voice choir ,12 piece orchestra and 4 superb soloists - the soprano also sang Ave Maria ( 2 versions) better than anything I've heard-many were in tears.A good base to explore a wonderful city.

... but it was just okay. I got a pretty good price on Hotwire, especially with the declining dollar so I'm glad I prebooked. The room was small, but nice. The view was great, but noisy during the night with traffic and then early morning trash pick-up, street cleaning, etc. As other reviewers have said, the bed was very uncomfortable, but that didn't bother me too much. It was great it had a little kitchen, but it had absolutely nothing in it, not even a coffee maker. We asked for a fork and knife, they said sure, but never brought it. Asked for a wake up call that we never got. Had to ask for a hairdryer. I thought the staff were friendly enough, but non-responsive. Steps to the Metro, cafes, convenience store. Short walk to the RER, which is very convenient not to have to change to the metro. I love walking so walked everywhere and hardly used the metro. I would recommend this hotel if you can get a good rate. I do wonder whether the staff would have been more responsive, and whether we would get an equipped kitchen (which I saw that other rooms were) if we had not booked through a discount hotel website.