Hôtel du Maine

Good location near the huge train station. In fact, because of strikes and the weather, my travel-by-rail plans had to change (I inquired about getting refunds for cancelled/had to cancel/change-at-the-last-minute long distance rail tickets--but that is a different, "not happy" story)--and I made reservations here for a four night stay--just earlier on the day I arrived. Staff was very nice, friendly and knowledgeable. The room was small and dated, but fine for a solo traveler. Though certainly not a new, modern hotel, I was impressed with the general cleanliness of the facilities and the tastiness of the continental breakfast. The reviews on here about "bad smells, "bedbugs" and "unrecognizable breakfast" surprised me, I experienced none of these. Though I was in a "premium" room (which was really "standard" in my view). This was a "last minute" pick for a traveler trying to find any place to stay at the last minute in Paris, but I would certainly stay here again, when in that part of the city.

It didn't seem to be soundproof, I could hear almost everything going on in the next rooms and nearby outside (though I didn't mind the noise from the children apparently playing outside in the schoolyard every afternoon) . The small elevator brought me up to my floor--but there were still a couple of sets of stairs to climb to the room.