Grand Hotel Français — Hotel in Paris

This was our 2nd trip to Paris so we had high expectations for this one. We have 2 rooms which were superior and privilege. There are some distinct differences between the rooms. The privilege had a nespresso machine and had more room than the superior. Overall the visit was nice however there were some things that did bother me if I were to be nitpicky. So some things that other guests got that were posted on reviews was that they got a welcome cocktails or chocolates or even bottle of wine however as a party of 5 we got none. We originally had a standard room and were offered the privilege because we had an infant baby and that room would fit the bassinet. It was offered at 50 euros per night. We took it and was offered a room upgrade for our other guests from standard to superior which would make the bed bigger and room slightly bigger as well for 35 euros a night. I suppose paying is standard however when we stayed at other hotels in Europe they offered us room upgrades for free when the hotel was more open or less guests hotel did not. That being said they did let us check in early at 1230pm so we were the kill for that. The hotel offers free laundry service and we would drop off in the morning and would receive it by the evening. Every day it seemed that our fridge was filled with 3 bottles of water for free and our guests in the other room had it everyday as well. On the couple days we stayed we bought more water to supplement the 3. Our fridge was not filled and when we asked the front desk they said that we had to pay for water after the first day which didn't make sense because we got our water bottles filled the previous 2 days and our guests had it filled everyday without fail. Bathtub did not drain very well so we showered with a layer of water. We had a baby stroller that was much smaller than other strollers. We were told that we had to leave it in the lobby and carry the baby up every time. After the first day we were never asked to leave it again. So many small things that made service inconsistent. There is a metro stop nearby and there are a lot of excellent restaurants near as well, I'd recommend Pozada, il ravigote and Les Tontons all within 0.2 miles or less fron the hotel. Taxi and train ride is a bit far from city center. The stay was fine and our visit was quite nice but sometimes it's the little things in life that really make...

We stayed at Le Grand Hotel Francais for 6 nights and were absolutely delighted with our experience. The hotel is beautiful, quaint, and (I swear) they hired the friendliest, most helpful, fluent English speakers in all of Paris! The staff is beyond kind. They'll joke with you, and help you with everything you need. Before we left, they even anticipated our departure, estimated our needed departure time, and booked a taxi for us (all without us even having to ask)! At the end, we were arguing with them over who was our favorite staff member. Honestly...they were ALL our favorites.

For first time Paris visitors, there are two things that I think you might find surprising: 1. Room size and 2. Distance from major attractions.

On the room size...the standard rooms are super tiny. That said, unless you're paying a super premium price, ALL Paris hotel rooms are super small. Space is a commodity in Paris, and every hotel uses their space as optimally as possible. However, all of their rooms are updated, modern, clean, and the beds were comfortable. The wifi worked great, and so did the elevator. AND...you're in Paris...what are you doing hanging out in your room anyway?

On location. It's in the 11ieme arrondissement. It's not in the heart of all of the touristy, fun stuff. It is located however, in a cute neighborhood that always felt super safe (even at 2:00 in the morning). It's situated on the 9 metro line, which is an awesome line for accessing many of the major attractions, or links to others, which only require one metro change. It's located just steps from the Rue des Boulets metro stop, and a quarter mile from the Nation metro stop (which connects with most of the major lines). No matter where you want to go, in Paris, you're within 15 to 30 minutes, from leaving the hotel door step. Also, if you prefer Taxi travel, just take the hotel's business card, hand it to a driver, and he/she will have you to your hotel quickly, without problems, and for only a few Euros.

For the price, accommodations, and quality of service, you'll be so happy you booked here. I'm American, but have lived in southern France, speak French, and this was my fourth trip to Paris. I will be back, and I will always stay at Le Grand...

The reason for the one star was that lady in the receptionist desk. Her name is Vanessa. When we checked in, instead of greeting us welcome to Paris she greeted us with oh wow your luggage are huge. Then she asked us if this was our 1st time she didn't say in Paris. I think she insinuated that this was our 1st time to travel. Because she was referring to our luggage being so big. (MIND YOU THEY ARE NORMAL WE DID NOT WANT TO PAY EXTRA FOR EXCESS WEIGHT) What she didn't know that we were traveling to 3 different countries. She treated us like 3rd class citizen .I would ask her a question as to why our request was not granted and she would shrug her shoulders and told us to call tripmaster and that they never received our request or comment when we booked the hotel. Then she proceeded to convince us that we would not be comfortable in the room because our room was very small, I should have checked the room 1st before upgrading because it has cost us an extra $150 to upgrade. when we went to our upgraded room our room was still very small. I'm not sure if she tricked us to getting a different room or that was our original room. I would never know. The worst part was that when we checked out we waited for a taxi, we sat there for an hour or so she never mentioned anything about extra charges, she never had me sign any bill supposedly that we created while we stayed in a hotel. I had a feeling that she will charge us with something bogus. Sure enough I check my credit card there was a charged $161.00, I had no idea we incurred extra charges because we didn't use anything or took anything, we didn't even use the shampoos etc. I have no idea what the extra charges are for. Thank God, I checked my credit card and disputed the charges. That whole experience spoiled our vacation. My daughter and I travel every year for the last 20 yrs. Never in my travel we were treated like that. She was aggressive and rude. When she saw us she already was judging us. Always treat everybody the same. You just dont know. The manager on the other hand was amazing I wish he was the one that checked us in that would have been a totally different experience for us. I would not recommend this hotel. Breakfast...