Hôtel Léopold — Hotel in Paris

I have stayed at the Hotel Leopold twice in the last 3 months, and I'm so impressed with the beauty of the hotel, the rooms, the general attentiveness of the staff, and their kindness. My first stay was 100% perfection. From an amazing breakfast, to knowledgeable concierge who at each step provided valuable advice and amazing restaurant recommendations, I was thrilled.

My second stay was a little less impressive on the services front, however the staff are incredibly interested in doing the right thing and being helpful, and I sincerely appreciate that. They are proactive and kind at every turn. It wasn't bad, but there were a few things that didn't hold up.

1. the hotel breakfast felt like a step down in quality from my visit in December (the breakfast in December was so amazing I have multiple photos of the spread and my plate. The coffee didn't taste nearly as good - it was somewhat bitter this time (I wonder if they changed service providers), same with the orange juice, which had a bite to it. They've switched to a big block of butter vs. the (AMAZING) single serving butters, which when I saw some of the guests kids coughing quite a bit, didn't really make me interested in sharing a big block of butter (which by the time I arrived at 8:30 looked pretty butchered). The kicker for me though, was the croissants that they served - they were flattened, as if they'd either been smushed or hadn't risen properly. Additionally, I noticed the staff was not able to keep up with the rush of guests that had descended on the (and it was QUITE a rush, to be fair).
2. The hotel had trouble, I think, keeping up with servicing the rooms. Twice I came back between 4 and 5PM, and my room hadn't been serviced yet - the second time I'd even put the sign on the door when I left in the morning. On my last full day, I just asked them not to service the room, because I didn't want to deal with a delay, but asked if they could deliver water to the room. They never did.

I suppose there is quite a difference between coming during low season (in December) and in March when the hotel seems to be at full capacity. And I felt it.

Overall though, I still consider the Leopold my home in Paris, and I am quite confident with such amazing, committed and incredibly kind staff, they'll be working our these minor kinks in the coming weeks, and it'll be back to that gem I discovered...

Sadly, don’t book. I have been to Paris six times and this was my most disappointing experience. The hotel itself is fine and it works. It’s in a quiet area. It’s obviously small, but the room sizes are listed online. The service is also fine - everyone was kind. Here are my two main concerns, number one being the most important:

1. our hotel room bathroom had black mold in it. I noticed a smell in the shower on day two but thought it was simply humidity. On day 3-4 I realized that the smell was in fact mold. I looked further and could actually see black mold. The smell got worse and worse over the four days. What really got me was the fact that it started causing cold-like/allergy-type symptoms for me. I thought I was allergic to something for the first two days but then realized my symptoms were completely consistent with black mold exposure. My eyes are stinging, I’m sniffly and congested, and having headaches. I told the hotel as soon as I realized the night before checkout. No one replied. Then at check out I told them again, and they essentially said that they would credit me my coffee cost (….) and that I should have told them sooner. When I explained how I didn’t put two and two together until day 3, and that I messaged as soon as I realized, they couldn’t offer any help. Completely unacceptable. In any event, they told me the hotel was fully booked when we checked in so I don’t know what they would have done?
2. the hotel hallways (“hallways”) and staircase are very dark and depressing. There’s basically no light, which is not great especially in June which is such a lovely sunny time in Paris. Ultimately, it’s a sleep-able place, but NOT worth the cost or the negative...

Wow, were we lucky to snag this place last minute for the 2024 Olympics! Hotels were too expensive to book inside the city when we were first planning our trip and typically I don't make spontaneous travel decisions, but less than a week before our departure, I decided to look up who had last-minute availability and Hotel Leopold was a great deal (cheaper than what our non-air-conditioned Air BNB 45 min outside the city was going to be). We switched last minute and I remarked 100 times over the trip what a great decision it was. The hotel was clean and comfortable, and in August heat I was thrilled we had A/C available. We "upgraded" to a Deluxe room, which provided some additional space for our 6-night stay. Typical small European hotel size, but the bed was spacious and comfy and as long as we stayed organized, there was sufficient space for us. The location was absolutely perfect. In a neighborhood that was very quiet in the middle of the night when you're trying to sleep, but a short walk to local restaurants and cafes. Plus, steps (literally) from the 4 and 6 Metro lines that got us to just about everywhere, including the Eiffel Tower in 6ish stops. The 12 Metro line was also a short walk if we needed a different direction. The neighborhood felt safe and it was great that the hotel front desk was staffed 24/7 as we did get back very late a few nights. Overall, I would 100 percent stay here again for a typical trip to Paris. I am so relieved to have...