Holiday Inn Express Paris - Canal de la Villette by IHG — Hotel in Paris

We booked this hotel based on other reviewson the IHG website and we weren't disappointed. On the bank of the La Canal Villette and surrounded by residential streets, it's away from the hustle and bustle of central Paris but is only about 20-30 minutes away from all the main attractions. The rooms are clean and comfortable. We were upgraded to a room facing the canal which was great. The room itself was big enough for us, but we were only ever going to use it as somewhere to crash out after sightseeing all day. It only had a shower which was fine for us and it was certainly big enough, you just have to be careful as the shower head points towards the shower door and you have to avoid a wet bathroom floor.

Our room also had a sofa bed which our 5 year old son loved as his bed and the fact that he had the best view of the canal.

The room had a TV but we never used this. It also had a hair drier and a kettle with some coffee and tea. Our room didn't have a wardrobe, but there was a unit to hang clothes. The bed was comfortable and you have a choice of firm or soft pillows. The air conditioning was good and we needed as it was very warm in the room when we got back each night.

The rooms have free Wi-Fi. Make sure you ask for the password at reception.

Breakfast was included which was fantastic and meant you could get fuelled up before your day out. It is a self service buffet but space is very tight and you have to be careful not to bump into other guests as you navigate around the selection of bread, croissants, cold meats, cereal etc. The hotel staff were running in and out the kitchen topping up all the food so there was always plenty of stuff to choose from. They only have one toaster so be prepared to wait if you want toast.

The location of the hotel is fantastic, you are no more than 5 minutes away from the Metro. The nearest stop is Riquet which is on the M7 line ( the Pink one). This line takes you right into the centre of Paris and has connections to other lines that take you everywhere else.

The Hotel is on the bank of the Canal de La Villette and in the summer the banks have lots of activities such as pedal boats, pétanque courts, some little bars and cafés all of which make a walk along the canal after a days worth of sightseeing, a nice addition.

Around the corner to the hotel is a youth hostel and probably one of the best bars we came across during our stay. Bellushi's bar is part of the St Christopher's youth hostel. We went in there for lunch on our first day and it was fantastic. American style food in big portions, really friendly staff, free Wi-Fi and a really relaxed atmosphere. The other good thing is that you don't pay central Paris prices for drinks (4 Euros for a bottle of Corona as opposed to 7-9 Euros in central Paris)

The hotel is only about 30-40 minutes from Charles de Gaulle airport and shouldn't cost more than €50 by taxi.

I would definitely recommend the Holiday Inn Express Canal de la Villette for anyone visiting Paris. We could not find a fault with the hotel and will be making this our first choice on any more trips to Paris, which if my son has his way, will...

We have stayed at this hotel 4 or 5 times now. It's a great hotel. Breakfast is terrific. The rooms are a very good size for Paris - and reasonably priced. Staff are pleasant and efficient. But this stay was marred by a complete lack of service at a critical time on departure.

After checking out I asked for a cab to be called for me, my handicapped wife and our not inconsiderable luggage. At that point, I was informed there was a taxi strike. No signs about this had been placed in the foyer or elevators. No attempt had been made to contact guests and inform them. This is appalling, non-existent customer service. When I asked the woman behind the desk what we could do she said to take the Metro - no empathy or concern. When I pushed her she went to speak with her manager who did not bother to come out to speak with us. Eventually, she booked a cab on the computer, but when I asked her how long it might be she said she didn't know. It was at that point I realized that she booked the car just to get rid of me and that it would not be coming. Pathetic customer service by the manager and the desk clerk - reflects badly on the Holiday Inn brand and this hotel in particular - and the other staff who did their job well during our stay. I used to love this hotel. Now I just have a sour taste in my mouth as they were prepared to take our money and just abandon us. A professional manager and staff would have placed signs in the elevators and foyer at least the day before warning of the taxi strike. A professional manager and staff would have organized alternative transport to be available for guests who might need it. A professional manager and staff would not treat guests with contempt by telling people who obviously couldn't to "take the Metro".

I have recommended this hotel to many friends. I'm afraid I could not do that after such a poor customer service experience. And despite really liking the hotel and its location I will have to think very hard about staying again...

Great location, metro one block away, Time to the city 20mins average. Breakfast was excellent, lots of choices. Nice staff, they are helpful but has limited capability to do so, Hotel was very hot when i arrived, my room was even hotter. I spoke to the front desk staff a few times and even went down to the front desk and they showed me how to set the A/C but still did not work, so sleeping was a bit uncomfortable. As a gold elite member they could have made sure the a/c was on and working, especially knowing how unuaslly hot it was this year. At check-in there was no visible priority checkin sign and I was not greeted as an elite member which is fine by me, I just wanted good service regardless of my status. There was a line and like i said earlier the lobby was really hot, no A/C. Slept with the window opened, it got chilly in the early mornings, so that helped cooled the room down. So, it depends on your tolerance level in this situation, that will determine if you will enjoy your stay. the hotel sits right on the canal and changes lights every few seconds at night nice to look at,. really relaxing and beautiful to sit by the canal and look at all the lights and activities going on around you. A bit noisy Saturday night due to lots of people hanging out very late by the canal. Lots of restaurants and good food near by, sports bar attached to the hotel, also a restaurant. Based on previous reviews I read from past guests before I stayed there, especially the A/C situation a past guest had experience and the hotel manager responded, i thought that they would have learned from that and made sure it didn't happen again. I hope the hotel management make sure to go the extra mile to provide good service to their elite members. Overall nice place to stay, great location, friendly staff. As an elite member I was allowed to check out late 2pm so I had time to go to the city the morning for a cruise and didn't have to worry...