Holiday Inn Paris Opera - Grands Blvds by IHG — Hotel in Paris

I stayed this hotel few times, because of good location for my aims in Paris and modern style of the rooms, which I like. It takes about 10-15 minutes walk to Opera, Gallery Lafayette, Printemps and about 20 minutes walk to Notre Dame. Although it is necessary to make two changes if you use RER from the airport, it takes about 1 hour to get to the hotel from SDG. The price is 9,75 for one way. From the airport you go to Gare du Nord, then make a change and go to line 4 and go to Strasbourg, then make one more change to line 8 and go to Grand Boulevard. Use exit 1, which is located before the hotel entrance. The hotel also offer to order a shuttle from the hotel to the airport for 19 euro for a person. The hotel looks rather modern, but there are 2 things, which always gets on my nerves. First - wifi. It will be better to say, that they don't have wifi, because inspite in which room I stayed, the result always was the same: it constantly disappear and it takes a great time to load a any site, even with news. For the hotel, which considered 4 stars, it is unacceptable. I exited from the hotel and used wifi of the restaurant Brebant, which is located on the right from the hotel - it was much more comfortable. The other decision is to buy a local sim card - it cost about 10 euro for sim card and 9 euro for 1 Gb of internet for a week. The second thing, which I don't like - room cleaning. The last time, when I entered my room after check-in, I found a t-shirt of previous guest, which was left on the top of the wardrobe. On sunday I always saw the same situation: when I returned at 2 or 2-30 pm, the room wasn't cleaned. The last time I decided to discuss it with the stuff member at reception. Lady said to me, that it is normal, because they finish to clean their rooms at 5 pm and if I want to get a cleaned room earlier, I should to say about desired cleaning time on reception. As for me, I consider it is not normal for 4 star hotel, but it is a decision. What about breakfast, I can't say it is very various, but it is normal. Although staff usually works very slow. For example, 31 august at 9 am yogurt and still water finished, on the table of distribution was spilled milk, stood 2 empty bottles, but one of the staff man, stood and got bored, but did nothing to clean it and to refill. As a Platinum IHG member I always get a room upgrade and 500 points instead of welcome drink. But the hotel never presenting personal greeting from the hotel management to Elite IHG members on arrival, although it is ordinary practice for the majority IHG hotels. Resume: if you find a good rate, it is not a bad choice, but if the price is very high, then should to check...

Let's start with pros. This hotel is located in the heart of Paris, walking distance to many attractions, the metro station (even though one difficult to connect with other lines) in front of the hotel's entrance. The standart room has surprisingly nice bathroom with very comfortable shower (unlike many other Hol'Inns which have slippery tube). And Paris is one of the greatest cities in the world. But that would be all. The worst thing this hotel offers is dramatically uncomfortable bed and mattress. Stayed in many different Holiday Inns around Europe. This one was worst. The room we reserved was given to us as a reward in the loyalty program. Collecting enough points in the program to reserve room in Paris requires a lot of effort and the strongest feeling of loyalty to Holiday Inn brand. What do you get as reward in exchange for your highest Spire status? The poorest and smallest room with stigmatizing award sign next to the entrance door. The mattress not wide enough for the two persons, unless they choose to sleep embracing each other for the whole night. Looking for some individual space we slept on sides, but that was dangerous, the mattress was soft and under body's pressure buckled down. On one night I fell down to the floor, on other night I woke up and avoided it at the last minute. For other nights I nearly did not sleep at all afraid of falling down from the bed onto the floor for myself and my wive. The claustrophobic room was equipped with only one chair for two persosns. It took some tense negotiatios with the reception to get us the second chair. The breakfast featured deliciouis French croissants and good coffee, but was monotonous, the same superfat sausages every day no other essential breakfast items, such as dairy products (cottage cheese, cheese spread). The staff was friendly and polite but not very competent. Each time I had a question regarding for example directions how to reach one of Paris attractions they rushed to obtain Google's help. Which I already did myself.... And in the end I don't buy the hotel's excuse, this is Paris, what do you expect....? Brand is brand, when you use it you give guarantee of observing certain standards. Show Paris folks Holiday Inns in Vienna, Moscow. or Lodz. Maybe they would able to...

The rooms were nice, clean, modern. This hotel has been renovated recently. Enjoyed the balcony on our 4th floor (3rd etage) rooms (we had 2 rooms). Location is great...Metro right out the front door and withing walking distance to major shopping district. Consistent with previous posters, the Internet is frustratingly slow. Spent entirely too much of my stay trying to get and stay online. Websites kept timing out. It's really just easier to go to Starbucks down the street to download all of your emails.

We did have a problem with water leaking through the ceiling into the bathroom of one of our rooms. Because water pooled on the floor in front of the commode, it was obviously leaking from around the toilet one floor up. It took several tries with the staff to get this corrected. First person they sent up...after we described the problem including the puddle of tainted water in the bathroom...said he "couldn't find anything wrong with the room." He obviously didn't look in the bathroom. After another couple of discussions about soiled water on the floor they moved us in a basement #-1 etage# room for that night... basement rooms feel isolated, you go through a maze to get to them...didn't feel particularly safe. After all of that, when we went to move back to the original room the next afternoon...the problem still hadn't been addressed! Finally at that time they sent up an engineer so we could show him the leak and puddle.

Breakfast buffet had some good choices but was high priced compared to neighboring cafes and nothing cooked to order.

Queen bed was two separate mattresses and there was no mattress pad so I kept feeling like I was falling to a hole as the mattresses would separate. Pick one side or the other to sleep on.

This may be a "French thing" but it seems like if the staff doesn't understand you...they choose to ignore you. Asked the attendant in the breakfast room for a glass of ice. She said "let me check with the kitchen" and then went back to minding the hostess stand, never following up. Same issue with the multiple requests to the front desk re: the leak. I'd give this hotel a 5 for physical facility and location but a 2 for service responsiveness. Have had better service experiences at other Holiday...