Le Relais Saint Germain — Restaurant in Paris

Great Location, But Disappointing Service

I recently stayed at this hotel and booked my room the same day, which was a great deal for the area. The location is fantastic, right in the middle of St. Germain de Pres and the 6th arrondissement, which is my favorite part of Paris. Opening the window to a quintessential Parisian view was delightful, with the added charm of hearing French songs from the street below in the afternoons—like something out of a movie.

However, the experience was marred by poor service at the front desk. While most of the staff were polite and professional, the woman at the front desk during our stay was incredibly disrespectful and unprofessional. Upon arrival, she explained things in a very impolite manner, repeatedly insisting on knowing our entire schedule, including when we planned to wake up, have breakfast, and leave the room. Despite our reassurances that we would follow the hotel’s timing, she continued to insist on its importance.

Our room was another issue—we received two shampoos but no shower gel. When my girlfriend asked for one, the receptionist initially refused to believe us, questioning our word and insisting that the staff never make such mistakes. Eventually, she sent someone to check, and we were proven right, but the interaction left a bad taste.

The following morning, I chose to fill out the breakfast order form and bring it directly to the front desk. The same receptionist looked at the form with clear disgust and even showed it to the cleaning lady, laughing together. When I confronted her about it, she criticized how I filled out the form and suggested, “Why don’t you have breakfast in the restaurant so it’s easier?”—which is not something you say to a guest. When our breakfast finally arrived, it was incorrect, and when we called to address the issue, she blamed me for filling out the form “wrong.”

When my girlfriend called to inform them that our order was completely wrong, this same person started arguing in an extremely informal manner (like a teenager), insisting that it was my fault because I had filled out the form incorrectly—even though she had asked me to redo it with her! My girlfriend pointed out that regardless, this is not the way to speak to customers, and that the essence of her job is not to argue or pass judgment, let alone blame the guests. In response, the receptionist claimed that there were four people in front of her who could attest that she wasn’t being disrespectful, all while verbally attacking my girlfriend with her rapid speech and lack of professionalism. Where are we now? A playground argument? Shocked by such vulgarity and unprofessionalism, my girlfriend decided to hang up. It was truly a shocking and unpleasant experience for her to feel so attacked in this situation.

This level of unprofessionalism is unacceptable, especially at a hotel of this caliber. Hotel staff should be courteous and focused on finding solutions in a polite manner. Unfortunately, this was not our...

I wouldn't want anyone else to go through my experience. I should warn you of what happened to me! I arrived at the hotel with my partner directly from the airport. It was 5 p.m. We hurried to drop our things in the room, to grab a coffee nearby. When leaving, the lady at the reception asks us to leave the key. On our return, we notice that the bedroom door was no longer double-locked as we left it. My partner notices that her handbag had been searched. I go to check my backpack and see that the envelope containing the money, has been moved and put in another compartment of the backpack, and money was missing. Not all the money but a little of each currency (€ 800, £ 100, $ 500) I head immediately down to reception to ask them who had access to the room. I am told that the porter (Yussuf) has entered to arrange the room for the night. I ask the gentleman at the reception to follow me. He calls the porter who goes up with us. I ask the latter what he had done exactly since neither the curtains were closed, nor the bedspread removed, nor the water bottles left by the bed… He claims he had come upstairs to turn on the light! No justification for his presence in our room during our absence. The worst part is the lack of reaction from the receptionists. We asked them to check the cameras, but said they needed the approval of the manager who, for 2 hours, was not answering calls or messages! And the porter who looked at us defiantly from a distance! It looked like they were all colluding. We then decide to call the police, who came to make the report and advised us to file a complaint the next day, the police station being closed at this time. The next day no feedback or reaction from the hotel. Neither the manager (Helene Sanles) nor the owner bothered to at least apologize for what had happened or find a remedy! At the end of the day we asked if they had checked the cameras. They claim that no one other than the porter had entered. Then added that they have never had a problem with him ... We felt, in addition to have been robbed, that we were being suspected of lying!

We filed a complaint at the police station. Enclosed the deposition. To this day, no apologies, no feedback from the hotel! Please avoid this hotel where our privacy has been violated, and our...

My husband and.I had an amazing week in Paris while staying at Relais St. Germain last year. The location cannot be beat -- close walking distance to restaurants, shopping, grocery/convenience stores, parks, and the Seine. For the skincare aficionados, it's a 5 minute walk to CityPharma. It's also