When I was planning the Paris leg of my Europe trip, it took me a while to find a place to stay. Hotels in Paris are generally expensive and based on reviews, the really cheap ones are bad.
Of course, I eventually found a hotel and this was New Hotel Saint Lazare in Paris. I had some doubts because there were mixed reviews about it but given that it wasn't too cheap and also not too pricey, I decided to just book it. I stayed there for five nights and here's my review.
 |
| spacious and comfortable bed |
Location
I think this is my favorite thing about this hotel. The location of New Hotel Saint Lazare is very convenient as there are numerous restaurants, cafes, and fast food places within a 10-minute walk. There's even a shopping mall within walking distance.
From the hotel, I can easily get to other parts of the city. There are three metro stations close to it: Europe, Liège, and Place de Clichy. It's also close to Gare Saint-Lazare, which is one of the busiest stations in the city as it connects to other cities in France by train.
I also love the fact that even though this street gets quite busy, it's pretty quiet at night.
Amenities
I booked a solo room with a private bathroom and toilet. When I made the booking, I was expecting a small room with a solo bed which is why I was surprised that my room was big. It had a double bed, which was quite comfortable. There was no air conditioning which is something to be expected as AC isn't common in Paris, and since I visited during autumn, it was quite cold. So having no AC could be a problem in the summer months.
I had plenty of space in the room for my stuff and there was even a small closet space where I hung my clothes. There was also a small TV, a desk, a chair for the desk, and a stool for additional seating. My only nitpick was that the outlet wasn't close to the bed.
 |
| my room had a desk, chair, and stool, plus lots of space |
They gave me a room on the top-most floor which only had a small window, but it was better than nothing. The room itself looks outdated but the amenities are quite decent. The bathroom was quite small but it was clean.
My booking also included daily breakfast and I thought it was very good. It was buffet-style and there was an assortment of meat, cheeses, and bread, including croissants, of course. There was also jam, Nutella, crackers, yogurt, cereal, milk, coffee, and fruit juice.
Cleanliness
While it wasn't the prettiest hotel room I've stayed in, my room at New Hotel Saint Lazare was clean. They cleaned it regularly, and they even changed the towels daily. I read reviews on Google that there were funky smells in their room but I didn't experience that. Overall, the cleanliness of the room and the common areas in the hotel was quite good.
 |
| small closet space with a rail for hanging clothes |
Customer Service
The customer service was quite good. Despite the usual stereotype that Parisians aren't welcoming, my experience was different and I found the hotel staff to be very friendly. The receptionists greeted me every time I passed by the lobby and they were more than happy to help me whenever I had questions.
Price
Compared to other budget hotels in Paris, New Hotel Saint Lazare is a bit pricey but it wasn't ridiculously expensive. I paid PHP6,050 per night, which is around €100, and this probably is the most I've ever paid for a hotel. The rate also didn't include the city tax which was around €7.
With what I've experienced and everything that I got - from the spacious room, big bed, daily cleaning, and breakfast, I thought it was good value for money.
Again, I want to stress the fact that hotels in Paris are really expensive. If you see a hotel room online that costs less than €50 per night, then it's probably because it's a really bad hotel. If you're on a tight budget, I'd recommend booking a hostel room. Personally, I prefer hotels because I like my privacy.
 |
| the view from my hotel room |
Overall, I had a very pleasant stay at New Hotel Saint Lazare in Paris. I'd recommend it and I'd stay here again if ever I'm back in Paris.
0 Comments