Kenneth Tangerois3 Maroc
Google
A friend who lives in an apartment in the Marais area of Paris recommended that my brother and I stay at Hôtel Américain on Rue Charlot, not far from Place de La République. He said the hotel was not expensive by Paris standards.
My brother booked a room for two with a double bed and private bath. We travelled in mid-October and took a taxi from a train station to avoid carrying heavy bags up and down stairs in a Metro station.
When we arrived at the hotel, we showed the receptionist our passports. My brother paid the room tax of in Euros for seven nights, but upon counting his change, he realized that he was short-changed by 5 Euros. When informed of his mistake, the receptionist gave him the 5 Euros. Afterwards, we got the key and took the elevator to our third floor room, which faced a small triangular park on Rue Charlot.
The room had a comfortable bed, a flat-screen television, one tall double window with dark curtains, and on a small desk there was an electric water kettle for tea or instant coffee, but it was a small room, and there was only two feet, at most, between the edge of the bed and the wall with the window.
We inquired why the air-conditioning was not working since the automatic thermostat on the wall did not turn it on. The receptionist said it was turned off at the end of September.
Our toilet was clean and had a bathtub, and there was plenty of hot water. Towels, including washcloths and a floor mat, were provided.
We skipped the 10 Euros breakfast in a basement cave-like room with tables and chairs because we do not like coffee out of a machine. While it might be OK for some, I prefer real fresh coffee, not from a machine.
You may hear occasional street noises. We were awakened at 3 AM by young people sitting on park benches down below.
The elevator is quite small but fast. The reception area can only be described as 1970s tacky, with faux leather chairs and several vending machines, including one that dispenses instant coffee. It has a sign on it that says no change is returned, so if you put in a 2 Euro coin, you will not get your change of 50 cents for the 1.50 Euro instant coffee.
Daily maid service begins on the third day. We noticed we were given fresh towels, and our bed was made up, but with the same sheets and the same pillow covers.
Most annoying was the lengthy internet or WiFi outage that lasted for four whole days. No one at reception could tell us when the WiFi would be fixed, nor did they seem to care.
For the location, this two star hotel is convenient, but don’t expect Parisian charm or luxury. You can walk to many cafés, restaurants, and various shops on Rue de Bretagne or Place de la République. Several food stores are five minutes away.
One week at Hôtel Américain was quite enough.
Credit and debit cards are accepted, and cash in Euros.