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Member Name: cheetarah

Product:	Best Western Jardin de Cluny (Paris)
Date:	31/08/08 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clean, spacious, great location

Disadvantages: I'm struggling to come up with anything...

For our recent holiday in Paris we were looking for a centrally-located hotel with a mid-range level of facilities. My searching narrowed the selection down to two, from which we picked this hotel, and a fantastic choice it proved to be. The lovely Jardin de Cluny hotel is on Rue du Sommerard in the 5th arrondissement of Paris - the area known as the Latin Quarter. It provided us with an ideal base for exploring the immediate area, including Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint-Louis, as well as having excellent public transport links.

Our arrival into Paris was via Eurostar to Gare du Nord. We elected to take a 10 minute taxi ride to the hotel at a cost of Euro14 (the return taxi journey cost Euro17 in much heavier traffic). The hotel is located in a one-way system in a residential area just off Boulevard Saint-Germain (the main street running through the Latin and St Germain quarters), and has the benefit of very little traffic noise.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the first of the courteous and helpful reception staff that we would encounter over the duration of our stay. The reception area of the hotel is modern and light, with a comfortable seating area and complimentary newspapers (French, British, and American). Check-in was a quick confirmation of the details provided in the online booking, and an explanation of the breakfast options, mini-bar facility, and security policy, before we were shown to our room.

We had selected a deluxe quality room at a rate of Euro169 per night (based on the exchange rate at the time of purchase, this equated to £133 per night). Based on the reviews I had read prior to booking, the deluxe rooms were slightly bigger and had been recently upgraded (the hotel is slowly undergoing a complete refurbishment). They are also located at the rear of the hotel which backs onto a very quiet street. All rooms are accessible by stairs and a lift. We did find it amusing that the lift can apparently take 3 adults - it was cosy enough with 2 average-size people in it!

Our room was light, airy, and clean, with contemporary décor. Furnishings comprised a (very comfortable) queen sized bed with 2 pillows (2 extra in the wardrobe, along with a blanket); bedside units; a desk with 2 drawers and 2 comfortable chairs; a wardrobe with full-length hanging space with hangers, shelves and a drawer, and the in-room safe; cupboard containing mini-bar (plenty of room to store your own food & drink in the fridge as well) and shelf; flat-screen tv; collapsible suitcase stand; hairdryer; telephone.
The en-suite bathroom had an adjustable shower over the bath and combination shampoo/shower-gel was provided together with liquid handwash, 2 washcloths, 2 hand towels, 2 bath towels, a bath mat, tissues, and 2 pairs of slippers. A fairly small handbasin was housed in a very large vanity unit providing ample storage space for toiletries, with an additional shelf underneath as well. The toilet was in a separate en-suite on the other side of the room.

A tea & coffee tray can be requested from reception and is replenished daily.

The air conditioning was on when we arrived - we found it to be very effective even on the lowest of the 3 settings. It was also quiet enough to use during the night, if necessary.

Of course we were in Paris to see Paris, but at the end of the day we wanted somewhere we were happy to come back to for some well-earned rest. The housekeeping service was excellent and discreet, the reception staff were always welcoming, and it was a pleasure to return to the hotel after a day of sightseeing. You are required to leave your room key at reception when you are out of the hotel, but the reception is manned 24 hours a day.

There is a breakfast room in the hotel, which provides a buffet-style breakfast for Euro14 per person per day, however we didn't use this.

Our check out was fairly quick - we hadn't incurred any extra charges, and we didn't have any complaints so it was all a formality of checking the bill. The hotel will store your luggage on your day of departure if you aren't travelling until later in the day. We had a train to catch though, and the hotel arranged a taxi for us while we waited.

For those of you who haven't worked it out yet (!) my title is location, location, location. For us, this was one of the biggest advantages of the hotel.
A couple of minutes walk brings you to the triangular intersection of Place Maubert and Boulevard St Germain, where you can find an excellent boulangerie and fromagerie, together with several other small shops, cafes, and bars. These give you plenty of options for having breakfast in a café (Café du Metro is perfectly situated for people watching) or picking up something to eat on the banks of the Seine or one of the islands. The market is held here every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and has a variety of stalls selling food (very popular with the locals) and clothing/jewellery/souvenirs. On the corner here is also the nearest Metro - Maubert Mutualite (line 10); Cluny la Sorbonne and St Michel Notre-Dame stations are also within very easy walking distance.
A couple of minutes further on from Place Maubert, down some lovely streets filled with restaurants and little shops, you arrive at Quai de Montebello - the south bank of the Seine - with Notre Dame in front of you. It makes a pretty good view for when you have breakfast! Also located here is the Notre Dame stop for the Batobus river-boat shuttle service.

Writing this review has brought back lots of wonderful memories - I can't wait to return to Paris, and when I do, this hotel will be at the top of my list for where I want to stay. This 3-star hotel gets a full 5 stars from me!


P.S. I hope someone corrects me if my title isn't quite right!


Extra info
As at summer 2008, current internet rates range from Euro129 per night for a single room to Euro359 per night for a 2-bed junior suite. These are on a room-only basis, with a buffet breakfast available for Euro14 per person per day.
All rooms are non-smoking.
Iron & ironing board can be provided on request.
Non-feather pillows and bedcover can be provided on request.
Check-in: 12 noon
Check-out: 12 noon
No pets allowed
Wireless internet access available

Address: 9 Rue Du Sommerard, Paris, FR-75005, France
Telephone: 33 1 43542266
Fax: 33 1 40510336
Web: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/advSearch. do

Summary: A 3-star Parisien hotel 5 minutes from Ile de la Cite