America Opera Hotel, Paris

...hotel. The hotel is named America Opera and Elysees Opera, i stayed in the Elysees Opera. I'm not sure as to why there are 2 names?

== Location ==
The road of Rue de Turin was very easy to find. We got the Metro to the nearest stop, Rome, and we were provided with a small map illustrating the location. So we found the road and walked down it, only passing one hotel on the way down. This hotel was named The America Opera. However ...
...(which said it was The America Opera) it said Elysees Opera. For some reason the hotel seems to be operating under 2 different names. So if you do decide to stay here, then make sure that you know what you are looking for.

It is very easy to get to from the Gare du Nord, as you just take the Blue line (Number 2) towards Port Dauphine and get off at either Place de Clichy or Rome. We used Rome as it was at the less busy end of Boulevard ... more

I stayed in this hotel in August 2007 and the following is my view and opinion.

I would also like to state that on Ciao, this hotel is listed as a 1 star hotel, whereas in fact the Elysees Opera is a 3 star hotel. The hotel is named America Opera and Elysees Opera, i stayed in the Elysees Opera. I'm not sure as to why there are 2 names?

Location

The road of Rue de Turin was very easy to find. We got the Metro to the nearest stop, Rome, and we were provided with a small map illustrating the location. So we found the road and walked down it, only passing one hotel on the way down. This hotel was named The America Opera. However we had booked in to The Elysees Opera Hotel. So we kept walking until we got to the end of the road. We decided that we would go to the hotel and ask for directions to our one. As we approached we noticed that under the marquee (which said it was The America Opera) it said Elysees Opera. For some reason the hotel seems to be operating under 2 different names. So if you do decide to stay here, then make sure that you know what you are looking for.

It is very easy to get to from the Gare du Nord, as you just take the Blue line (Number 2) towards Port Dauphine and get off at either Place de Clichy or Rome. We used Rome as it was at the less busy end of Boulevard Des Batignoles (the main street running through the area, which Rue de Turin branches from.) This means that it is accessible very easily, although the station did have a lot of steps and I did not notice any wheelchair access. From this metro station, just 5 minutes walk from our hotel we were able to get everywhere in the city, including The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre Museum and Disneyland Paris. It is also in walking distance of Montmartre and Le Galleries Lafayette. I felt that our hotel was in a prime location making it easy for us to get around the city.

Paris itself is a very noisy city; being the capital of France this should be expected. There is always a lot of noise around including during the evenings and at night time. The fact that our hotel was situated in such an area did not make it any better; this was clearly visible with our balcony doors open. However, the hotel offers soundproofed rooms, as standard to combat this noise, of which I will go into more detail later.

Overall for the location I would give it a 9/10, we never struggled to find anything that we were looking for, apart from the hotel itself in the first instance. Everything is easily accessible, and with a Patisserie and small shop on the corner we had everything that we could ask for.

Local Attractions

• Opera Garnier: 10 mns, Bus 66, metro line 3
• Montmartre: 20 mns, Bus 30, metro line 2
• Arc de Triomphe / Champs Elysées: 10/12 mns, Bus 30, metro line 2
• Musée Cernushi / Asian arts: 15 mns walking distance
• Public Garden "Parc Monceau": 10 mns walking distance
• Madeleine Church / Concord circus: 20 mns, metro line 13, Bus 94
• Jardin des Plantes: 35 mns, metro line 2/connection line 4
• St Germain des Prés: 35/40 mns, metro line 2/4, Bus 95
• Moulin Rouge: 10 mns walking distance,metro line 2
• Tour Eiffel: 20/25 mns, Bus 30, metro lines 2/6

Taken from http://www.lastminute.com/site/find/World/Europe/France/Paris/LMN-Hotel-214 409-0-2-EXT:136369$v1v$.html

Reception/Lounge/Bar Area

The reception room, as with any hotel is the first room that we entered. It looked very clean, neat and tidy with a presentable member of staff sitting behind the desk. Our check-in was handled very professionally and swiftly, with no problems at all. We were then told that we could leave our bags with them securely, our room was not quite ready, as we had an early Eurostar journey, so we were given a map and advice on where we could spend a few hours. We walked down to the Galleries Lafayette.

The reception area gave us a good first impression of our hotel and we were very pleased by the welcoming service that we received. The lounge and bar area backs on to the reception area, and there is a small divide between them. Again this area is very neat and tidy, although it is very small. They offer a small range of alcoholic drinks as well as fruit juices and teas and coffees. We used this area once after coming in from the Eiffel Tower and a beautiful meal to get a pot of tea, which we took to our room. The chairs are quite comfortable and it has a very relaxing feel to it as it is quite secluded.

Room

Before we went to Paris we were told that the rooms/hotels there are notoriously small, as land in Paris is at a premium, therefore being very expensive. So we did not get our hopes up. However, upon arrival to our room we were pleasantly surprised; we had a double bed, with lots of room all around it, 2 bedside tables a desk and a wardrobe. None of which infringed on the space of the room too much. It was very clean when we got there, and was cleaned daily whilst we were out, every day to a high standard. Our room also came with an electronic safe. We had a small balcony that overlooked the street behind the hotel, this was a lot quieter than most of the surrounding streets, but was still noisy. I don't think the hotel could not offer a good view as it is in the city, and was not close enough to the main attractions like the Eiffel Tower.

In our room we also had a very good shower and bathroom, it was a lot bigger than most that I have been in, again this came as a surprise. This was clean as well, and contained complimentary shampoo and conditioner. The shower itself was quite powerful and there was constant hot water.

The soundproof windows were a God-send! The difference was clearly heard when we opened them onto the balcony. We could here traffic everywhere all the time, as well as all the other common noises in a city, people talking/shouting and cars beeping being the most common. These come as standard on all the rooms in the hotel and I am very pleased we had them. Initially I thought the soundproofing was to keep in sounds, that young couples could be making, but once we were there we realised that it does keep the sound out as well. Both were a bonus.

Overall I was very pleased with our room, and could not have asked for anything more, therefore I would definitely have to give it 10/10.

Room Prices

All of the following prices include taxes, and are based on a per room per night basis. Taken from http://www.hotelclub.net/hotel.reservations/Elysees_Opera_Hotel_Paris.htm

Superior Room

Single EUR 122.00
Double EUR 122.00
Extra Bed EUR 25.00

Deluxe Room

Single EUR 135.00
Double EUR 135.00
Twin EUR 135.00
Extra Bed EUR 25.00

Facilities

The hotel offered us very limited facilities. In our room we had a safe, which we could program our own code to keep our belongings in, i.e. passports and euros. We also had a television in our room, only showing French channels, obviously in French. This was good for my girlfriend as one of her modules in University is French, I on the other hand, could not understand a word. So if you are someone who cannot live without television, then I would not advise this hotel. The hotel also offers the bar and lounge facility which I have mentioned. There is also a restaurant downstairs which was very small. Breakfast was offered here, but I am not sure what other meals were. You have the choice of continental or English breakfast, and was priced quite reasonably, at about 10 euros each, for a buffet style.

Overall, the facilities offered by the hotel are very limited and only the essentials are offered. Including lifts to get to the floors, which operated efficiently, apart from one day, where they were out of order. This problem however, was fixed within 24 hours.

Staff

The only staff that we encountered during out stay at the hotel were the receptionists. The 3 that we spoke to were very helpful and polite. There were many instances where we asked them for advice, where to go and how to get there for example. Speaking very good English and always willing to help they gave us a good impression, as well as a lasting one. They made jokes and made us feel very welcome, adding to the feeling of warmth and welcomeness they originally gave us. If the rest of the staff are as helpful and friendly as those behind reception then I would be very impressed. The staff we encountered were also well presented, dressed neatly in smart attire appropriate to their job and roles.

I would definitely give all the staff 10/10 for everything, ranging from local knowledge to humour and friendliness. I knew that they would be able to help us with any queries we had and would have no trouble or qualms with helping us. This is, I believe essential in any receptionists role. We thanked them sincerely as we left, and they seemed genuinely pleased with the service they were able to provide.

Check-In/Check-Out Times

Check-In Time is 2:00 local time and check-out is 12:00. This was a little bit of a problem checking in as we had an early Eurostar journey, however the staff were very helpful. The process both times was quick and easy and i can have no complaints about it.

Overall

I would definitely recommend this hotel to young couples who want to stay in Paris and have somewhere decent to stay. Somewhere that makes it easy to get everywhere you would want to go, but that is not right in the centre of the busy city. If you want somewhere that is quite basic then this is definitely the right sort of hotel for you. My opinion is that it is a good hotel, and I would gladly use it again, in the knowledge that some hotels in Paris can be hit and miss, I know this one offers a good service at a good rate. 

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