Atlanta Frochot, Paris

Paris…the official "most romantic city in the world", or something. So I decided to go, er, alone. My holiday this year was a solo inter-Railing trip, taking in the cultural and shopping capitals of the world…Paris, Milan, Venice and Rome. Paris was obviously the first stop. This was back in early June, and I have just got around to writing a review….it's that time of year…how long until my next holiday?!

*Location*
...
...The location is perfect. It's two minutes' walk from Pigalle metro station (and I do actually mean two minutes, it is literally across the road and then across a square). It's in Montmartre. Sacre Coeur is only a short walk (ten minutes at a stroll) away. It rained the day I went there, and the view from the hill it stands on is less than thrilling, but it is a gorgeous cathedral. You can get a cablecar thing up the hill if you're too lazy to walk, ... more

Paris…the official "most romantic city in the world", or something. So I decided to go, er, alone. My holiday this year was a solo inter-Railing trip, taking in the cultural and shopping capitals of the world…Paris, Milan, Venice and Rome. Paris was obviously the first stop. This was back in early June, and I have just got around to writing a review….it's that time of year…how long until my next holiday?!

*Location*
This is one of the best features of the hotel. The location is perfect. It's two minutes' walk from Pigalle metro station (and I do actually mean two minutes, it is literally across the road and then across a square). It's in Montmartre. Sacre Coeur is only a short walk (ten minutes at a stroll) away. It rained the day I went there, and the view from the hill it stands on is less than thrilling, but it is a gorgeous cathedral. You can get a cablecar thing up the hill if you're too lazy to walk, or, as I did, take the steps and give yourself a workout, and treat yourself to a tarte aux poires afterwards! There are also numerous restaurants, cafes and bars around, you should really just wander the streets in the general direction of Sacre Coeur and you'd find somewhere. There's even a McDonalds, but it would be a travesty when you have so many delicious French places around. There's a "Brioche d'Or", a French chain bakery which does cheap but yummy croissants etc., baguettes, cakes and pastries.
You should be aware that this is the red light district. However, as a woman travelling alone I had no problems, even walking around quite late at night.
There wasn't a problem with noise, as you are just far enough from the bars, restaurants etc. and the streets aren't particularly busy.

*Getting Around*
You aren't too far from anywhere by Metro. It can be a bit fiddly, as Pigalle metro station is on a line which doesn't go anywhere tourists want to go directly. You will need to change at least once…and by the time you've walked through the labyrinthine system of tunnels and staircases that is the metro, you might as well have walked above ground! That said, it is a central location, so it doesn't take too long to get anywhere.

*Room*
Was really nicer than I'd expected, at the price. Not huge, but not claustrophobic. The en suite bathroom was clean and modern (and I'm a Virgo, I notice cleanliness). The pink walls and fancy light fixture (which I may be very sad for noticing) gave it extra appeal. The bed was comfy. There is a hairdryer, but I'd bought my own anyway. The bed was fine. There is a wardrobe, small bedside table and a good sized desk. Every room has a TV…on the wall, as is traditional in cheap hotels in Europe. The only channel in English is CNN. The overall feel was nice, neither depressing nor impersonal-chain-hotel (a la Holiday Inn).

*Cleanliness*
The room was cleaned daily, and I couldn't fault standards.

*Staff*
Very pleasant (for Parisian hotel staff in tourist season…). They speak English, but don't do that irritating thing, if you speak to them in French, of replying in English (ha, I detect your non-native accent, so will make you feel inferior).

*Room rates*
I found this hotel on the Internet through travelsupermarket.com. It cost around £35 per night, a real bargain for Paris in peak tourist season. It was the cheapest rate I found, well, the cheapest for a hotel which was relatively central - by which I mean not in a suburb, half an hour's metro ride from any action. I found hotels way out for around £27-30, but figured that this would be a false economy, since I'd spend the saving on metro travel into the city - and waste time. I was only in Paris for four days, so I wanted to be central.
The hotel has single, double and triple rooms. Rates today were around £35/ 50/ 85 for a single/ double / triple. You can find the hotel on most travel websites as well as the one named above.
My one complaint about this hotel is the two-tier rate system. Single rooms come in "standard single room" and "single room", which cost slightly more. I had to take the more expensive option as this was the only room available - I booked at the last minute, two days before leaving, though. Similarly, there are double rooms and "superior" double rooms. I can't really work out the reason for the price difference - except that standard single rooms face onto the courtyard. I didn't notice the courtyard, but surely it would be better to face onto it? To be honest, this is a bit of a rip-off - but the rate was the best I found. I only paid £3 more a night, so I didn't mind paying too much. However, I noticed today the difference was more - add £10 to the single and £20 to the double rates above, which are for the cheaper rooms. On other websites, I didn't see any difference in rates - so maybe this is a Travelsupermarket.com thing.
Breakfast was not included in my room rate, so I didn't have it, I went to one of the many nearby cafes instead, as this was cheaper. Please note, as I didn't eat/ drink in the hotel, I can't comment on the food and drink below - since I have to choose, I have given it a default average rating. (Likewise family friendliness, as a single girl I can't really comment!)

*General*
There is a lift, and this hotel seemed accessible for wheelchairs.
The address is 9 rue Frochot, Montmartre.
Reception is not glossy, but it welcoming. There are various leaflets on tourist attractions. The hotel has 52 rooms. I felt the atmosphere was welcoming, without the impersonal feel you sometimes have in larger hotels.
Generally, you could do a lot worse if you're looking for a cheap hotel in Paris. This ain't the Ritz, but it's clean and comfortable and ideally located. The value for money was excellent.
 

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