I really wanted to give this hotel a 4 rating, because it is so much like my image of a genuine French In. Entering the hotel and its tiny front desk gave me a very good feeling, and finding my room in the very narrow hallway on my floor made me smile. This is how it should be.
Now, there is no minibar and the rooms are small. However, there is still enough space, and there is even a balcony in many of the rooms. There is remodeling going on, but this does not affect the feel of the hotel. I’m sure it will look great when they are finished. The bathrooms are renewed, and always clean.
The hotel is not situated very close to any of your typical Paris tourist attractions, so this is a drawback. But if you learn how to use the subway system, which is quite user friendly but requires some French translation, you will get around just fine.
For the price I paid, I would say this is great quality and a genuine French feel. I just would be careful recommending it to a wheelchair user, and tell the night clerk to work on his posture. The location and the small issues is what forces me to restrain my enthusiasm and give it a 3.