Best Western Premier Opera Richepanse Paris

Our home for a week in Paris was booked as part of an air/hotel package and was an excellent choice for first-timers. The location couldn't have been better: 3 blocks from the Roissybus dropoff; 1 block from the Madeleine metro station; and 2 blocks from Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries. We arrived before check-in on a sunny Saturday morning and warmly welcomed with a place to store our bags and offer to freshen up in the hotel's public washrooms. We were also given maps and a nice orientation of area attractions and services, such as ATMs.

Our standard double, while not exactly spacious, was not at all cramped (for 2) and entirely comfortable with a French balcony, coffee/tea service, flat screen TV, safe, reading lights and air-conditioning, etc. It was also perfectly clean and quiet, although there was some noise from the street in late night/early morning - nothing to complain about. You may also experience some rumble from the metro if staying on lowest floors but we barely noticed it.

This is a nicely decorated, moderate-sized, 4-star with no restaurant or bar but it does have a breakfast room that we didn't use as we were usually up and out before it opened, and the cost (not included in the room rate) was pretty high. No matter; there were pâtisseries in neighborhood and a Starbucks just down the street for grabbing that walkabout cuppa joe.

The location/amenities puts it above budget category but depending on time of year, you can land some good rates booking special offers directly through the hotel's website. The desk staff here are wonderful: friendly, helpful, professional and attentive in every way. Very special thanks to Anne, whose kindness and smiling face made our stay just that much more delightful!

As it looks like rates swing according to season and booking method, I'm not including a price: see the website for current offers and availability.

Unique Quality: Location, cleanliness, staff, nice range of amenities. They list high-speed internet access in the rooms (we didn't use) so could be a good hotel for business travelers.