Hotel Saint Louis Bastille

I stayed in this hotel in 2007 and had a very nice but brief visit. It is located in a neighborhood I love - Oberkampf - where you will find cool little shops and inexpensive trendy restaurants. It is between Bastille and Place de la Republic but otherwise a bit distant from the center of town and primary tourist areas. On the other hand, it is about one block away from a Metro stop that will take you into central Paris in a matter of minutes. If you want to escape from the cramped and over priced hotels in the center of Paris, this is a great option! The rooms are larger than what I've seen in other tourist hotels in Paris and are pretty, clean and well equipped, although one of the light fixtures in our room was broken and hanging off the wall. There is a typically small elevator. The front desk staff seemed more cheerful and engaged than the attendants at other hotels I've stayed at. They were very happy to do the research to help me find a store nearby that I had heard about and wanted to visit. My one warning is that this hotel is on a busy avenue so if you are bothered by noise, ask for a room at the back. You may not have a view but you will be able to sleep. Besides the noise of traffic, there is the noise of people pouring out of bars and restaurants late at night on weekends.

Unique Quality: Great neighborhood, nice rooms, elevator, friendly staff.