Grande halle de la Villette Tours and Activities

This hotel is in a great location right near the Paris Metro for easy travel throughout the city. Breakfast, which comes with all the rooms, is served in a very cool, artsy lounge with hot and cold choices that are really delicious. The hotel is also very close to some of the best brasseries and cafes in all of the city. We especially loved Brasserie Procope, which is one block from this hotel. A truly wonderful experience awaits you.

We prepaid 10 days at the hotel (no refund option). We thought a 5 star by the opera house would be a great home base. The hotel had a boutique lobby feel. We booked a larger room with a view. The room they put us in was a nice layout with a private walk in closet, separate large toilet rm and separate rm with sink and tub. It was on the 6th flr where we had a street view with the statue of Napolean at Vendome. The breakfast was up to par of a 5 star. The staff were friendly. Small gym. Now the issue. Given it is a old building centered by the opera house, there are lots of train lines moving underground. We can feel it and hear it on the 6th floor. Though it is not like you're on the platform, but when a metro passes underneath, it breaks the calm silence of your room with a low rumble sound/feel that can last 5-10 secs at least 2-4 times every 10 minutes. The metro runs as early at 5:30am-ish and ends 1:30am-ish. So if you're a sensitive person, be warned. I felt this low rumble the first night we stayed at the hotel. Didn't realize it until we were all unpacked and ready for bed. It bothered me enough to ask for a different room early morning next day. Being in a prime location, the hotel was completely booked. Staff offered a different room in the same category (not an upgrade) 3 days later. The room was smaller and had the same low rumble noise/feel, so not worth changing. 5 days into our stay, we stayed outside our room longer & were able to tune most of it out.

It’s quite obvious that this is a grand old hotel. It has marvelous bones and is located in a fabulous part of the city. The staff at the front desk was excellent, cordial and professional. Concierge / guest services seemed a bit less polished. We were disappointed to find a half-consumed water bottle in our room when we arrived, and it didn’t seem to be cleaned to an appropriate standard given the facility and the price. I requested that the room be re-cleaned while we went to Sunday dinner at Girafe and that was not done. Breakfast (room service) on the private balcony the next morning was perfect, however. Our order, while simple, was properly prepared and presented. And the view / fresh air experience in the early morning sun instantly became a lifelong memory and a lasting highlight of our trip.