Hotel Mondial Reviews...

In the same way that there is no such thing as a free lunch, there is no such thing as a bargain hotel in Paris. It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the World, and if you get offered a cheap hotel anywhere remotely close to the centre then you’ve either been conned, or you’re likely to be sorely disappointed. As a general rule of thumb, don’t go for anything less than a three star, and always check the district it’s in before booking. But even if it’s not a place for bargains, you can still get a reasonable hotels for a reasonable price – so that should be your aim.
Somewhere like the Hotel Mondial is a good example. It’s a basic but adequate three-star establishment, about 10 minutes walk from the Gare du Nord or Gare de l’Est, and about 15 minutes walk from Seine beside the Louvre. It’s hidden away in a narrow private street, which you enter and leave through arched gateways, with a few other similar hotels. This makes it both peaceful and secluded, but also makes it a little difficult to locate when you first arrive. If you’re driving, a sat-nav is pretty essential. The maze of confusing one-way streets in the district seem to conspire to ensure you can never turn the way you need to get too close. The hotel does offer free parking – rare in this part of Paris – but don’t bank on getting a space, as they are severely limited.
That aside, once you do arrive the staff are friendly and welcoming, and all speak good English. The public areas are functional and satisfactory, if not exactly grand. It has comfortable seating in the foyer area, a small breakfast room, bathroom facilities, but no bar or lounge. But it’s clearly intended as a hotel that serves as your base in Paris, and not as somewhere you will spend a huge amount of your valuable time.
The rooms are fairly spacious and pleasantly decorated. The narrow street does mean you won’t get any nice views of the city, of course, but you can at least see that you were lucky not to choose the garish decor of the hotel opposite! The rooms have telephone, wall mounted flat screen televisions, and hair dryers, but annoyingly no tea or coffee making facilities. There is a wireless internet service, which although is not free, is less expensive than most hotels seem to charge. Bathrooms offer both bath and shower – somewhat deluged under a mountain of towels.
Like most Paris hotels, breakfast is an optional extra, paid for when you check-in if you want it. To be fair it wasn’t cheap, it wasn’t particularly appetising, and at busy times the breakfast room is just far too small for the job. The best bet is to find one of the many local pavement café’s and enjoy your breakfast Parisian style. You’ll probably enjoy it more, and save yourself a few Euros too.
Overall, the hotel is comfortable, acceptable, conveniently located, and good value for money. It’s not luxury, but you’re not paying for luxury. And, after all, you’re in Paris… how much time do you plan to spend in the hotel anyway! Trevor Claringbold, Travel Journalist