Neighbors peeping in my hotelroom, room door open… Let’s review this 1-star hotel in Paris where I spent 132€ per night.
Booking
I start browsing their official website and immediately I’m skeptical because of its really old fashion appearance. It’s exactly what I would expect from Berners-Lee in 1991. It’s giving « website I quickly set up to scam ».
On their landing page also being their “hotel information” page, we have photos representing the facade of the hotel and one of their rooms which unfortunately are not flattering. The multicolored curtains and carpets in the bedroom do not help.
They also sell the Canal+ pay channel which nobody cares about as tourists don’t know what it is so it unnecessary to highlight it.
In the address bar, it says “not secure” and there is no padlock.
In the top right corner, I click on “add to favorites” but nothing happened, “print” is working but when I click on “mail a friend” a window appears with an error message.
On the « room information » page, they’re introducing their 5 categories of rooms:
- Single room with washbasin, 39€: TV, shared bathroom and facilities
- Double room with washbasin, 40€: TV, shared bathroom and facilities
- Double room with shower, 50€: TV, bathroom, shared toilets
- Double room with shower/WC, 55€: TV, bathroom, toilets
- Quadruple room with bath/WC, 80€: TV, bathroom, toilets
As soon as I read washbasin, I have a headache. But it’s not rare to find studio apartments in Paris where you have to share toilets in the corridors. It can be embarrassing because everybody knows what you’re doing, and everybody can hear what you are doing…
The « food & beverage » page, is a simple sentence « The Hotel Jarry features its own private bar and a lovely breakfast room » with a blurry picture. We have nothing, not even the prices. They need to detail: where is the breakfast room? What are the opening hours for the bar? How much does breakfast cost? What kind of breakfast are you serving? Is it a buffet? Do you have happy hours?
Reading the « facilities page », they only have the bar because the rest were services. If they have on-site parking, it would be appreciated but they don’t specify how much they charge per hour or per day.
On the « travel information » page, I wish they published a better map with more details and gave more information regarding the transportation, and the surroundings of the establishment. For example, instead of writing « A number of bus lines are available », just give them all with their terminus, ticket prices, etc.
They created a page for « important information » and I don’t feel it was needed considering the poor information given. They don’t define their rules and policies and guests need to know their rights and duties in your establishment while booking. Cancellation, prepayment, arrival, departure, child or pet policies for example.
The « album photo » page is just a recap of all old blurry pictures from the website.
I try the map on the « show map » page and it ain’t showing anything.
It seems pretty easy to book via their website, but I can’t as they are fully booked from July to September.
As I feel insecure communicating my information and paying for a room on their platform, I decide to move to Booking.com to complete the task.
On Booking.com, we still have those awful blurry pictures but they added some showing modern rooms and bathrooms. Maybe they’re refurbishing?
Scrolling, we learn a little bit more about the establishment :
- they use the bar as a breakfast room so they don’t have 2 different rooms
- they’re serving continental breakfast for 7€,
- all their rooms have a private bathroom (at least on Booking.com),
- free WiFi is provided throughout the hotel,
- private parking is accessible nearby for 40€ per day
- private and express C/I and C/O (still don’t understand how in a 1-star hotel…)
- C/I at 1 pm and C/O at 11.30 (on their website C/I at 2 pm and C/O at 12)
- no baby cot, no extra bed,
- no age requirement for check-in
- no pets
Let’s read the comments!
I end up paying 131€ for a double room with breakfast included. I will have to pay 1€ directly to the hotelier for my city tax.
Location
The establishment is located in the 10th arrondissement of Paris more specifically in the « Porte Saint-Denis » neighborhood. Easily accessible via transport, it’s just 30 seconds from the nearest metro station « Château d’Eau » on line 4. Luckily, it’s also 5 minutes walking from Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord, 2 of the biggest stations in France. Combined they manage 3 metro lines, 3 RER lines,11 bus lines, 10 Noctilien (night bus), and 8 national and international railway lines. You definitely don’t have to worry about transport.
I used to avoid the 10th arrondissement because of its bad reputation and I really didn’t care to go there. Nevertheless, with rising real estate prices in other arrondissements, people start investing in the area therefore everything is changing. This emerging district is home to concept stores, designer boutiques, growing start-ups, bohemian cafes, restaurants with international cuisine, trendy bars, and nightclubs. You’ll go out, dine, and stroll along the charming Canal Saint-Martin. I now appreciate this district as it became lively and dynamic. Despite their efforts, you’ll still see in my video, great contrasts: old and abandoned buildings vs new modern buildings, green and clean streets vs dirty streets populated by questionable people, dirty and dilapidated shops/restaurants vs trendy welcoming clean shops/restaurants, etc.
The African community has been established for decades in a part of the district, more precisely near the Château d’Eau metro station (also Château Rouge metro station): hairdressing salons, manicures, pedicures, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. So if you’re a black woman, women and men from our community will jump on you, at the metro station and in the street, to sell their services: hair, nails, etc… And thus they make you feel very uncomfortable. It’s a bad habit I hope won’t last.
Arriving on Jarry street, I see people standing in front of the opposite hotel. I, first, think maybe it’s a brothel as I know some « ladies of the night » work not too far from here.
Eglise Saint-Vincent-de-Paul
Hotel
Check-in
I’m entering the hotel and I walk toward the wooded reception desk near the display stand with multicolored flyers. I interrupt the conversation between the receptionist and a man who seems too comfortable to be a customer. He moves to the side but stays close to me at the reception desk. Behind the desk, a balding middle-aged man with small glasses greets me with a big smile. The check-in is brief as I’m just giving my name in exchange for the key. He doesn’t ask for my ID or sell any product or service from the establishment. I’m seeing a bar in the corner of my eye so I’m asking him how it works for breakfast. “It’s between 7 and 11 in the breakfast room”, he answers me. He then invited me to take the dusty carpeted staircase on my right to go to my room.
Reception Jarry Confort Hotel
Going up the stairs, we hear the teams busy working but also very loud during their conversation and very messy.
You can see in my video I have difficulty opening my door. I spend 2 minutes in front of it struggling and then I realize that it wasn’t locked. I immediately feel vulnerable, and insecure. Furthermore, I didn’t bring any gadgets for my security so I plan to look for at least a door stopper. I get into my room and lock myself in.
That’s how I discover the Wi-Fi code on the big old key…
A lot of things jump out at me: the patchwork blanket, the hospital tiles, the granny chair, the dusty TV cable, the room size. I walk to the window that faces the street. There are people downstairs and I pray they go away for a quiet night.
The room is tiny so I think I can check the room quickly so I can go for a walk around the neighborhood.
A few minutes later, a room attendant knocks at my door asking me if I need an extra towel, she peeps into my bedroom and asked if we are 2 staying. I reply « no », “so it’s enough,” she says to me closing the door. I would have felt upset but her smile indicates to me that she is not replying with bad intentions. It’s probably their process.
It’s an interesting interaction but in her defense, it’s a last-minute booking so she probably didn’t receive the information. While talking, I observed that she didn’t have a uniform and a cart/basket/trolley to transport her equipment. Cleaning rooms is difficult but cleaning rooms in a 5-story hotel without a lift, without comfortable shoes, without a breathable t-shirt, without a trolley during summer (and summer 2022 was no joke!) is arduous.
I start my review from the bathroom.
Bathroom
The bathroom is extremely small, dusty, and rusty. Let’s start with the rusty hairy perforated PVC ceiling panels. I know they were installed before my birth. Easy.
Looking at the structure of the shower, I believe it had a bathroom door. It was probably broken and/or they didn’t want to take care of it and never put it back. Brown substances and limescale are all over the shower head and shower door sill. You can see in the picture the right bolt is cracked. I’m glad to see a corner shower basket but it’s rusty. The orange stain on the curtain is certainly an accumulation of soap scum and/or mildew. I find hair in the drain and when I rubbed the tissue inside it becomes yellow/brown… Unlike this shower unit, the shower hose is practically new.
Bathroom Ceilings Jarry Confort Hotel
Vanity Light Jarry Confort Hotel
The vanity light is covered with a thick layer of dust on top of it. I notice a few drops on the vanity mirror, probably water. On the dusty bathroom tablet, are 2 soaps from 2 different brands. The sink underneath needs a re-enameling and to be cleaned again since I find holes on it and paper tissue inside. The room attendant clearly didn’t empty the bin because of all the hair and rubbish I find.
I scrub the dusty and loud bathroom extractor fan but it’s so thick that I can’t remove a gram of dust. 3 toilet paper rolls are laid out on top of the high-level toilets next to dust balls. I thought it was me when I checked the extractor but it was already there as I find some under the toilet roll. I don’t know what to think about this type of toilet, to be honest. It’s just not convenient for cleaning. I then check their toilet brush and it doesn’t disappoint…
Bathroom Extractor Fan Jarry Confort Hotel
Drain Jarry Confort HotelIf you take a look at the picture, you’ll notice a drain on the floor that apparently has not been cleaned in-depth for a long time seeing the rust around the nail. The floor isn’t hovered nor mopped neither.
The bathroom door is corroded by humidity and blows.
You can see they tried to repaint but the damage is done. In addition, the door handle is not screwed correctly and its lock is stuck inside the door, which makes it useless.
Bathroom door 3
Taking a shower isn’t easy. I receive spurts of cold and hot water throughout. You know, in old houses, when someone flushes the toilet and you have a sudden rush of cold water? That’s exactly what I feel. I know cold showers have many benefits but I didn’t ask for anything.
Bedroom
I noticed dust, hair, and a thick black substance all over the room: on the walls, floor, and corners. It seems to be old silicone. The ceiling, made up of tiles of different colors, is perforated and you can see the wires behind the spotlights.
All elements of the PVC window are dirty and dusty: seals, panes, frame, handle, etc.
The window railing is pretty but unfortunately loses its luster with the peeling paint.
The “blackout” (I put quotes because they don’t do their job) and lace curtains scare me not because of dirt and tears, but because there are black dots on the bottom of the fabric, which could be bedbugs feces. They like to hide from the light between the folds of the curtains and especially at the bottom.
Curtains are held together by very dirty curtain rods still labeled.
Window
Window railing
Blackout curtains Jarry Confort hotel review Thee Guest
TV
Lamp desk
Wardrobe
They installed a small TV which is proportional to the size of the room. The quality is really not great but the 37 channels are not interesting at all and most are in French. Cables are full of dust and sockets are sticking out of the wall.
Below the TV there is an uncleaned desk on which there is a simple glass, a dusty fan and a remote control not disinfected. Below the desk, the wall is covered with black stains and the floor is of course not clean. I don’t know who’s going to sit at that desk with that dented country chair. The fabric on it which I am sure was once brightly colored, is dull.
Next to the desk, there is a wardrobe with a small shelf with an interesting construction, but what appeals to me the most are the hangers: hangers of all colors, all shapes. I wonder if they got them back from customers who left…
And just below the hangers, there is a small safe with a carpet in a thousand pieces inside. But at least it works.
Facing the desk, there is a rusty radiator that I did not test because it was too dusty.
The main door must have taken a lot of kicks and suitcase kicks.
On it are pasted the instructions of the safe and the information about the hotel (contact details, map, fire, price, etc.).
Nonetheless, they forgot to post the rack rate.
Main door
Finally, the bed! The main element. When I see a patchwork blanket in 2022, I wonder. Are you hiding something under this blanket? Is there a financial problem that prevents you from reinvesting in equipment? Because patchwork is special. And it doesn’t go with everything, especially not in this room…
Past the shock, I see that there is no duvet. I check the sheets, mattress protector, and pillowcases which are unfortunately stained, wrinkled, and have holes. The pillows have much bigger stains. But what bothers me the most is the hair.
I check the mattress especially the edges because the curtains had given me clues of bed bugs. I did not find any but on the other hand, the mattress is dirty and torn and of course, there is hair.
The mattress rests on a rusty metal bedframe.
The walls and pipes around the bed are not maintained and the 90’s phone just above the bed does not display prices or operations.
Pillows
Mattress
Bed frame
Wall behind bed
Dinner time
This establishment doesn’t offer dinner so my inspection, I have to go out for my meal and it’s a good opportunity to walk in the neighborhood anyway. As I’m getting ready, I feel like someone is watching me through the window… It’s summer, it’s hot, he’s probably not looking at me, he just needs fresh air… But approaching the window, I understand that I’m not delusional. Other men are smoking, watching the street from their balcony, or are simply on the phone and they can see unintentionally what I’m doing in my room. As a result, I feel very uncomfortable so from now on, I’ll keep my curtains closed.
I meet two young girls on the stairs leaving the hotel. And I remember when you have traditional keys, you’re supposed to let them at the reception desk every time you go out because it helps them to know who’s present and also they give them to the room attendants for cleaning. I ask to the receptionist if I should let my key and he replies yes every time you go out. Something they should have communicated during the check-in.
Apart from the catcalling, I really enjoy my walk. I have dinner at the Wokantine, a Chinese restaurant where the nice staff serves me fresh beef & vegetable pad thaï noodles and a delicious matcha tea mochi.
On my return from the restaurant, I see my key among others on the front desk. ON THE DESK! Not behind or under the desk. ON THE DESK! So you mean to tell me that during my 2 or 3-hour walk, MY KEY was ON the desk!? It’s one of the most dangerous and stupid things I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s scary to see how ignorant, and unaware the staff can be. Anyone can pretend to be me, take my key, and steal my belongings. If it’s not the same receptionist from the check-in and I don’t have any ID on me, how could I prove it’s my room? Knowing they didn’t take my ID at my arrival. But when I think about it, the staff still can have access to my room with the master key anyway so…
What’s infuriating me is seeing all those men at the bar enjoying their time and imagining what could happen if someone had bad intentions. I’m not trying the bar this evening because it’s late, the clientèle is mainly men and everything is off-putting from afar: the atmosphere, the decoration, the darkness.
Night
We can definitely confirm that my room isn’t soundproof. I hear my neighbors laughing and struggling on the stairs with their luggage. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised by the calm of the street during the night and the morning. I slept well even without a blanket or a pillow, the bed was comfortable for me.
Breakfast
The hotel bar serves breakfast in the morning.
The bar has nothing exceptional: paint and tiles on the floor and walls. It is very simply decorated with paintings, photos, and green plants here and there. That kind of counter can be found throughout Paris.
The toilets, behind the counter, were clean but they have a light switch timer. So you better hurry…
Unfortunately, they store the carts of linen in sight of the customers just in front of the door of the toilets plus there is dirty linen on the ground.
Important point: they have to be careful not to obstruct the emergency exit because there was a big pipe at the bottom of the door.
Bar/Breakfast Room Jarry Confort Hotel
I read comments on Booking.com complaining about the delay of the breakfast service (normally starting at 7) and indeed when I arrive at 7.30, the young man is finishing the mise en place.
But his smile and his welcome made up for it. He ask me how my night was and what I want for a hot drink. He turns on the TV on the news channel to fill the void and greets the next customers just as warmly as he does with conversation.
I must admit they’re not the best products but it’s a decent meal for 7€ when you are on a budget: a hot drink (hot chocolate, tea, or coffee), fruit juice, a croissant, a piece of bread, jam, butter, and sugar.
I hadn’t noticed right away but there are shelves near the bar which are actually the luggage room. Three young women arrive very early in the morning, around 8:30 a.m., and their rooms are not ready. They decide to leave their suitcases on these shelves and go out for a walk while waiting. It is impossible to offer a luggage storage service if you do not have a clean, ventilated, locked room with limited access dedicated to luggage storage. Everyone, absolutely everyone: staff, suppliers, guests staying, and external customers can have access to these bags. You can claim to be the owner of any of these bags, no one will question you because no one knows anything. And there is not even a ticket system in place. I can steal easily.
“Luggage Room” Jarry Confort Hotel
One thing I really don’t appreciate is the staff taking their breakfast just next to us in the same room. Take your breakfast before or after the service. I know you need to eat like everybody in the morning but it doesn’t look professional.
Check-out
After my breakfast, I walk around the neighborhood and I hurry to get back before check-out time. The man at the reception calls out to me: “Madame, which room are you in?” I give him my room number and reassure him that I’ll be right back down. 30 seconds later I hand him the key and ask him if I owe him anything (knowing that I have to pay the city tax). He says no and thanks me with a smile on his face. I wish I could have an invoice…
Conclusion
It’s definitely not worth 132€ per night. The hotelier needs to work on a lot of processes, from cleanliness to security and thinks about a much-needed refurbishment. The management team has to invest in the entier staff with a good training. I really appreciate the welcome of the team, their smiles, and politeness.
I don’t recommend.
