Happy Thursday friends! Today I am excited to share a bit about my stay at the Ibis Budget Paris Porte d'Orleans in Paris, France that I recently stayed at for my speaking engagement in August. I do want to say that this post is in no way sponsored or collaborated at all, but I am hoping that it is helpful for those that might be looking for a great priced hotel that is affordable in Paris.
When searching for a hotel for speaking engagement, I desired to be near the conference location (the Novotel Hotel)and of course I wanted something that was a great price and safe as I was traveling alone. Due to the timing of this conference (August is a very busy time to travel to Paris I learned very quickly) the choices of hotels were limited for what I was looking for and the prices were extremely high. So imagine my excitement when I realized that the Ibis Budget Paris Porte d'Orleans was a very fair price, rated as safe by lots and lots of reviews and right next door to the Novotel Hotel!
When you enter the property you will need your room keycard to enter- which adds a layer of security and then you will need that keycard for any other areas to get to the rooms (ie the elevators, etc.). You also enter right into the lobby and the front desk which also adds a layer of security which as a woman traveling alone was nice.
Originally I was to stay three nights at the hotel, but due to some changes with the conference, I only ended up stay for two nights (Wednesday and Thursday) and for the brief time I was there it definitely fit my needs.
I booked a room that was the cheapest- one queen bed and while it was small (see pictures above), the price was so fair that I had absolutely no complaints. It was quiet at night and yes, there was air conditioning which with the high temperatures that spiked while I was in Paris, was a blessing!
I want to add also that while I typically write about cozy luxury, this situation was a bit different in that I wasn't planning on spending much time in the room at all- between the conference and wanting to explore as much as possible, my needs were different and this was the perfect location and set up and one of the nicer budget friendly hotels I have stayed at! Honestly, I would completely recommend this hotel for the price and location if you are looking to stay in Paris.
And I also had an incredible and unexpected view from my hotel room (room 618)... when I got into my room I just stood there for a minute- in shock that there was such a perfect view. As evening fell and before I fell asleep I sat for a long time just looking out at the view...
Overall the staff were incredibly nice and welcoming. The first two ladies I encountered when I arrived at the hotel were incredible. I ended up arriving very early in the morning- at 7:30am and my original plan had been to leave my bags and go out and explore Paris, but I was exhausted when I arrived at the hotel from the overnight flight (and still recovering from my fall hiking) that I knew I just needed to rest for a little bit. The staff I was met with was so incredibly kind. They didn't know anything about what was going on, but immediately went to work to get the room ready and also offered me water and snacks. I saw them go out of the way for people and I was in the room at 9:30am in the morning and was so grateful to be able to lie down and sleep for a couple of hours. During my time I found all of the staff to be extremely kind to people and helpful!
After sleeping for a couple of hours I went out to explore a bit and one of the great things about this hotel is also that it is conveniently located to the Metro and Bus lines. It was such an easy way to go to different places in Paris (which I did), travel around and was only about a 5 minute walk to the Metro (haha maybe 10 minutes with luggage * smiles *).
Overall my stay was great, and I do want to make a couple of notes that I hope will be helpful if you are planning to stay here.
First, there are several reviews (not the hotel but the reviews) that state that the metro is "next door" to the hotel. That is definitely not true- it is about a 5-7 minute walk (again without luggage) - uphill -so just be aware of that. If you have difficulty walking or need assistance you may want to consider different transportation to the hotel to drop you off right at the hotel.
Second, there is no restaurant in the hotel (they do offer the option of breakfast), but there are several restaurants within a 2-3 block radius (including at the Novotel Hotel next door).
Third, the hotel was extremely quiet. For being a very budget friendly hotel I was honestly so surprised and it was very restful. I have stayed in a ton of budget hotels and this one was the quietest I had ever stayed in! It was amazing!
Fourth, this was the only hotel (in the world that I have traveled) that when I pre-paid for the hotel they did not require a security deposit of any kind nor did they hold my credit card for incidentals. I was a bit shocked by this- so it was interesting to note!
Fifth, from the airport it did take longer than a lot of the reviews discussed. I would say that it was a combination of getting incorrect directions by someone at the airport and the time of day (it was morning work hours) which delayed a few things. It should have taken about 35 minutes by train to the airport, but it ended up taking about an hour and 15 minutes. Again, to me these types of things don't bother me- they are all part of traveling, but I did hear some people in the lobby expressing frustration over a similar experience so I am mentioning it. My number one recommendation is to always be flexible when traveling (especially out of your own country) and to follow the directions from the hotel (or your phone honestly) and be prepared for a bit of delay depending on the time of day you are traveling. I found everyone I encountered to be so incredibly kind and helpful (and very patient) with the train directions and was so grateful!
So there are just five notes for your stay! Overall the stay for this hotel was great for what I was looking for and needing and would stay there again!
I hope that y'all have found this review of the Ibis Budget Paris Porte d'Orleans helpful! I honestly can't recommend it enough if you are looking for a great budget friendly hotel while you visit Paris! Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this hotel! I would be happy to answer them!
*This is not a sponsored post*
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