Hotel Britannique - Paris

I'm planning a trip to Paris after my transatlantic in April and the Hotel Britannique was recommended by a friend of a friend. It gets good reviews on Tripadvisor but I had more questions such as good breakfast and dinner places nearby as well as how far of a walk it is to visit the Left Bank? It looks to be very close on my map but sometimes things are not always as they seem.

 

My friends are considering a nearby hotel that is a little nicer with larger rooms but twice as expensive. And as we'll spend very little time in the hotel room, I'd rather spend less on hotel and more on wonderful Parisian food!

 

Also, as it's so close to the train line to Charles de Gaulle airport, is pulling my one big bag and rolling carryon to the Chatelet station on foot and taking the train to the airport a reasonable option for a middle-aged female in reasonably good health? ;) Or are the trains difficult to manage with bags?

 

Thanks!

My son and I stayed at Hotel Britannique between Christmas and New Year's in 2012. I can't say enough good things about the hotel! We absolutely loved it.

 

Yes, the rooms are small. Rooms are small at almost any European-style hotel unless you want to blow the budget, as you've seen. But it would absolutely not be worth it to me to spend extra when we generally only find ourselves in the room at the end of the day, completely worn out and ready for sleep.

 

The hotel is extremely well located for both exploring on foot and using the metro. It's an easy walk to the Marais, to Notre Dame, to the Louvre or to the Left Bank. Metro connections make farther stops easy to get to, because there are several lines at the Chatelet station - you just have to figure out which line gets you where you need to be.

 

There are very good restaurants in the Marais area; we ate at several. For a close-by option, the Cafe Zimmer on the corner is a great place in the old-fashioned "French Cafe" style.

 

We took the train from the airport to the Chatelet and walked to the hotel. It is definitely a bit of a hike, mainly just to get from the area where you get off the train until you reach the exit (going from underground to above ground) that gets you out closest to the hotel. We were pretty beat from the flight and it seemed to go on forever, but we managed it.

 

If you have any other questions, let me know.

Cruisemom42,

 

I don't know if you remember but you were an incredible help last summer with our trip to Herculaneum. And now here you are helping us once again with Paris!! :D

 

I've been on the fence about which hotel in Paris and finally made my decision. Sounds like Hotel Britannique is everything we're looking for and don't mind the small rooms at all. I do have a few questions:

 

1. Did you ever walk over to the Left Bank for dinner and if so, can you recommend a good restaurant?

 

2. How about Angelina or any other famous cafe on Rue Rivoli for breakfast?

 

3. Was the hop-on hop-off red bus stop close by? Figured we do that full circle the first day to get an overall look and then hoof it the rest of the trip.

 

4. Were your rooms overlooking the street and if so, any noise and I know this is a long shot but by chance could you see Eiffel Tower?

 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

(Btw, love your Audrey Hepburn quote....she I and share the same birthday) ;)

Edited March 27, 2014 by cadburysmom

If you are interested in a view of the Eiffel Tower, I highly recommend the very reasonably-priced Hotel Muguet located in the 7th not far from the Invalides. They have several rooms with great Eiffel Tower views, and we were fortunate enough to inhabit one of them for five nights at the end of last September.

 

Two close-by excellent restaurants are Le Florimond and Pasco. Also near two metro stops (Tour Maubourg and Ecole Militaire.)

Edited March 27, 2014 by CintiPam

Cruisemom42,

 

I don't know if you remember but you were an incredible help last summer with our trip to Herculaneum. And now here you are helping us once again with Paris!! :D

 

I've been on the fence about which hotel in Paris and finally made my decision. Sounds like Hotel Britannique is everything we're looking for and don't mind the small rooms at all. I do have a few questions:

 

1. Did you ever walk over to the Left Bank for dinner and if so, can you recommend a good restaurant?

 

Food is very subjective, especially in Paris. Are you looking for a traditional brasserie experience or a more avante garde new chef/restaurant?

 

We looked in on the "traditional" left-bank cafes (my son was interested in seeing them) but we found them packed, expensive, and heard the food wasn't anything special. We also had reservations to eat at Joel Robuchon's restaurant (arranged well before the trip) but when we arrived and had the hotel call the day before to re-confirm per instructions, they mysteriously couldn't find our reservation and insisted WE had cancelled it. Harrumph. :mad: Honestly, our better meals were in the Marais. The one traditional experience we liked best was at a brasserie in Montmartre: La Cave Gourmande.

 

2. How about Angelina or any other famous cafe on Rue Rivoli for breakfast?

 

My son and I aren't big breakfast eaters. We ate the hotel breakfast a couple of times and other times we just went around the corner to a bakery for a cafe and croissant. On the last day, we did eat at a cafe with a view onto the Seine for breakfast -- it was nice but nothing really special.

 

3. Was the hop-on hop-off red bus stop close by? Figured we do that full circle the first day to get an overall look and then hoof it the rest of the trip.

 

Not a big HOHO user; I can't say that I noticed any stop near the hotel or immediate area, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. I'd suggest you look at the HOHO routes online to get a better idea. However, it's a quick walk to the Seine and there's a stop for the boats that travel up and down the river -- more interesting than a HOHO.

 

4. Were your rooms overlooking the street and if so, any noise and I know this is a long shot but by chance could you see Eiffel Tower?

 

We were on the first floor (second floor US) and overlooked the street (and the bustling bar across the street) by choice. It was winter while we were there, but at times the room would get overheated and I would open the windows for a breath of air. You could hear street noise with the window open and just faintly with the window closed. It didn't bother us, but where I live is somewhat urban and we're used to a little background noise. We couldn't see the Eiffel Tower.

 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

(Btw, love your Audrey Hepburn quote....she I and share the same birthday) ;)

 

 

See my comments above -- not sure how much it will help.

 

By the way, I forgot to mention that the staff at the Britannique were very helpful and personable (in contrast to what some think is the Parisian attitude -- something we really never encountered).

If you are interested in a view of the Eiffel Tower, I highly recommend the very reasonably-priced Hotel Muguet located in the 7th not far from the Invalides...

Thank you. I'll keep that in mind for my next trip. This time I need to stay in the area of the Hotel Britannique as friends are staying nearby. The Hotel Muguet looks wonderful and I appreciate the restaurant recommendations as well. Thanks!

See my comments above -- not sure how much it will help.

 

By the way, I forgot to mention that the staff at the Britannique were very helpful and personable (in contrast to what some think is the Parisian attitude -- something we really never encountered).

All of your comments are wonderful and a great help...thanks!!

 

Also, I'm very happy to hear positive comments about the staff at Hotel Britannique. We were not so lucky with another hotel or it's staff on my last trip.

 

Thanks again, and if you think of anything else, please let me know.:)

Travel podcast about Paris and France in general: http://joinusinfrance.com/

Good information about general things to know about France and places to visit.

Thanks!

We stayed at the hotel Brittainique in May of last year and were very disappointed. Staff was polite but not particularly helpful. Location was good but many hotels have a good location. Check my review under travelsmartnj on trip advisor