I was very glad I chose Hotel Clauzel. True, this is a no frills place- no stationary, no fridge, no atttitude- good or bad. The staff is pleasantly neutral which was refreshing. If you like to sleep in late, you'll appreciate the fact that the staff do not pressure you to get out of the room so they can make it up. I've had this happen to me in more pricey hotels in this neighbourhood and it annoys me greatly to hear that knock despite the "do not disturb sign". The staff at Hotel Clauzel are so into not bothering you, there isn't even such a sign. Big plus in my book- this respect for privacy.

The only drawbacks were the beds should be updated- not uncomfortable but I could detect the coils slightly in mine. Also, if wifi is important to you, ask for a room facing the street. I was in a courtyard room and couldn't get a signal. That's ok- kept me reading and playing music instead.

Musicians will like this hotel. Played my acoustic guitar until 10 every night- no complaints. Also, a piano in the lobby!

On the wonderful rue des Martyrs- cozy, yet bustling neighborhood. Everything open late, all different kinds of people. Kind of reminds me of Manhattan a little.

My husband and I stayed here a total of three nights while in France and were in two different rooms. We stayed here our first night in town, left for a few days to head down south and then stayed towards the end of the trip again. The rooms are small but comfortable and clean. There were some minor issues with each of the bathrooms but when we notified the staff they were resolved. There's a tiny elevator so we didn't have to drag our luggage up stairs. There are solid windows and heavy curtains to help block out some noise though it wasn't too noisy on the 2nd floor. The staff let us check in early and leave our luggage when we weren't checked in. There was free internet access in the lobby. The street it's on has several great cafes, bakeries, fromageries and a grocery store. It was great to come to this neighborhood after being in busy touristy areas, it was quieter but still exciting with plenty to see and do.

We checked in and were very pleased with the quality of this hotel and the location for the price (approx 100E per night). We'd booked a quad room so the kids had their own beds which seem to be hard to find in Europe, room turned out to be on rue des Martyrs side of the hotel with a small balcony (only room to have one).

Furnishings were simple and room was reasonably sized, had a 30" or so Flat Panel screen hanging on one wall, room was made up daily and staff were all courteous, We didn't take advantage of the 7E pp breakfast but rather spent 1/2 that at the small supermarket 200m down rue des Martyrs, they loaned us plates and cutlery from the breakfast room. Elevator was so small that only our luggage fitted into it so we sent it up and walked up.

Overall our expectations weren't high but we were pleasantly surprised, had family staying in another hotel (as they hadn't liked the reviews for Clauzel), and aside from being more expensive their room was smaller, had no view, and had a moldy smell...

I booked this hotel because of the following: cheap, good location, it had a lift!

Cheap - I booked during the winter so I paid almost nothing, and I got just what I paid for. The hotel is old but it's clean. The room is small and gave me a dismal feeling as soon as I entered it, but then again I hardly stayed at the hotel so I really didn't mind so much. Their TV had mostly French channels so I never got to enjoy that. The phone didn't work. Bathroom is not too small and it's clean too. The sink wasn't working on my first night but as the staff promised it worked the next morning.

Location - very good location. Less than 10 minute walk to the closest Metro, very close to the bus stop, the neighborhood had a variety of restaurants to choose from, there was a nice fruit stand at the corner, and there's even a Carrefour Express almost next door. It's also 10 minutes away from the Opera where most hop on hop off buses stopped.

A Lift - A lift in these budget hotels in Paris is rare, so that's a plus even though it fit just me and one suitcase.

The staff also very friendly and most of them speak English.