We have just come back from Paris where we passed 3 wonderful days wandering the Avenues and Boulevards along the river and museums. We stayed out late every night to enjoy the atmosphere and the crowds in St Michel and Rue St Denis but also to avoid going back to the "3 star" George Sand. The journey to the hotel is an hour long depending on what transport you use and is not in Paris. It is in a pleasant suburb called Courbevoie, an area I know and like but it is not Paris.

When we arrived at noon we were told that we wouldn't be able to check in 'til 12.30 as people had still to check out. Surely that's the point of a 12pm check in/out time? We eventually got in at 1pm. The truth was they had one person cleaning the rooms and the lift only goes up 4 of the 5 floors when it's working so everything is done on the cheap. (If you have luggage beware being put on the 5th floor, don't expect help).

The lift was out of order for 2 of the 3 days we were there and the manager had no idea when it would be fixed on either day. There were no hangers in the room, so naturally we asked for some and were told that they are fixed into the wardrobe so there must be some. Why is it people argue that you are wrong when they are 5 floors and 1 broken lift away and you are standing by the wardrobe looking into it? 2 wire hangers were left on the bed when we got back, we bent them back into shape with gritted teeth.

Next up was the Water. The water to the room was turned off for about 20 mins in the morning.. about the time people have showers, use the toilets and freshen up in general. When it came back on it was brown for 10 mins... and it was again the following morning. Again no explaination as to whether the water was safe to wash in or not. More delays!

Now to the Shower Curtain, it was mouldy and held up by a delapidated pole which refused to stay up in the end, we had to balance it on the towel rail at the back of the shower. The toilet paper ran out the first night we were there, why were we delayed by an hour if the basic in the room weren't catered for?

What next??? Oh yes, Breakfast is served between 7am and 10am but make sure you get there early.. show up like we did at 9.30am and there is nothing left. We had to ask for something, anything but were told that the Orange Juice was finished and that the Coffee was from the packets by the machine, the box was empty but this wasn't filled when we asked for more. We had to ask for knives and spoons as the one person serving was washing up and didn't replace the cutlery, food, juice, bread, coffee, napkins... in fact we just had to get it ourselves. Now remember, this is a small hotel.. Only about 20 rooms.. how much OJ can 19 rooms consume??? 2 cartons, maybe 3 at most but it was still all gone with 30 mins to spare.. Again penny pinching.

Finally the whole "3 Star" thing.. Let me say to you that this was the worse 3* hotel I have ever stayed even in Paris. It was the best 1* but the worst 3*..The Citidines hotels are 3 stars, this is not. This is a cheap hotel miles from Paris charging over the top Paris prices for very VERY basic rooms. I do understand the whole Character thing too but this only matters if you are in a decent hotel, not in a small pokey darkly lit place who is badly in need of a full refubishement not just the dust filled 1st floor that is currently being redone.

Did I mention the first floor refurbisment? plastic sheet over the stairs you are having to use because the lift is broken and the smell of dust and paint everywhere.

If you are backpacking, on a cheap budget and don't mind the hour to 90mins travel into Paris then at a push, if you had to, if the choice was sleeping on the Street then Ok but otherwise, go the the 2* Central hotel across the road, it's 5 mins closer to La Defence, loads of Eur's cheaper and the brekkie is better too. The walls are paper thin but it was better than the George Sand!