Hotel d'Orléans Paris Gare de l'Est

It's a 15-minute walk from both Gare de l'est and Gare du nord. It's got character - of a distinctly dated kind. The overall vibe was of a hotel that opened in the early 60s, which the owners liked so much they'd kept completely unchanged. Which I found quite entertaining, though anyone looking for luxury really wouldn't. Lots of shops (inc Carrefour and Lidl) very close - with an excellent second-hand bookstore just round the corner. Madame was very welcoming. (Though I have no idea whether she speaks any English.) I'm a traveller rather than a tourist, so I'd use it again for an overnight between trains.

It was neither very clean nor very well maintained. And 'basic' is the absolute top end of where I'd put it. I didn't much like the shared toilet - but that was as advertised, so I knew what I was getting. (TBF there are en-suite rooms for more money.) No lifts - though Madame was happy to have my main case downstairs. The neighbourhood was very noisy at night - lots of bikes revving and blokes shouting. And the cleaning lady clearly felt that I should leave earlier than my check-out to let her get on with changing the bed! Overall, not the place for a few nights sightseeing in Paris - nor somewhere to take a loved one for a romatic weekend!

Ladies working there were friendly, room was clean, curfew was explained to us when we checked in, felt safe on the property, great location.

WiFi did not work in the room, it was very hot and we would have appreciated a fan

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Location

the structure was a bit old. The room had old furniture and there was a strong smell of dust as soon as you entered. Not all the people at the reception spoke English.