Etap Hotel?

Natalia: Below is a review of the hotel you ask about, posted here by Jared in July 2009:

"I stayed at the budget hotel Etap La Villette which is away from the city centre.

The good: The rates were cheaper and those no-frills motels are usually on the periphery. But since it's right beside a Metro station, it was easy to ride into the city centre each morning.

The not-so-good: After a few days, it was a little tiring to have a 30 minute subway ride with connections to where you want to go... you end up having to get ready earlier in the morning, but for us, it was worth the discount. Also, the outskirts areas are quieter and not as nice at night but it was fine since the hotel was right beside the station. Plus, you can't drop by your hotel mid-day - it was solely a place to sleep.

Overall: for us, since we were on a severe budget, it was worth it; plus the place was very clean."

Natalia

I've never stayed in that one, but I use the ETAP chain quite a bit and have stayed in maybe thirty or so of them. They are all identical.

In Paris I stay at the one listed at Pte Montmartre on Rue Doc Babinsky. My wife and I are very comfortable with the neigborhood. It's a five minute walk to the metro and a fifteen minute ride into the city center. There's a grocery and bakery around the corner and plenty of places to eat between there and the metro. ("Pte Ste Ouen" NOT "Ste Ouen" -- two different stations)

Edit: Don't expect charm or ambiance, they're sterile and spartan -- but they are the all-time great deal on a place to sleep.

2nd Edit, based on Norm (below). Next door to this Etap is a Formule1 which is also part of the Accor chain. It will be cheaper and the rooms are identical to Etap, EXCEPT that there's only a sink in the room at Formule1 -- the rest is down the hall, but clean. Breakfast is not a good deal at either one.

I'm also a fan of the Etap hotels and their slightly more upscale cousins, the Ibis hotels. The one you suggest, on Ave. Jean Jaures, is OK, but it's a "business" area. The one Ed suggests is right along the Peripherique ring road, but it's only a couple of blocks from Les Puces de St. Ouen flea market at Porte de Clignancourt, and, in the other direction, there are some nice little cafes and restaurants down Av. de St. Ouen. It's also probably cheaper.

I stayed at the Etap at CDG airport. Our flight home left in the morning so we took the TGV from the Loire Valley and arrived at the Etap Hotel around 7:00pm the night before. It was just fine, very basic as everyone has said. There was a shuttle bus that left about every 20 minutes for a short ride to the airport. Very easy.

Natalia, i have not stayed at the La Villette one, but have stayed at several other ones. All are experiences have been good ones, it is basic, but clean and functional, and the price is dirt cheap. We would definitely use Etap hotels again.