Grand Hotel Leveque

Stayed there three years ago at the end of a trip to Paris. Rooms very small. Elevator holds one person and one suitcase only. The whole place smelled like the Cheese Store downstairs.

I've stayed there three times and had a good experience each time. I've read several reviews of others stating they had problems with email response or reservations that didn't exist. I personally confirm my reservations several times to try to avoid this. The hotel is a small business and sometimes they don't respond "quickly" to emails. Sometimes a day or so.

You can find many more reviews here:http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d220006-Reviews-Grand_Hotel_Leveque-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

(Cont.) Note that the lobby was recently remodeled and in fact, there is a cheese shop only two buildings away which is a positive in my opinion.

We had a terrible time sending/receiving emails from them...in fact we NEVER received an email from them. I finally had to have a friend who is fluent in French to call them and give them HIS email address. The email was delivered fine to him...but never to me.

I've stayed at the Hotel Leveque many times and have (mostly) enjoyed it. My most recent stay was Oct. 2007. They have been remodelling and "upgrading" over the past year and I don't consider the changes to be improvements. Rooms cost more now; there is no usable public area on the main floor now; and the breakfast room is now noisy because of the hard surfaces installed. On the plus side, the internet is now available in the lobby for a small charge. Breakfast buffet now includes cold cereal and (I think) yogurt along with the continental breakfast previously served. The remodelling has yielded a larger storage space for luggage. The street is mostly a pedestrian-only street; almost anything you need is within walking distance, including a great bakery, post office, several banks, the Eiffel Tower, and Napoleon's tomb. I would still recommend this hotel. It still has cleanliness, pleasant and competent employees, and location, location, location.

We've stayed at the Leveque twice and will stay there again soon. My feeling is that we will be there to sleep and a shower only. As long as a hotel is clean and near public transportation, its OK with me. I have found it best to call them for reservations. Their web site list of what is available is not really up to date. They speak English and can tell you your rate and take your CC# to hold the room. I e-mailed them after our conversation and asked for a confirmation. It came within a few hours. Calling overseas is not bad, don't forget you should be calling at about 6AM Eastern. That will reach them during the day.

You have to understand that this hotel has all the business it can handle because of Rick Steves. It doesn't have to work too hard.

Everyone else in the hotel will be toting Rick's book. In fact, the entire Rue Cler thrives on tourism generated by Rick's enthusiasm for the neighborhood. For that reason, and the fact that it is near Paris' American expat community centers, the hotel and neighborhood are more concentrated with tourists than almost any other residential neighborhood in the city. It's not a bad thing, but it's kind of like being in an American bubble in Paris.

In defence of the Leveque and their email response procedures; when I tried to book about 3 months ago they were full for our time in early May. Notwithstanding, they advised me of that fact overnite and recommended other options. The first was also full but we booked with their next suggestion and are looking forward to staying at the Muguet in May. If one is trying to book now for spring/summer '08 at a RSteves' hotel, it just might be a challenge; his back doors are now front doors, I guess.

We always stay in the Champ du Mars, but last year , in the middle of our trip, we decided to do something different. We were in France for a month and went back to Paris early.The Hotel Champ du Mars found us a room for several days, but one night we had to stay at the Leveque. The area is wonderful, but I think this hotel is terrible now.. dirty, run-down,filled, and I do mean filled with Americans, and the rooms are very small and not very cheap. There are a lot of other nicer places around Rue Cler. Look in Rick's books to find others. You must book almost a year in advance to get what you want.

We actually had the Leveque booked for our group of 20 persons arriving on May 29, but we cancelled and chose the Royal Phare instead just because it was located so very very close (across the street) from the Metro. It was also cheaper, great reviews, a view to the Eiffel Tower, and just a stone's throw from Rue Cler.

small room. but nice location. ive stayed here but find it a bit pricey for a single room. try mister bed city bagnolet.? gallieni station.