Hotel Grand Leveque...overpriced???

Pat - from the complants you've posted here, it sounds like you had a rotten trip.

So sorry.

Pat: You can give your feedback to Rick's staff here, at this link which is the link for feedback on Rick's Paris book: click

It is unfortunate for you but I will say in 7 yrs of using Ricks guidebk only one B&B was sub par. that is amazing to me.
Leveque is a budget hotel and Paris is a very expensive city so I am not too surprised at your reaction. US standards for the price you paid of course are much better. We get a lot for our $ in USA.

I've stayed in the single room at H. Leveque many times; I consider the singles to be a good budget option. With the present exchange rate, singles cost $100 a night. The double rooms are less useful on a budget; there are other hotels nearby that have better rates on doubles. I sometimes eat the 9 Eu breakfast, but consider it to be a little over-priced. The main advantage of eating in the hotel is that you can sit down, take your time, eat a lot, and consume vast quantities of coffee. Sometimes I walk down the street and stop at the bar on the corner, have an expresso and croissant for a little over 2 Eu. Fruit, yoghurt, cheese, crackers, drinks are all readily available at shops on the street. H. Leveque requests that guests not eat in the rooms. The "rue Cler Walk" as described by Rick has changed, since many of the more interesting places have closed and been converted to more outside eating places. Not much to see there. I usually eat lunch at one of the Chinese places in the area. The food is good and less expensive than what is available at other sit-down places. The roast chicken place on rue Cler is a good place for a big, inexpensive lunch. The big boulangerie on the corner has small quiches, pizza by the slice, croque monsieur, sandwiches, etc. at reasonable prices. They have tables outside so you can sit down to eat your lunch there. A quiche or sandwich is about 3 Eu.

your definitely right.

Pat, sorry to hear that you weren't entirely pleased with some aspects of your stay in Paris. I stayed at Hotel Levecque on my last visit and was very pleased with the room and the service. I believe it's a two-star property and certainly wasn't luxurious, but it was very comfortable. It seemed like a typical RS Hotel - clean, safe and affordable. I had breakfasts at the Hotel more as a matter of convenience. I suppose they're probably typical of a French breakfast? As I recall, Rick suggests that readers NOT eat the breakfasts there as they're not a good value (except for the first one, which used to be complimentary for RS readers).

Regarding the price, Paris is a bit "pricey" anyway, and I suspect that any similarly-rated Hotel in that area would have been about the same cost. I've talked to people that had nicer Hotels than Levecque, but they also paid lots more for their rooms. The only "minor issue" I had was that the "beam me up Scotty" elevator was broken on my last day, so I had to haul my 50 lb.+ Backpack down five flights of stairs.

I found the Rue Cler area to be most convenient - walking distance to the Eiffel Tower, close to the Metro and lots of small deli's and restaurants on the street. Having two ATM's right across from the Hotel was good too. The homeless individuals passed-out from "overindulgence" on an old mattress at the end of the block didn't bother me - one can see that anywhere.

continued.....

Pat, continued....

I'd be interested to know which restaurant you had a problem with? If you have time, send me a PM. I had great service & great food from most of the restaurants in the Rue Cler area, with one very notable exception! The restaurant I had problems with is listed in Rick's book (the implication being that it's recommended), but I will NEVER go back! One can find good & bad restaurants anywhere, so I don't fault the Rue Cler area for that (I heard a story last week about an eating establishment here in BC that was visited by a Health Inspector. He got sick after eating there, so you can imagine the result).

Cheers

People's opinions and expectations differ (duh). Rick and Michelin recommend the Leveque. It's listed in the Michelin red guide, which of course is not a guarantee, and individual experiences and expectations will vary. Michelin and Rick have been rating properties in Paris for a long, long time, Michelin for about a hundred years, I've read. Anyone who expects to get *** service in a ** property is obviously going to be disappointed--expectations need to be in line with the price you're paying. You don't get what you don't pay for.

Pat,
We are staying in the Rue Cler area later this month (though not in the same hotel!). Do you mind sharing the name of the "simple" restaurant that you enjoyed? Thanks,Lisa

Here is a restaurant on Rue St. Dominique that my wife enjoyed and was recently written up in Food and Wine:

http://www.foodandwine.com/restaurants/les-cocottes