The Grand Hotel Leveque

I've only heard good things about this hotel. Keep in mind that many reviewers have visited Europe for the first time, and their expectations are too high in the wrong areas.

Elan, I've stayed there and I was happy with the service. I don't want to start the "Rue Cler" debate but I liked Rue Cler. Touristy or not the hotel is in a great location. I just wish they would change their rule about food in the room. All of the food shops in the area make it hard to resist bringing something back. The hotel has an elevator which is very appreciated after a long day.

Hello,
We stayed there in late April. Rooms were clean and appeared bed bug free. The rooms are small. We stayed on the upper floors, which I think have been updated while the lower floors have not. Good restaurants in the area, walking distance to Eiffel Tower, WiFi available for a fee, the elevator is small but workable. I would stay there again. Hope that helps.

There are SO many choices in areas closer to the lively center of Paris. Go to www.heart-of-paris-hotels.com and click on an area icon. A list of hotels will appear and you will have many choices. You might check out tripadvisor.com, Paris forum, and get great tips on wonderful hotels from veteran Paris travelers. Nothing against Rue Cler, but it's usually packed with RS fans from the US and other areas of Paris are less like being in Seattle. We stayed in the 7th arrondissment on our first trip to Paris but have preferred to stay in the 4th,5th, or 6th on subsequent visits over the years.

Elan, I have stayed there, although not recently. I found it very comfortable, although one of the rooms was a bit "basic" (as I usually travel solo, that's often the case with any Hotels). It's in a great location and the staff were wonderful. I wouldn't have any hesitation in staying there again. Which Hotel to choose will depend largely on your budget. Check the Guidebook for more detailed information on Hotels in that area. Where did you see the "mixed reviews"??? Happy travels!

We stayed there last August and were very pleased with it. The room was very small but clean, and it worked fine - we weren't in it that much. The staff were incredibly friendly. When we were there, we only saw one RS guidebook on the street.

Have stayed there as well and thought it was pretty good. The rooms are a bit small, especially the bathroom. Also, not all the rooms have great views (ours was of a brick wall), so if that is important to you, request a room with street views. But overall, it is a fine establishment. Also, we were there in April and ran into many more Parisians than anything else. Did not see a single RS book.
Get breakfast in the local cafe on the street if you do stay there. One euro for coffee and one euro for croissant/chocolate pastry.

We've stayed in the 7th on two different occasions and thought it was a great location...until this past March when we stayed in the Latin Quarter about 10 minute walk to Notre Dame. Now I've changed my mind and would recommend staying somewhere other then the 7th...and especially somewhere other than Rue Cler which seems to be American Tourist Centrale.

I stayed there in 2003. It suited its purpose but the next time I went to Paris, I stayed in the Marais district. The room was larger and I had a view (of beautiful Parisian buildings). At GHLeveque, our room was really, really, really tiny, even for European rooms (I grew up in Europe and am used to the small room sizes); my boyfriend and I had to dosey doe around each other and take turns opening our backpacks. The "view" was of white walls and windows in the "courtyard", not necessarily a problem but if you want something more, this may not be suitable. We choose it because of the price and close location to the tower. Loved the restaurants and markets in the area. I found the staff at both hotels friendly. I am returning in September and choose another hotel in the 7th that will guarantee me an Eiffel tower view and balcony. It is a big birthday for me and I wanted something special (my room will cost 169 euros per night) and wanted to wake up and go to sleep with a view of the Eiffel Tower. I understand GHLeveque remodeled recently. It was suitable and inexpensive in 2003 but not remarkable. It really depends on what you want in a hotel.

Perhaps a too-late comment, but having stayed there a few weeks ago October 2011 not a very nice place at all. Minimal but worse...rundown. Paint peeling off walls, dirty carpets, dark and dingy breakfast room...have nothing good to say about it except...location if Rue Cler is where you want to stay. For the money, way better places than this. Correct...many negative comments on the hotel and for good reason. Sub-par.