Just come back from 3 nights at this hotel. It's in a great location and it's lovely to have more than just a typical Paris shoebox-sized room to stay in. The kitchen was well equipped with plates, glasses, cutlery and plenty of cooking utensils. We got an extremely good rate of 165 euros a night for a 1 bed apartment and the staff were very friendly so we were very happy.
The down-side though was that the maintenance of the room was dire. The dishwasher leaked very badly all over the kitchen floor when we used it (and had signs of having done so for a while) and the toilet flusher fell off the wall every time it was used!! Maybe we were just unlucky but I think it needs a bit of loving care to make it a brilliant hotel.

We have stayed here on several previous occasions but probably not again until the place has had a much-needed facelift. It is beginning to look and feel grotty. The beds were without question the worst we have ever slept in, with lumps, bumps and mini-Eiffel Towers making sleep impossible until exhaustion took over. Room service costs extra and you only get a towel change or a replacement for the minimal toiletries provided when the room is serviced. The original group sold out to a Singapore company which prides itself on the extent of its hotel acquisitions. It would be nice, now, if they paid a little attention to quality. It is wonderfully located - near the Opera and Galeries Lafayett - but location is no substitute for the kind of comfort you want on a break or a holiday.

I'm surprised there aren't more reviews of this hotel. My wife and I stayed here from 22-28 Sept 2004, on our first trip overseas, let alone our first trip to Paris. We really enjoyed our stay here and found the staff friendly and the neighborhood great. We had a studio suite on the 4th floor, which was a big, high-ceilinged room with kitchenette, featuring 2 burner hot plate, small refrigerator, dishes, pots, pans, utensils, toaster, coffeemaker, TV, and a small stereo. Our bed was a daybed with trundle, so not a real bed, but it was very comfortable. The bathroom had a tub and sink and was good sized. The water closet was next to the front door. The room faced the back of the building, which is also air conditioned.

We had a large window opening like French doors on the roof of another building at the rear. No view, but they let in cool air and light. Rooms facing the front of the building overlook the entry courtyard that's between the street and the front entrance. The lobby was large, nicely appointed, and free internet was available on a computer there. There were a workout room (some good equipment) and laundry (out of order during our stay) in the basement. We had maid service once during our stay, which was perfect (we don't change our sheets and towels every day at home either).

The staff was very friendly in helping us to navigate the neighborhood in the 2eme arrondissement, which is a wonderful area. Comments on Tripadvisor were also really helpful. Boulevard des Italiens is about 30 steps to the right of the hotel, and on a stroll down the boulevard to the Grand Opera House, you get to soak in a bustling commercial area with lots of restaurants, hipster stores, and a movie multiplex. The Richelieu Drouot metro stop is 50 steps from the hotel, and a BNP Paribas ATM is directly across Boulevard des Italiens (no svc chg for Bank of America customers). Aux Lyonnais (one of the top examples of Lyonnaise cooking in Paris and part of Alain Ducasse’s empire) is a couple of blocks away, and there are several terrific brasseries and bistros within a 15 minute walk. One tip on eating dinner out, you have to have reservations, because the restaurants won't try to accommodate you if you don't.

If you want to use your kitchen, there's a small market (Franprix) about a 5 minute walk away. We bought fruit, wine, yogurt, and chocolate there. Also there's a huge supermarket (Monoprix) about 2 blocks down from the Opera House on Boulevard de l’Opera, where you can pick up some remarkable things for a picnic, as well as anything you’d need to make your own dinner.

One notable staff interaction. We made reservations at a restaurant called La Cagouille in Montparnasse, and I couldn't find the street on my Streetwise map. I asked the desk clerk, and he spent about 10 minutes with me, including pulling out his Thomas guide, finding the exact directions from the Metro stop. Without his help, we never would have found the place.

We're going back to Paris in October, and will stay in a hotel in the Latin Qtr this time. But we have great memories of our stay at Citadines in 2004 and would stay again if we wanted to stay in 2eme. We also stayed at the Citadines Las Ramblas at our next stop in Barcelona on that 2004 trip and liked it just as well. The staff wasn’t as friendly, but its location at the top of Las Ramblas is unbeatable.

We stayed at this hotel for four nights in July 2004. This is the second Citadines we stayed at, the first was in London and we enjoyed both. The rooms are large (for Paris) and clean, the staff is great and speak english and there is free wireless plus a common terminal in the lobby. You can even do your own laundry and soap is included (so don't buy any). Food in Paris is expensive, but the fact that the rooms have a small kitchen with refrigerator really helps out. Ask the staff how to get to the Monoprix, go into the basement to find the large grocery store and stock up on food supplies. There is also a smaller grocery store just a few blocks away, ask the staff for directions. There are many, many parks in Paris where you can have great picnics, you just need a good map so you can find them.

In addition, there are a large number of food shops very close to the hotel where you can get incredible bread, sandwiches and coffee. Of course, there are lots of restaurants too. The croissants at the corner store just across the street from the hotel entrance are heavenly, and they have take-away (i.e. to go) coffee.

The location of the hotel is great. It is about a 15 minute walk to the Louvre, another 15 to the Champs Elysees. There is a metro station just around the corner, so of course all of Paris is just a subway ride away. (The 10 tickets for 10 Euros is a great deal.) The main street the hotel is near is bustling, with plenty to see and do.