Ecole Centrale

Very good price/quality. Very clean , not too small (for Paris). I will certainly come back.

Just returned from a week long Rome and Paris trip.

Stayed here three nights and thought the hotel

was great. Located next to the Arts Et Metier

Metro stop, walkable to/from Notre Dame, close

to Centre Pompidou Modern Art Museum.

If you are on a budget, there are lots of great bakeries,

restaurants in the area for cheap eats.

Hotel was clean, nicely decorated. Room wasn't huge

but big enought to move around in. Bed was comfortable

and bath was extremely clean (looked new). Breakfast

was satisfactory, with toast, cereal, yogurt, fruit, cheeses,

juice, milk and coffee.

A nice hotel in a great area!

next to arts et metiers metro,this is a clean and well kept small hotel with a helpful staff. a good option in the area for the price you pay.

This little hotel is a real treat! The renovations and decorations are top-notch, the rooms are charming, the bathrooms beautiful! The owner has taken real pride in this little gem. The front desk staff were awesome (and english speaking, all of them!), the breakfast was first rate.

The location, approximately 5 blocks from the Pompidou Centre, was great; we walked everywhere till our feet gave out! And many restaurants were right around the Pompidou. Paris was packed, but we felt back in a neighborhood when we reached the hotel.

We would definitely recommend this hotel, and the price was perfect for such a location!

(we were traveling 2 adults, 3 teens, and had two rooms which were both great!)

A quaint little hotel in the middle of Paris. Lovely staff, good service. Predictably small room.

My daughter and I had 4 days in Paris on our way home to New Zealand after 2 1/2 weeks in Barcelona. Arrived on a Saturday afternoon so decided to check out the shopping. We were totally blown away with the ammount of people shopping - I'm talking shoulder to shoulder in the shops. We wondered why we had left the beach at Barcelona!! Once we got onto the Metro (across the road from the Ecole) and found how easy it was to get to all the amazing landmarks we saw the city for the beautiful place it is. I didn't expect Parisian's to be terribly friendly but if you attempt a little French and are polite they are helpful and very friendly.

I would stay at the Ecole if I ever have the chance to be in Paris again.

We were a bit nervous about moving to this hotel after having had such a great experience at our previous 2 star hotel in the Latin Quarter. Our fears were unfounded though as this hotel turned out to be quite comfortable and, even though it didn't do much to earn its extra star (and slightly higher tarif), had some good features.

* A great location - Arts at Metiers metro station (very funky indeed) only a short stroll away gave us access to all of Paris metro.

* A small room but with very comfortable beds and a decent bathroom. Unfortunately the shower lacked water pressure but it was hot enough.

* Wi fi internet and a good TV with interesting French channels.

* Friendly staff who were helpful after a bit of encouragement and communicated well in English and French.

* 24hr reception and a well lit lobby.

* A great local brasserie/tavern almost next door (Bourse was the name I think - great atmosphere and excellent food). Even the owner's mother came out to say "bon soir" - friendly and well priced though not a word of English spoken.

Some downsides though:

* Not much of a view from the very plainly decorated room.

* The water pressure!

* The lift is so small you can barely fit one person in let alone two.

* It lacks the charm of some of the older style hotels around the neighbourhood.

* The safe provided in the room was too small for my laptop computer and so I entrusted it to the receptionist who locked it in the downstairs office.

All in all, a good choice and a nice part of Paris to explore.

Just returned from a long weekend at the Hotel Ecole Centrale. The hotel is conveniently located in the magnificent and exciting Le Marais area. The rooms are small but functions well for a short period of stay. Aircon, fridge and clean bathrooms ensured our happiness after long days in the magnificent city. Breakfast was kind of expensive (€10) but there are great cafés everywhere in the neigbourhood. The staff was over all friendly and smiley except one maid gave some attitude when returned to the room too early (in her mind) one afternoon. The tiny lobby was welcoming with magazines, travel guides and all the Paris info imaginable. Will definitely go back!

The Ecole Centrale is small but perfectly formed, tucked away in a small, quiet street right next to the Arts et Metiers Metro.

The hotel is clean and brightly (if not a tad gaudily) decorated. The rooms are well presented, although a bit on the small side. They have a good en-suite bath/shower room with hairdryer, fridge/minibar, TV and safe. Towels are changed daily. There is a tiny 3 man lift or else it's the spiral staircase so be warned if you have a lot of luggage!

Reception staff are friendly and helpful but would rather you spoke to them in French than speak to you in English, but, hey! This IS Paris!

We booked over the internet via Venere for 80 Euros per room per night. The tariff list at reception read 120 Euros per room per night. Breakfast was not included and at 10 Euros a go we decided not to bother and headed for one of the nearby cafes where it could be had for 4 - 7 Euros. The best local cafe by far was the Cafe Absinthe just around the corner from the Metro at 54 Rue de Turbigo. The staff were fantastic (I left my camera there one night and one of the staff brought it back to me at the hotel) the food above average and the drink reasonably (for Paris) priced.

The best feature of the hotel is its position on the border of the Beaubourg/Halles/Marais quarters and within easy (15mins) walk of Notre Dame. Arts et Metiers Metro is just across the road which will connect you with all the other stations in the centre. A book of 10 metro tickets costs 10.90 Euros.

In all a good budget hotel in a good position. I would definitely recommend it for a city break.

My boyfriend and I spent seven nights at this cozy nice hotel.

Location is perfect- very close to the Marais area and to La Halls, and there's a metro station right across the street (lines 3 and 11, which can take you directly to Chatelet or to the Opera).

Staff is sometimes friendly. Not all of them speak English.

Room is very basic, and quite small. There is no safe box in the room, no alarm clock, very few lamps.

TV is very small, without any English speaking channel (no CNN, BBC etc.).

Bathroom, however, is new and large. Everything seems clean and well maintained.

Air conditioning worked fine, and WiFi connection was very good (and for free!).

One annoying problem- we could hear the bathroom of the next room from our room. This is not always the most delightful sound..

All in all- for the price we paid, it was a very rewarding deal

We stayed at the hotel Ecole Centrale in Paris for a weekend in June 2006. It is a small, but very nice hotel, near to the metro station "Arts et Métiers". Maybe this is the best thing of this hotel: its location. You have a very quiet neighbourhood. We felt very safe (and additionally there is a 24h-front desk), the metro station is approx. 50 meters from the hotel and you can reach the city within a few minutes by metro or by a 15 minutes walk (the hotel is not far from the Centre Pompidou).

The rooms are small but clean, the staff is friendly, the location is great - the hotel could be recommended without hesitation.

Stayed week of Dec. 14 2005. For a young couple in Paris, the hotel room served its purpose well. Our double was very clean and quiet--excellent resting spot between our jaunts abut the city. Also, staff was very friendly. Safe neighborhood, 10 minutes from Notre Dame, and adjacent to metro stop. Saw all the sights and sampled the Parisien life. Highly recommend the boat tour on the Seine at night. All in all, relatively inexpensive place to stay that offers peace of mind.

Great hotel, extemely clean bathroom, lobby was very nicely decorated. The staff was very friendly and called to make dinner reervations for us without a problem. It's right across the street from the Metro and easy 10 minute walk to Notre Dame. We did not eat breakfast there, we went to Le Pain Quitidon which was a wonderful way to start the day. I would definetly stay here again.

As a new couple on our first weekend away together we wanted somewhere that was clean but cheap so we could spend our money in Paris itself. We paid €138 for a 2 night stay at the Hotel Ecole Centrale which was a bargain.

Area: The hotel is based on the edge of the Marais/Beubourg district and is within walking distance at night to both the Halles area to one side and Marais/Bastille on the other. I was only slightly nervous around the Halles area as the quickest street home was the street with the 'private' shops on. But the Halles area is a 10 minute walk away so don't think this affects the hotel at all!! It is about 2 minutes from the Pomidiou centre and 10 minutes to Notre Dame. well placed for both nightlife and day touristing

Hotel: the reception has been recently renovated with cream and wicker settes and furniture and water features. It is extremely relaxing. To get to the room you have to use possibly the tiniest lift in the world, but the spiral staircase alternative is very difficult with luggage. We were on the 3rd floor.

Room: Paris rooms are notoriously small but we thought this one was reasonable. There was a good size wardrobe in the room and a desk and bed with still enough room to walk around easily. It didn't feel cramped. The room was very clean and both the cream curtains and the cream bed cover were spotless. The room itself was very quaint with cream and wood and wooden ceiling beams. There was a small fridge and a safe in the room - the fridge had a few items in but space to put your own things if you wished which was very handy. There was airconditioning which was a bit temperamental but when it did work it worked well. However as this was not mid summer I was glad not to be relying on it! The large bedroom window opened but we were directly over a busy street so it was noisy with the window open. The bathroom was the only slightly downside to the room. It was clean and a decent size with a good shower over the bath and glass screen. However, there were a few maintenance points such as a cracked tile and old ventilation vent which let it down.

Overall: You will struggle to find a better hotel for this price! and using a cheaper hotel did not detract in any way from our enjoyment of Paris. We were very pleasantly surprised by how good this room was for the price. I would definitley go back again

Just came back from a three night stay and enjoyed it. Location is great -- Arts et Metiers is a convenient metro stop, there are several nice cafe's near by, and the hotel is within walking distance to Pompidou & other sights.

The room was clean and of decent size, bathroom was fine, and there is an (empty) mini-fridge. A/c worked great and saved my life in July! Street noise was not bad.

The one problem I noticed on the last morning is that an adjoining room's bathroom abutted the wall next to my bed; their shower was pretty audible even though I was wearing ear plugs.

Staff were very friendly. I was able to leave my bags after checkout and enjoy an extra 2 hours of sightseeing.

It may be a tad overpriced at the stated rate. At the reduced price available through discounters, I think it's quite a good deal. It will be my first choice next time.

We stayed here in April 2004 for 3 nights. We got a good rate on one of the discount internet websites. The room was average by Paris standards and the bathroom was adequate. While not luxurious, the room was comfortable and clean and the staff was very helpful. We would stay here again.

We stayed at this hotel for five nights this November. We chose it from a number of choices in a travel package. Our package came with breakfast. The hotel was o-k. Not great, not spectacular, but not bad either. The rooms are small, but I expect that in hotels in London, Paris, NYC, or San Francisco. Our 4th floor room lacked the charm of the pics on the website. Our room was white - which unfortunately showed cracks, dirt smudges on the walls etc., we did have the problems mentioned below with the shower -- everyhing got totally soked everymorning. Also our 'double bed' was two very small twins pushed together - so it makes sleeping with another person difficult as you each have your own set of sheets. The breakfast was fine -- good bread, croissants, hot coffee, fresh orange juice, fruit. Would I pay that much indivdually -- probably not given the availability of inexpensive cafe food - but it was fine. It was okay, but I'd choose another hotel next time - though probably in a similar location.

A great little hotel in Paris, great for the Marais area and in easy walking distance of great restaurants and touristic sites. THe breakfast is extremely poor - babybel is not my idea of breakfast. Furthermore, it's a 'no iron in the room' policy which unfortunately brings you down to the lobby for your ironing. However, the friendly staff compensate for this - even when you lock you key in your room! Would stay there again - nothing special, but fine for business trips.

A small & friendly hotel. ideally placed for the Bastille & Hotel-de- Ville area, Only 100yds from the Metro. Breakfast is simple, (10euro). The room I was in, was over a major road therefore we were unable to sleep with widow open. Having been to Paris many times I expected nothing more for the price. If all you wish is to get your head down then this is the place for you.

Nous avons trouvé cet hôtel très charmant. Les chambres et salles de bain sont relativement spacieuses comparés à beaucoup d'autres hôtels de cette catégorie à Paris. La décoration n'est peut-être pas à mon goût, mais étant donné qu'à Paris on ne passe pas toute la journée dans la chambre, cela a peu d'importance.

Le petit-déjeuner (peut-être un peu cher)est servi par un personnel agréable.

Le grand avantage est la situation de l'hôtel. Très central dans un quartier très vivant. Il y a beaucoup de restaurants et de bars aux alentours. Une station de métro se trouve juste en face.

Staff not helpful - useless really.

Advertised Wi-Fi was not available. Breakfast was OK.

Location was not the easiest to move around from.

My husband and I stayed at the hotel for two nights. On the first morning I was suffering badly from morning sickness (being four months pregnant). The breakfast area was very warm and airless. I was unable to eat breakfast and decided to take a croissant and a pear to eat later. The lady from the breakfast area immediately reported me to the hotel receptionist, who promptly tackled me about removing food from the breakfast area in front of other hotel guests. I explained that I was feeling unwell, yet she remained cold and indignant. I walked away feeling extremely embarrassed. The next morning the staff in the breakfast area were rude and unfriendly. We were forced to ask for a drink whereas the other guests were served with theirs. I have written to the manager with a complaint.

It's such a shame because even though the rooms are expensive; they are clean and the location is good. The service has put me off of returning.

We travelled from London to Paris and spent 2 nights at the Ecole Centrale. While the hotel is in a good location, we experienced some problems with this place.

Despite boasting a full English-speaking front desk staff, we found that the gentleman on the desk most times we were downstairs spoke no English and made no effort to assist us. However, some of the other desk staff speak good English.

We were disappointed with our room as it looked nothing like the rooms they show in their website. Our room was extremely small, but you would be pressed to find a room any larger for the price in Paris.

The hotel also offers breakfast bu this is not complimetary and we found it expensive for what you got. Guest would be better off heading out to nearby bakery.

The location of the hotel is good - only 1 minute from a metro station, and a nice easy 20-25 minute walk to the Notre Dame. It is also only a 10 minute walk to bars and restaurants in Republique.

All in all we were disappointed but I suppose you are getting what you pay for with this place. However, I dont think we would stay here again.

We booked online via a third party website which dealt with three-star hotels in the Marais in Paris which purport to have both charm and character. The photos looked nice and everything seemed exactly what we were looking for, and we were prepared to spend a little more than usual to really enjoy our 6 day sojourn in Paris, so we booked 5 nights. The cancellation policy on the confirmation stated that if the booking was cancelled or modified 3 days or more beforehand, there would be no charge, and if later than that, one night would be charged. So far so good.

We arrived and checked out the room we'd been allocated - a 'deluxe' room, the highest level of 3 they offered, for which we were charged the rack rate. The room was definitely not good enough for 170E per night. Very basic, charmless, smelled overpoweringly of toilet freshener, a tiny double bed with bad mattress, all white with no attempt at homeliness or decoration or anything at all. An inside window without balcony looked into a narrow courtyard with building works. You expect small in Paris but this was a 2 star room at 3 star or more prices; we've stayed in Paris several times and have stayed in far better rooms for half the price so we weren't willing to settle.

We left, got on the internet and found a cheaper room in a 4 star hotel on the Left bank on Wotif.com, and went back to the hotel to tell the owner we would be checking out in the morning. We expected to pay the first night's accommodation, as per the policy, but Madame told us that we would be charged for 2 nights if we did that, for who knows what reason. After a small altercation, we called the other hotel, who said that the room would be available to us that night for the discount online price, grabbed our bags and went downstairs to check out immediately. We were prepared to pay for one night of course, but Madame issued us an invoice for 2 nights accommodation - 344E - for a room we would not even be occupying! We showed her the hotel's cancellation policy again, and stood our ground, but it was only when new guests arrived in the door that she ungraciously gave way.

In future, I would be more willing to ask for a better room if the one we're given isn't up to scratch, but failing that I don't see how we could have avoided this happening again. Wotif.com is a fantastic website and we have stayed in terrific hotels for bargain prices all over Europe. I highly recommend using it if you don't have your heart set on a particular hotel or area. And I also recommend that you carefully check the cancellation policy when booking a hotel ahead of time (because it's impossible to see the room before agreeing to book, of course!) and print it out so you can show it to dodgy proprietors who try to rip you off.

For the record, our new hotel where we are right now, the Villa Pantheon, is much much better with very friendly and helpful staff and a great location near the Sorbonne, and with breakfast included we are actually saving money, even allowing for the 170E penalty charge from the Ecole Centrale!

Went to Paris for a week in September 06 with my boyfriend. When we saw our room in Ecole Central I thought I was gonna faint. The room looked more like a prison cell (3x3 meters), tiny window by the ceiling, aweful bed, VERY dark. There was no mini bar, just an old fridge under the desk. The freezer was full of ice and we couldn't even open it. The walls were extremely thin and we coulnd hear everything that was happening in the room next door, I mean EVERYTHING (some guy having lots of fun with 2 girls). I don't know how they could charge 130 euro for a dump like this! They'd have to pay ME to stay in that hotel again. There were some weird boards on the ceiling which I assume were supposed to give the room an old look, but instead it looked more like we were in a barn. We moved out the next day and I'm NEVER staying in that hotel again.

Julia & Rodger from Dublin, Ireland