Hey, you! 🤓
The Playce Hotel by HappyCulture adventure began with the big smile we received from Hugues, the hotel manager, as we checked-in. The 24-hour reception means that there is always someone in the hotel in case of need. It's true that the lack of hotel staff presence in France is still something that shocks me sometimes. But at least here, that's not the case.
It was hard for me not to fall in love with the lobby as it was decorated in my favorite color ever, Royal Blue.
Checking-in went smoothly despite their worn-out card machine. Thankfully, there was an ATM machine not too far so we could withdraw and pay in cash. It's quite unfortunate when this happens and a bit embarrassing imo. But what can you do, right? Well, maybe they could have offered something to make up for it. Nothing extravagant, but a nice gesture would have been highly-appreciated. I had reserved on their website (click here for the site) and opted to pay upon check-in. Had I known better, I probably would have paid in advance.
The hotel lobby felt very cozy. Obviously I loved the blue color, but I also liked how the green plants accent that homey feeling.
On one side of the lobby, you can find a table with free coffee, tea, and detox water. Do not hesitate to serve yourself as many times as you want. Little details like this count a lot!
Room 011 is a family room for 4.
It's on the first floor and it was the only room on that floor, which meant that it was pretty quiet. I mean, we couldn't hear any neighbours whatsoever.
The rooms were decorated in blue. I wonder if the other rooms are in the same colors too. 🤔🤔 Anyways, as I mentioned earlier, this is a room for 4 people. There was one big bed for 2 people, a single bed beside the big bed, and another single bed at the other side of the room. The bed was big, but in fact it was 2 single beds side by side. I'm not a fan of that as I move a lot during my sleep and I usually land close to the middle of the bed (sorry babe 😜!), which isn't too comfortable in this kind of set-up. I kept waking up the whole night.
Seeing that the room was good for 4 people, it was quite spacious for us 3. There was also enough space to put away our clothes and a luggage carrier for our suitcase. Having a luggage carrier means you don't have to bend over to the floor each time you want to get something from your suitcase. Sadly, back pain is a thing now.
There were 4 free water bottles included with the room. This was quite convenient to bring with us as we walked the streets of Paris. A water kettle was also available but between you and me, I never use water kettles outside of my home.
This room was what we needed since we only slept in here for a night. But I'm not sure if I would have stayed for more than that. It was quite dark, without a proper view outside. The window opened to walls which prevented any natural light from coming in the room. As you can see from the video above, we had to turn on all the lights.
Now more negative points.
The problem I have with the room is that at first glance, it's pretty. The furniture comes from Ikea. It's simple, trendy, and functional. But like a band-aid hiding a wound under, it diverts the eye from what it really is.
The cleanliness is questionable.
There was dust everywhere.
Humidity was present.
Stains on the wall.
The room finishing is catastrophic.
No battery for the safe.
And where did the mini-fridge go?
This 4-star hotel felt more like a 3-star hotel in my honest opinion.
I have a huge fear of bed bugs, so I had to double-check.
Thank God, no bed bugs here.
Reality is, we had to get out of our room to fully appreciate this hotel. Look how pretty this area is! This is actually their multi-functional room: it is a bar, breakfast room, lounge, game room, and etc ....
Sadly, we didn't have time to check out their breakfast.
While waiting for our Uber ride the next day, S wanted to play one last arcade game. This was free by the way, as well as the foosball, but not the darts.
Lastly, the location is good, walking distance to Montmartre, and close to a metro. With that said, it is located in the 18th Arrondissement which is known to be vibrant and home to many races and ethnicities. There are stores and restaurants everywhere, so if you're looking for a quiet and calm neighbourhood, this isn't the hotel for you. In our case, we didn't mind it because we like vibrancy. We walked to our hotel from the Sacré Coeur and the restaurant we had dinner at (click here for the post) and we loved feeling the energy of life in the streets. I can however understand people leaving online reviews about not feeling safe or secured, but personally I didn't feel any less safer than anywhere else in Paris. I've always been someone who preferred walking down a noisy and busy street rather than a quiet and badly lit one. But that's just me.
Have you been to a hotel in Paris? How was your experience?