In a city notorious for small hotel bedrooms, it was heartening to find one in which it was possible to stretch out and relax. After reading previous reviews, my wife and I opted for four nights in a standard room in a mid-priced hotel rather than the most expensive room in a more basic establishment. (That was what we did last time we were in Paris, and we were none too pleased with the result.) On arrival, the receptionist was very helpful and only lapsed into English when my schoolboy French failed fully to deliver the goods. At other times a different receptionist made bookings at restaurants we ourselves chose from the Michelin guide.

Our room overlooked the Rue Dauphine, which is quite a busy street, but thanks to the double glazing we heard not a sound. The TV showed plenty of channels, but the only one we watched was BBC World News. There were plenty of sockets for charging phones, cameras and electric toothbrushes, and we could have had wi-fi if we had wanted it - we didn't. The bathroom was excellent, with a powerful shower over the full-sized bath. Slippers and bathrobes were provided. If I had to make a criticism it would be this: the bed, although very comfortable, was furnished with sheets and blankets rather than the duvets we are used to at home and elsewhere in Europe. As a result we had very disturbed nights, ending up all in a tangle. To be fair, however, duvets are not common in France, and so the hotel cannot really be blamed.

Our tarriff included a full buffet breakfast, which we took in the very stylish breakfast room. The choice of food included a good range of fruits, juices, breads, pastries, hams and cheeses. There was bacon, scrambled eggs etc for those who wanted them. The coffee was fine, if not ultra hot. One afternoon we took tea in the bar, but be warned, the Earl Grey was the weakest ever experienced. Hot water would have been just as good. But perhaps that's how the French like it.

On our final morning we checked out, but were able to leave our suitcases for a couple of hours whilst we went out for a final walk. Finally a taxi was called and took us to the Gare du Nord for our Eurostar train back to London. But had we been unencumbered with luggage and parcels, the metro would have been quite convenient: you can get from the Odeon stop, two minutes walk away, to Gare du Nord by using Line Number 4, with no need to change.