Hôtel Terminus Orléans

I've traveled to Paris on business and pleasure for 20 years and stayed in 35 or 40 different hotels during that time. Hotel Terminus is one of the nicer two-star hotels. The room and common areas were very clean. The hotel is literally 5 meters from the Porte d'Orleans metro (line 4) entrance, making it very convenient. WiFi worked well and consistently; the only small issue was that two devices cannot be connected for the same user simultaneously. One must be logged off and the other logged on. The room that I booked (lowest category) had two inconveniences: a tiny bathroom in which the toilet blocked half the shower and made it uncomfortable to get in and out; a very short padded stool in place of a desk chair that was not at all comfortable. The shower would likely not be a problem if booking a larger, more expensive room. If you're traveling during summer, be aware that the hotel has no air conditioning. However, a small tabletop fan was provided in the room and was much appreciated since it was hot (85 F / 30 C). Also be aware that you will be asked to pay the local Paris city lodging tax (in French, la taxe de sejour) of 1,13 euros at check in, even if your room is prepaid through the booking website. This is not a scam; all hotels in Paris are required to collect this tax.

No complaints—especially for the price! The room was clean (and I'm VERY picky), the staff is helpful and multilingual, and the location is amazing. Though not within walking distance of the more touristy sights, it's right on the Metro and tram—under 30 minutes from Gare du Nord, and there are a bunch of very "authentic"/tourist-free neighborhoods nearby. A few quirks: THERE IS NO AC (it was fine in October, and there's a nice breeze in courtyard rooms), it's a European-style "leave your key with the front desk" kind of place where the keys get reused between guests, and there's a weird "no food in the room" rule, which makes it hard to enjoy a dinner of bread, cheese, and wine from one of the nearby stores. The small elevator is not accessible, and there's some noise from neighbors' doors slamming. Also, the check-in clerk used the phrase "so you just have to prepay for breakfast and city taxes now" as if I didn't have a choice to decline the breakfast. I did decline it, because I was in Paris—why would I eat a hotel breakfast?—and he didn't make a fuss, but it felt more like an upsell ("what can I get you for an appetizer?") than a linguistic quirk. That might sound like a lot of negatives, but the hotel is a seriously great value, and much more predictable (and better for the local housing market) than an AirBnB.

Small room

The location is very far from the center of Paris, but very close to a metro station. Very small room, tiny bathroom, tiny elevator. Thin walls, when there is noise in corridor, it can be heard very well inside the room. The bed is small and not comfortable, they give you only 1 blanket for two people. I asked for second blanket, but it wasn't available. No AC in the room, need to open window at night. However, the room was clean and tidy, the cleaning stuff did their job every day, the clerks at the reception desk were very nice and helpful. Overall, it's a good cheap motel for 1 person who doesn't mind to live far from center. If you are a couple, who used to more comfortable conditions and don't like to be stuck in the metro everyday, I suggest finding something better and closer to center of the city.

Couldn't fault the cleanliness and comfort of the hotel. The staff were all very helpful, friendly and polite. The room was noisy in the evening as we were directly above the bar next door but it quietened at 12.30 so not too late. The metro was right outside and is a direct line for gare du nord and Chatelet. I would be happy to stay here again.