Hotel Mercure Paris 17 Batignolles

We stayed here for 3 nights in April (1 night pre tour and 2 nights post tour). Obviously after staying in St Germain, the location in the 17th is not as vibey but there are a couple of restaurants nearby and a self service laundry across the road. There is a bar downstairs but with only 1 staff member about, service can be a bit slow. Breakfast was quite good, noting it was buffet style. We had a lovely room on our first night - very modern with heated towel racks. Our 2 nights stay after the tour was just a basic room without a heated towel rack and was not as modern.

I booked 2 rooms for 3 nights. The price was good on a room only basis. Breakfast was expensive at €18 a head. There’s a lovely bakery about 5 minutes walk away so save your cash and get the steps in. I chose the location due to the proximity to the RER station for a trip to Versailles. Otherwise I would not have chosen this hotel as it is over a mile away from the closest tourists attraction, the Arc de Triomphe. The rooms are well equipped and spacious via Paris standards. One of the rooms was not set correctly upon check in and we had to continually ask for it to be sorted. One of the allocated rooms on arrival was not a premium room I booked and didn’t have a shower - this issue was quickly resolved but it shouldn’t have needed to be. The rooms were fixed daily and bottled water and coffee pods replenished. Robes, slippers and premium toiletries were provided. The bedding isn’t the best quality - a polycotton blend which made sleeping a bit uncomfortable. If you’re in a room facing in to the courtyard you will be disturbed by the slightest noise down below if the window is left open. The air con, however, works well. In summary, a very genetic and ‘modern’ hotel which met the need but nothing ‘wow’ or special.

As a 60th birthday present to myself, I arranged for all the family to spend my birthday weekend in Paris. I made three bookings: one for my wife and I (3 nights), one for my daughter (3 nights) and one for my son and his partner (2 nights). I chose the bed and breakfast option, which, for some reason, did not work on my wife's and my reservation. Therefore, my children had a full breakfast while my wife and I had to be content with a coffee and croissant next door. The hotel offered the possibility of breakfast, but at €18 pp a day the cost was exorbitant, so we declined. Given the logistical scope of the operation - all of us live in different countries - and the fact it was for my 60th birthday, I contacted the hotel in advance to ask for an early check in and a late checkout. I have been a member of the Accor loyalty programme for decades although I don't travel as much as I used to. Wishing to make the most of our time in Paris, and given the occasion, I didn't anticipate a problem in theis regard. This was their reply: 'De plus, nous essaieront tant que possible de vous mettre dans un étage supérieur avec vue sur rue pour profiter de nos chaleureux toits parisiens, et de procéder à un early check in ou d’un late check out, et ce sous réserve de nos disponibilités.' Basically translated, the message in English says: "In addition, we will try as much as possible to put you on an upper floor with a view of the street to take advantage of our warm Parisian roofs, and to proceed with an early check in or a late check out, subject to our availability." 'Subject to availability' being the key words here. When we arrived at the hotel, the male receptionist did not offer us an early check in. I showed him his colleague's email. He simply shrugged his shoulders, saying that the room was not ready. We asked to stow our bags in the left luggage and went to find lunch. On our return, the same receptionist gave is the keys to room 417, far below the lofty heights and the 'warm Parisian rooftops'. We had a view of a faux Mansart rooftop on the building opposite which was new and not particularly 'warm'. Our son was given a bigger room than us (416); yet here I was paying for eight nights' accommodation plus seven breakfasts. We were also denied a late checkout, which meant we went to the airport 5 hours before schedule. Recpetion could not even give me one unified invoice. The way we were treated, ultimately, ruined my 60th birthday. Never again.

The bedroom and bathroom were of a reasonable size for what you pay for this hotel. It's a little bit of a walk to the nearest Metro and for some reason it was difficult to get an Uber when we needed it. We saw that other guests also had the same problem. The staff were comfortable and competent in speaking English.

The stay was great as the room was very clean and a good size being in Paris. The room came with free water which was a very nice gesture and was very well kept. The location was convenient and a simple 15 minute walk to the Arc de Triomphe. However this is where the praises end. The staff at this hotel are mediocre at best. The house cleaning staff were great but the front desk staff were questionable. They seemed very displeased with helping us and rushing through the process. Never offered to help with bags. Also the front desk staff were all huddled together chit chatting like friends even in front of me in French like I didn’t understand or care. Terrible first impressions. One night I came to ask for some ice and I was told to talk to the bartender who then told me it’s reserved for paying guests only at the bar. What terrible service. Also another time I caught the front desk person sitting at the bar having a drink “unsure if it was alcoholic or not” and watching a football game on the TV even though he was on duty. The staff need retraining on respect and being professional. I understand they can’t accommodate every request but simple things like this at a 4 star hotel is a bit ridiculous not to mention the lack of professionalism.