Just got back from a week in Paris staying at the Serotel Lutce and I was thoroughly satisfied with the hotel overall. The breakfast is excellent, as other travelers have mentioned—it really gave us energy for our all-day treks. I didn’t appreciate the value of the ample included breakfast until I realized that a similar one at a local caf? would cost about ?14 and the portions would be much smaller. Our room (504) was quite small but no different from any other European hotel I have stayed in—European hotel rooms are tiny, there’s little way to get around it without paying through the nose! Other rooms on our floor seemed bigger on the layout, so I imagine it was just our luck to get the smallest. The shower was indeed tiny but the mattress was comfortable and we had a very large window that opened into the beautiful courtyard to let in fresh air when we were feeling claustrophobic. We felt like we were in a VERY safe area. We were not worried about coming in late at night and the streets were so silent we slept undisturbed. Not much night-life nearby, for better or worse. Every morning on the short walk to the RER station at Port-Royale we walked through a real Parisian street market which is an experience you’d definitely miss out on by staying in a more “touristy” area. We found the staff very friendly and helpful but didn’t need to use their concierge services. We used the safe for free (the “red button” is inside the door by the hinge to reset the code) and while the fabric on the walls was a strange choice, our room was not smelly and we didn’t see any mold as other travelers have mentioned. It really was no different than you would expect in a three-star hotel in the States. We also had an alarm clock and a hairdryer which was a plus. Overall, the hotel was small, but clean and safe. I would definitely recommend it to a traveler on a budget, especially for students. If you’re coming to Paris to watch American TV, you should probably just stay home—at night, there was a news channel and BBC World in English, but we were so exhausted that our room served its purpose as place to crash. However, I would not recommend this hotel to a travel with limited mobility: the rooms were too small to be wheelchair accessible and at times, the small elevator was tied up by staff use. To sum it all up: Clean, safe, great location. Our amazing trip to Paris was possible because of the great sleep we got at the Serotel Lutece.

This hotel is in a really nice location on the Left Bank, about ten minutes' walk from two metro stations, Censier-Daubenton (M7) and Port Royal (an RER line, which also has direct service to Charles de Gaulle airport, a big plus). There are a couple of open-air markets nearby including one on Rue des Patriarches that has great fresh fruit and meats. It's also very close to the Luxembourg Gardens, which are beautiful. Most importantly, the neighborhood is fairly quiet and we felt quite safe, even walking back to the hotel at two in the morning. The room is rather small - it was not easy to get ourself and the luggage past the door because of the bed's awkward location - but the room we stayed in had a great bathroom, much larger than the typical closet-sized European bath. The shower had a removable massage showerhead and the room was well-lit. There is a mini-bar in the room which we used as a refrigerator to store cheese and meat in to keep costs low. The breakfast, included in the rate, is really very good especially by European standards and includes a variety of meats, cheeses, yogurts, cereal, fruits, bread, and eggs plus juice and coffee. We filled up at breakfast and were easily satisfied till a late lunch. There is a TV in the room, but it only had four channels and let's face it, if you are in Paris you're probably not there to watch television! Wi-Fi is available for a fee, but if you have a laptop there are plenty of cafes in Paris which offer free service. The hotel also has a cute little courtyard in back, which was a nice place to relax with a glass of wine in the evenings. Everything was very clean and neat, and the staff were very helpful and cheerful. We arrived a few hours early for check-in but the staff stored our luggage so that we could go sight-seeing without having to worry about it. The one thing that was a little inconvenient was that the elevator went out on the first day we were there and was not fixed for our three-day stay, so we had to walk up to our room on the third floor (actually the fourth; Europeans number the ground floor 0) with our luggage, and there were a LOT of stairs. However, this is fairly standard for Europe. All in all I would definitely stay here again and strongly recommend it for travellers.

Really, this is a perfect hotel to answer the question: is the glass half full or half empty? For my friend and I the glass was certainly three quarters full. Seriously, though the wall paper may have sagged a bit, and the "up-datedness" of the facilities could be challenged, and our room was quite small, this little hotel was perfect for us. You just have to let yourslef be positive, willing to comprimise, and happy to be in a perfect location to experience the wonder that is Paris. Let's start with location: no walk of any signifiance to the Metro. Our first evening wander led us to Notre Dame in 20 minutes -- without any real directions. Rue Moffetard, close by, is a remarakbley convient, Parisian, and romantic street. THE STAFF WAS EXCEPTIONALLY KIND, INSIGHTFUL, AND EXPEDEINT -- I COULD NOT COMMEND THEM ENOUGH. Those who say otherwise simply have exagerated expectations. Also true for the breakfast -- really folks, the breakfast was excessively wonderful. I loved my six days in Paris, and this hotel played a significant role in my pleasure. Bravo. And MERCI.

Just spent 3 days/2 nights in Paris at BW Serotel Lutece. Location is about 1/2 km from Censier-Daubenton Metro, and the same from Port Royal. Location is perfect to go to the restaurants in rue Mouffetard/Rue de Pot de Fer area. Room (303 - twin) wasn't huge, but OK for two twin beds. This one faced the street. Not too noisy at night - just the occasional car. Bathroom small but clean and excellent water pressure in the shower (one of my measures of decent hotel rooms!) Breakfast is in a cellar(!) - exposed stonework gives it character. Plenty of choice in the buffet. Staff all very nice and helpful. No major issues apart from more accessible (and numerous) sockets probably needed in the room and maybe it is showing a little wear and tear. Great spiral staircase is alternative to using the shoebox lift to upper floors. There is a courtyard for the smokers, however lots of scaffolding during our visit. Would be willing to use it again.