Hôtel du Lion

We had a tiny room with two beds and no bathtub (just a shower), but for my daughter and me, it was the perfect size. The beds were firm and comfortable. We had a great view that would been excellent if the hotel had not been undergoing renovation. We were on the 7th floor, and our balcony was covered in scaffolding. We could stick our heads out but not really walk on it, so it wasn't until our third night that we noticed we could see the Eiffel Tower to our left. Beware: If you are in a wheelchair or cannot climb stairs, this hotel is not for you. They have an elevator on the lobby level, but the lobby is not on the ground level. You have to walk up a circular set of stairs to access the lobby. From there, you get the elevator to your floor. My only critiques are: 1) Only one of the two nightstands had a power outlet. 2) The breakfast is not included with your room, although one night, the desk clerk told us it was. 3) The room had a very small closet space with cubbies and hangers. There was no dresser, but that's pretty common for European hotels (so, note to Americans!). 4) The bathroom was divided into two rooms, with the toilet in one, and the shower and sink in the other. This required opening the door (using the handle) and walking to the other room to wash your hands after using the toilet, which did not seem sanitary to me. 5) Sound insulation was not great. There were a lot o loud bumps and booms from neighboring rooms, and being on a busy street was both perfectly Parisian and incredibly loud. One night, cars in the traffic circle outside our room honked their horns for 10 minutes. 6) The breakfast is not a hot meal and does not come with eggs, despite what one of the photos on this website suggests. They also do not have room service, which one of the photos seems to imply. Breakfast consists of a baguette, choice of a croissant or pan au chocolat, coffee or tea, orange juice, cheese, crackers, and a ton of condiments (including Nutella, which the French seem to love). One morning we had yogurt and apple sauce, but there was never any fresh fruit. (Fresh fruit with meals does not seem to be an option in many places.) I'm not complaining about the breakfast, just stating facts. It was filling and tasty, and there was a great view out the windows. The coffee service was more American than French in nature - a pitcher of hot coffee delivered with a small pot of cream. We truly loved this hotel and its staff. They tried hard to speak to us in English, and I likewise practiced my limited French with them. We also loved the location - in the 14th arrondissement, directly across from both a large Metro station on one side and the Paris Catacombs on the other. There were several nice cafes and restaurants just feet away, and we frequented Chez Paul almost every day. There was a pharmacy fairly close (I got a cold while we were there), and we were walking distance to the Luxembourg gardens. But the Metro station across the street was the best thing about the location.