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Review: the Hotel de la Porte Dorée
It
came as no surprise to me to read this week on the San Francisco
Chronicle's website that the Hotel de la Porte Dorée, in the 12th
arrondissement, was listed as one of their Paris bargains.This 39-room gem on the edge of one of the "lungs" of Paris, the Bois de Vincennes, might not be tourist central, but that's one of its many draw cards for some. Walk into the foyer and you'll find another: the lovely wooden and wrought-iron staircase, lined with a red Oriental runner, that invites you to climb up to the four floors of charming rooms.
"We pulled up the carpet that had been there for so long, it was disgusting, and this is what we found," hotelier Christina Greveldinger says, pointing to the honey-colored floorboards. "I was delighted."
Not
to get too syrupy, but Christina herself is delightful--graceful, warm,
and with a smile that lights up the tastefully decorated foyer. A
native of Sacramento, California, she came to Paris eight years ago to
study French, and met Laurent Greveldinger,
who worked at the hotel she was staying in. Quietly handsome, with warm
brown eyes, he convinced her to stay longer and longer, until she
cashed in her ticket and married him. Laurent's uncle owns the St. Jacques hotel on Rue des Ecoles in the Latin Quarter, and convinced the young couple that hotel life was the way to go. A fine idea that might have been, except they couldn't find anything in their price range. They, along with Laurent's parents, who are also partners in the hotel, looked all over Paris. "My mother-in-law drove past here, "Christina said, "but told us to not even bother going inside, it was a dump."
However, by the time they got the financing together, hotel prices had boomed and all they could afford was, well, a dump. They came back to the Hotel de la Porte Dorée in 2000, trying not to wince as they walked through it. At the time a residential hotel, it had been owned by the same people for 60 years and looked it. Some of its clientele left a lot to be desired: prostitutes and junkies. Getting them to leave required a bit of a juggling act. French law is very strict about the removal of tenants, so some of them stayed while the building was being renovated, mainly the more "savory" types.
Another expense they couldn't afford was the specialist hotel furniture. "Even the cheap stuff was horrible," Christina admits, so they put her father-in-law to work, trawling the Ile-de-France's consignments shops. Every piece of furniture--every table, chair and headboard--has been sanded back, stained and reupholstered by Laurent's father. Some of the chairs are so lovely, there's no way you would know they only cost 20 euros.
Saving
money there meant they could spend it in other places, and the result
is charming. Each room is individually decorated, although Christina
does point out that her mother has a predilection for apricot. They
redid almost every bathroom, adding them to the single rooms, and were
ready to go in 2001.And then along came September 11th. Luckily, Christina's mother was a travel agent at the time, and brought through tour groups, mainly women. You'd think the ladies of Sacramento would have been horrified at the thought of the ladies of the night, but no. "They'd whisper 'Is that one? Can I get my photo taken with her?'" Christina laughs.
In 2002, something amazing happened. On a trip home, Christina and Laurent were interviewed by the Sacramento Bee as part of their series on people "living the dream". The article was syndicated in newspapers across America. Immediately, emails started coming in, up to 150 a day, followed by letters, cards and gifts--all from strangers wishing them well. And then the bookings started coming in. Even now, at any given time, there's usually someone from Sacramento staying at the hotel. Their clientele comes mainly from Holland, Spain, France and the U.S., with half there for business the other half for pleasure.
After four years of living in the hotel themselves, Christina and Laurent have moved out. They're renovating their former quarters, which will take the total number of rooms to 42. These 3 new rooms will be connected by a passageway, perfect for a family or group traveling together. On the ground floor, it will have access to the tiny terrace at the back of the hotel--a shady area just right for those warm summer days. Also under renovation at the moment is the large room that will soon become the breakfast room. (The current room is quaint but small.) With a restored fireplace in the corner and a planned mural on one wall, it will no doubt become a popular part of the hotel, regardless of the season.
When
I left Australia two I was delighted to discover that my twin room
(#27) had a bath. It also had very comfy beds, plump pillows, a
separate bathroom and toilet (new), lots of space, and a view over
Avenue Daumesnil. The double-glazing did much to cut down the noise,
but if you're a light sleeper, a room on the back of the hotel would
suit you better.(Note: by law, twin rooms must be larger than doubles, although I've been in a few that didn't seem to take any notice of this--either that, or you got into their double rooms by walking over the bed! The Porte Dorée's twin rooms are quite large by Parisian standards.)
A look at some of the other rooms:
#8: a standard double room at the back of the hotel.
#9: a twin room at the back of the hotel, done mainly in apricot.
46: single room on the back of the hotel. Great for business travelers.
12:
a lovely double room done in burgundy and gold, facing the side street,
with a classic Parisian view of Haussmanian buildings dripping with
geraniums.20: a triple room (double and single) with a bathroom (including bath) big enough to throw a party in. This is the one I'd book if I were traveling with female friends, so we'd all have room for our various "necessities".
38: this 4th floor room has that "under the eaves of Paris" appeal, as well as a separate bathroom and toilet. (Plans are afoot to update the bathroom, although it's perfectly fine as is, and has double basins.) It's at the front of the building, so it wouldn't be the best choice if you're a light sleeper, but the windows were made for relaxing in front of with a glass of wine while you enjoy the life below.
40: Another 4th floor room, this one is a twin also with separate toilet/bathroom. Also on the front of the building.
44: This double room on the back of the hotel is decorated in blue and yellow and has a lovely rooftop view. The clincher is the huuuuuge navy and white bathroom, with double basins, a bath, and a bidet.
Every room has Canal+ cable TV (includes CNN), and each bathroom is equipped with towels, hairdryers, and basic toiletries, as well as gants (those cool handmits) and face cloths.
If
you have a WiFi-equipped laptop, you're going to love the free access
in every room. If you didn't BYO computer, then buy a card from
reception (2/15 mins; 3/30 mins; 4/1 hour). You can also buy drinks
from the reception for 1.5. (An ice machine will be installed
shortly--"For our American clients," Christina says with a wink--but
there are no mini-bars in the rooms.) The reception is open 24-hours,
and has a safety box for valuables. Another nice touch is the book and
magazine exchange happening on the various floors, where guests leave
unwanted books for fellow travelers to enjoy.
You can get your free map from Galeries Lafayette and brochures of Paris's attractions here. Christina recommends the Open Tour bus (a double-decker bus that takes in many of the city's sights, and allows you to hop on and off for further exploration) and several Cityrama tours: the day tours to Normandy and Vaux-le-Viconte. She also just spent an evening at the Crazy Horse review. "I thought it was going to be terrible. In fact, I apologized to the people I was with. But we ended up having a great evening. If you're interested in a review, I'd choose this one over the Lido any day."
Occasionally, Christine receives emails from U.S. clients worried about how the French will treat them. She's quick to assure them that they'll receive a warm welcome, especially in this neighborhood where tourists are not so abundant. Some local businesses restaurants offer a free aperitif if you mention you're staying at the Porte Dorée, while the boulangerie directly across the road (voted to have the 7th best croissant in Paris) bakes an extra batch of tarte citron when they know a large contingent of American guests will be arriving. And if you're worried about there not being enough attractions to keep you busy at night, don't. You can easily get to the center of Paris if you want (it's only 4 stops to Line 1, the metro line that takes you to the Marais, the Louvre, the Champs-Elysées), or you can hang out around the area. One group of guests found the Belgian beer café around the corner on Boulevard Poniatowski, and went back every night.
For those who like a little more space or who want to run off the croissant-induced calories, the beautiful Bois de Vincennes is 5-minutes walk from the hotel. There you can visit some of Paris's lesser-known attractions: the Chateau de Vincennes, a working farm (great for the kids) and the Parc Floral. You can rent boats at the Lac Daumesnil, or go to the races at the Hippodrome de Vincennes.
About a 20 minute walk away (or 4 metro stops) is Bercy Village, a complex where once there were white wine warehouses and where now you'll find lovely shops, movie cinemas and more than a few wineries, pubs and restaurants. Also a great place for kids, Bercy holds many events throughout the year. Right next door to that is Paris-Expo Bercy, where many concerts are held throughout the year.
For more information on the area, Christine painstakingly maintains a directory that can be found in every guest room. Within you'll find information on the local restaurants, the closest ATM, Monoprix, drycleaners, etc--all the information you'll need to make your stay comfortable and hassle-free. If there's anything else you need, it really is as simple as asking Christine or Laurent; for them, the hotel is not just revenue but a true vocation, and they do everything they can to make their guests at home.
Now
completely erased of its somewhat colorful past, the hotel is charming,
warm, comfortable, and a true bargain. With plans to convert the
massive basement into perhaps meeting rooms, or maybe a large TV room,
as well as never-ending updating of rooms, you can rest assured that
the Hotel de la Porte Dorée will be a place you'll want to come back to
trip after trip.Rates:
Single with shower: €51
Double room with shower: €64 (€58 if traveling solo)
Twin room with bath: €72
Triple room with shower: €76 (€13 for an extra bed)
Baby bed: €10
Breakfast: €6; enjoy it either in the breakfast room or the privacy of your own room.
Sorry,
no pets allowed. And yes, there's an elevator, but as in many Paris
hotels, it's just big enough for 1 person and a suitcase, or you can
slot in two people shoulder to shoulder.
Website: http://www.hoteldelaportedoree.com In French, English, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Portugese, German, Spanish, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, and Danish (phew!).
