This was a two night stay without the children. The following is our view of our experience in this friendly establishment.

The hotel is opposite St Lazarre Railway station on the Rue d'Amsterdam. This is an excellent location for those wanting to explore Paris on those short weekend breaks. It you are looking for the Ritz then this will not be for you but then the price should tell you that, Alternatively, if you are looking for something clean and friendly without feeling that you;ve been ripped off then this could be what you are looking for.

We stayed on the 5th floor accessed via a small lift. The room was fairly well soundproofed although you can still hear passing traffic. Summer must be great as the room facing the street has a balcony arrangement. The TV screen was small and satalite TV limited to only CNN and Eurosport - but you should be out exploring so who cares, right?

The room had a small safety deposit box and fridge. Breakfast was typically continental served in the hotels Pizzerie. Usual orange juice, cornflakes, coffee crossant, bread rolls, brioche, cold meat, cheese, yougart and jam selection. If this is not your cup of tea there are plenty of eateries within a stones throw of the front door. There is a Mono Prix supermarket just around the corner and The Layfayette food hall about 1 km away - a must if you really want to explore the French equivalent of Harrods.

Arriving at CDG airport, take the RER train into Paris and get off at Magenta (Gare de Noor) then take the link to St Lazzare - only 1 stop. By the way, don't be tempted to buy a travel card at the airport as this covers 6 zones whereas all you need for central Paris are Zones 1-3. These can be purchased daily at any station. Bon chance - Andrew