Hotel Raphael

I have been meaning to write since we returned from our trip. Paris was the first stop on our extended European vacation and Hotel Raphael was my favorite hotel of them all. The hotel itself, although small and intimate, had a grand royal feeling to it. The room was SUPER comfortable and huge! Room for everything without feeling crowded. Even down to the detail having the built in chargers for phones was so handy. The bathroom was also super spacious. The room was quiet and so easy to sleep, comfortable bed. The staff was so helpful, particularly the concierge staff, and Taner, who went above and beyond. When I messed up our train time, he helped us get the cab and explained to the driver the sensitivity of getting us on our way quickly. He also went out of the way to retrieve items left behind in our haste, and made arrangements to get them to our next hotel. The location was wonderful to walk to everything and the breakfast was delicious. I could not recommend this hotel enough.

I stayed in a suite. It had a nice regal, historic feel to it. Plus we had a very good view of the Eiffel Tower, and the Arch was within easy walking distance. The front desk and concierge service were top notch. They treated me and my teenage son like VIPs.

So after visiting I think a lot of these reviews are fake. I have recently returned from our trip and although it was pleasant it is in no way representative of the true experience of the hotel. Firstly we tried to book an Eiffel Tower view room as it was my birthday, we were refused as we had a toddler with us which was fair enough, my husband tried to arrange a breakfast or birthday meal on the rooftop, they said no and to just come and use the rooftop when we were at the hotel (it’s the only reason we picked the hotel.) when we arrived on the Friday they said the rooftop was closed, it was a sunny pleasant day. On Saturday I asked and they said closed again and will not be opening for the rest of our stay, we explained we had emailed and the reason why we booked cos they ensured us we would be able to. We later read that the hotel rooftop has been closed for a while now, false advertising really. Anyway, the corridors are dark and eerie. The rooms, paint peeling off the walls, the mirrors stained and worn- there is a difference between old world Paris (we have stayed in many old beautiful hotels) and this hotel which is very worn. The appliances were old, cables crawling on the floor. The staff were however very friendly and professional and location was good.