Review of Pavillon Louvre Rivoli 3*

I've read reviews of this hotel prior to our stay — — most of what I've read has proved to be true. A great location — — 5 minute walk to the Louvre. A reasonable rate (if this was indeed a 3 star hotel — 139 Euro/night). That about covers the "pro" side. Tiny rooms — — not unusual for European hotels, but this one has a terrible lay out. There is a bed, table, minibar, chair, and wardrobe in the room. Problem — — the minibar is under the table, the chair does not fit next to it, so the chair blocks half the room. The reservation promised a "160 cm bed" — — which would be the equivalent of queen size in the USA. The bed we had was a full size bed (about 130cm! ). We travelled with a small child — — no baby cots available, must share bed with parents. BUT — — there is only 1 blanket in the room, and 2 towels. The towels are the cheapest possible kind — — you need 2 of them to actually dry yourself, so I had to go and ask for more. Twice. The room smelled of dust and mold. When I decided to look at the air conditioner filter to see if it could be cleaned, 2 things happened — — the entire AC cover fell on me (it was held together by a few screws placed in existing holes in the plastic — — not screwed in, but placed! ). Secondly, when I did find the filter, it had about 1.5 inches of dust on it — — I cleaned it out over the toilet, and had to flush twice — was afraid it would clog the pipe. The walls had scratches, the bathroom had cracked and scratched tiles, the toilet cover (of the kind that costs $7.99 at Walmart) was all scratched up with wood showing from under the paint and plastic. We could not switch the shower to the faucet in the tub — — the knob was broken, so had to use the shower head. The AC did not actually work — — it just blew in air from the street. Since our room (2nd floor, 224 if anyone wants to compare their experience) was facing the inside yard, it was very hot, so the AC would have been a "great to have" since it was 85 outside during the day. When I told them at check out about the broken AC, their response was "yes, we know" — — something they neglected to mention at check in. There are a total of 2 outlets in the room — — and one is used by the minibar, which didn't really make the drinks inside cold (we needed it to store milk for my daughter). Forget about charging your camera and your phone during the night. The phone and the TV did not work. We got the "promotional breakfast rate". When we came down for breakfast (another tiny room in the basement that looked and felt like dungeon), there were a few pieces of ham, yogurt, and some fruit salad left. No bread, no croissants (they cost about 0.90 euro in the bakery next door, and probably about 0.30 euro each when you buy in bulk), no juices. We had to get breakfast outside both days we were there. As we were about to head to check out, the fire alarm went off. I carried our suitcases and baby carriage down a really twisty fire staircase, just to learn that "Everything is OK, it's just an electrical problem", and then we had to wait 45 minutes while the 2 staff (kids in their early 20's) tried frantically to switch off the alarm, so they could check us out of the room. All in all, the hotel may have earned 3 stars when it was built (1970's by my estimate), but has lost ALL of it's luster since — — I've never stayed in a 3 star hotel that did not offer a safe, a functioning TV/phone/AC, or accommodate children in any way. Oh, and BTW — — when you get in the elevator and press the button for your floor, the cab drops about 2 inches before starting to move — — you get a free roller coaster ride with your stay. If you are travelling alone, or have really low demands for your hotel room, can grab breakfast on the go in the bakery next door, and are in Paris during the cooler months (I wouldn't be surprised if the heat did not work either, so I would avoid winter months) — — this hotel may work for you (if the price is right). Any other time — — AVOID IT.