I spent two nights in Paris at Hôtel Wallace, a Mrs. & Mrs. Smith property and part of the World of Hyatt program. Here’s the review in a nutshell: this is a hotel that you sleep in…not a hotel you spend much time in.
Hôtel Wallace Paris Review – A Hyatt Mr. & Mrs. Smith Property
I chose Le Wallace Hôtel because it was within walking distance to where my “left bank” ticket to the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games. The cost was €169.36 for the first night and €191.46 for the second night.
Location
Located in the 15th arrondissement, the hotel is in the midst of a residential neighborhood and was quite quiet. As I mentioned, it was quite easy to walk to the Seine and the Eiffel Tower was also within walking distance. Metro stations were also close (I ran into my friend Zach Honig and used Metro to zoom across town ot have breakfast with him one morning), though I used Uber to come in from Paris Orly and depart from Paris Roissy.
I like being in a residential neighborhood, not just because it was quiet, but because one night I enjoyed dinner at a delicious boucherie de kébab and then stopped at the grocery store for a very ripe, juicy, and sweet peach.
Check-In
The guy who checked me in was very nice and his English was better than my French (that’s not hard…) but we had a bit of trouble communicating. No upgrade…even as a Globalist, it is wise to guard your expectations at a Mr. & Mrs. Smith property. No upgrades, no breakfast…be grateful you get points!
Room
My room was…about the size of my dorm room at university. At 13 square meters (140 square feet) it reminded me a bit of my coffin-like sleeping pod in Copenhagen. Well, maybe that’s unfair but it was a very small room, with the bed taking up much of the space:
In fairness, the bed was comfortable, there was A/C (it was rainy but on the humid side outside), Wi-Fi worked, and there were power ports easily within reach. There was even a coffee service with Nespresso pods and a small refrigerator:
The bathroom even included a bathtub (shower combination) with the shower and toilet in a separate area than the sink and small open closet. Shower amenities were from Colomba, a brand used by the Orso hotel chain (which this hotel is also part of…).
Hot Tub
I have to be honest…I booked this hotel because it was a Hyatt, yes, but also, and primarily, because I thought it had a sauna. As I’ve said numerous times, a sauna is an important part of my daily ritual when at home, and I try not to neglect it when I travel as well.
The hotel’s official website listed no sauna, but numerous third-party websites suggested the hotel had a sauna and even posted these photos:
You can clearly see the rooftop sauna and this would not have been the first hotel that had a sauna but did not list it.
But what I found on the roof instead was a hot tub:
I asked about it and was told, “Oh yes, we recently got rid of the sauna and put this hot tub in.”
So much for that…
Terrace
Despite no sauna, the terrace was still my favorite part of the hotel. It was beautiful in the evening and there were plenty of tables and chairs to sit, yet it was not crowded. You could come up here and bring your own food and drink and sit…not be hassled.
Fitness Center
A small fitness center on the lower level included a stationary bike, elliptical, treadmill, and a bench with a few free weights (all less than 10kg).
Breakfast + Bar
Breakfast is served in the hotel bar area, located on floor -1.
As previously mentioned, breakfast is not included but at €16 each it is not a bad deal, including a spread of juices, fruits, cheeses, meats, vegetables, bread, cakes, cereal, yogurt, and boiled eggs.
CONCLUSION
This hotel worked well for me as a solo traveler, but it is not a hotel I would take my family to…the rooms are too small and the amenities are limited. Even so, at less than $200 per night (at least at the time with near parity between the USD and EUR) this hotel was a great deal and very convenient for the purpose of my visit: the Olympic Opening Ceremony.
Different strokes for different folks.
In my limited experiences with the M&M’s I have found unique properties at reasonable prices and (cross fingers) not a bad one yet. It was a great move by Hyatt that I hope is expanded while maintaining standards.
But we seem to be looking for different things in a hotel, as I’m 100% a tourist everywhere I go and the area is why I am there. I don’t need work space, saunas or even a decent restaurant. Food choices should be everywhere in the area, saunas should be a home and the only “work” I do is on my IPad. Give me a clean room in a safe hotel and I’m good.
Still enjoy reading the detailed reviews, even for places I wouldn’t consider visiting.
At least there weren’t rats scurrying by the entrance when you checked in.
Good price considering when you were there. Honestly under EUR 200 always seems like a good deal in Paris. But, man… I don’t know about this Mr. & Mrs. Smith stuff. The SLH partnership was great, but this has been a real disappointment. I’d love to know if anybody has actually received an upgrade as a Globalist. I certainly haven’t. Is this really bringing new business to Hyatt, or just sending people like us to hotels we don’t really like and wouldn’t otherwise stay at?