During our brief stay in Paris this past August, my grandparents booked us several rooms at the Best Western Hotel Horset Opera. It’s a mouthful of a name, but I couldn’t have been happier with our stay. After dragging our suitcases out of the metro station and up into the streets of Paris, we arrived at the hotel, tucked into a side street of Opera Avenue.
The location, I would come to find, was absolutely fantastic for a first-time visitor. It was blocks from the Palais Garnier opera house, and within walking distance of Paris’s most iconic sights. I felt almost out of place as we stepped into the lobby, with its gleaming wood-paneled walls, lush fabrics, and glittering mirrors. The receptionist greeted us in French, and switched promptly to English as the rest of the family trickled into the lobby, oohing at the collection of art and trinkets scattered around the room. Check-in was a quick and easy process. We handed our bags to the bellhop, and I marveled at this strange turn of events. One year ago, a 4-star hotel stay in the heart of Paris would have seemed an impossibility, and here I was, passing my luggage off to the bellhop like I did it everyday.
Though the lobby was impressive, it had nothing on our rooms. Each had a different design, and several had windows looking out over the streets of Paris. The room I shared with my sister Michelle was the exception to the rule. After collapsing onto the beds and trying on our complimentary robes, we threw open the heavy red curtains to check out the view. There would be no casual people-watching for us, as our window offered a lovely view of the wall across the way. While I was slightly disappointed by this development, it could not dampen my spirits for long. After all, we were in Paris!
The Hotel Horset Opera turned out to be the perfect home base for our family vacation. In addition to the fantastic sightseeing location, the hotel was just down the street from tons of dining and shopping options. The hotel itself did not offer any in-house lunch or dinner options, but in a city like Paris, who needs one? We strolled around the area in search of food, and choose a tasty little creperie for our first meal in Paris. Mom loved the shop owner here, who joked with her in French about her family of ketchup-loving barbarians.
Come breakfast time, we stumbled downstairs into the buffet style breakfast area, where an assortment of tasty pastries, hot drinks and fresh fruit awaited us. Some people turn their noses up at complimentary hotel breakfasts, but I am all for eating well and saving my money for the day ahead. I loved the food here, from the rich hot chocolate to the indulgent pound cakes and sweet fruit salads.
At the time of our visit, the buffet option was free with our stay, while more discerning customers could order room service from a limited menu. Of course, this was back in August, and the breakfast buffet is no longer included in the price of the room – it can be purchased for an additional daily fee, for those who are interested.
Many hotels and even apartments in Paris are very small – this was not the case at the Hotel Horset Opera. I adored our rooms, which were equipped with a desk, mini bar, complimentary safe, television, coffee maker, full bathroom, and super comfortable beds with plenty of pillows. Melting into those pillowy mattresses after a long day of sightseeing was just what I needed to refresh myself for the next long day, and the free coffee was the perfect pick-me-up between outings.
One thing I did not take advantage of was the bar and lounge downstairs – I plan to remedy that if I am ever lucky enough to stay here again! The hotel is far out of my normal penny-pinching price range, but it is definitely worth the splurge for a short-term stay!
Tami says
Loved this review. I’m heading to Paris in the spring and still looking for just the right place to stay!
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
The Opera area we stayed in was wonderful. Very walkable and safe! I’ll also be in Paris this spring, and I’m torn between staying in the same awesome arrondissement, or exploring a new part of the city. I’m interested to see what you end up choosing. 🙂