I think the most attractive thing about Gare D'Est is that it is a very short walk from the platform to the hotel and that it is of an exceptional standard, especially bearing in mind some of the really crummy hotels that I have stayed in, in Paris.

So why here? I will a video montage later, but travelling from Switzerland to East Kent fairly regularly, if I am not especially in a hurry then I tend to take the train, the 3:02 from Basel arrives around 18:30, which is in good time for a shower and dinner.

As such the Hotel does not have a restaurant itself. I suspect that given the competition locally it would be fairly insane to try to compete. They do have room service, something that I have taken advantage of in the past, with great pleasure, arriving on the late train out of Mulhouse. Within the building there is Restaurant Strasbourg and the Restaurant Richard, where I enjoyed a most pleasurable calvados to accompany a late night Cuban.

Of the hotel itself, I like the bar area; it has an intimacy that is really rather pleasant. Most hotel bars are very sterile (IC Koln being a good example), but this bar manages to create a certain Parisiene intimacy whilst being modern and bright.

The rooms are highly variable. The basic room is quite small with a "bath" little more than a glorified shower tray. However they do have some magnificent rooms including one on the corner with a balcony overlooking the courtyard of the Gare D'Est itself. Having said this, the two important features are that they have comfortable beds and that they have modern plasma TV's in the rooms, rather than old CRT type's whch take up so much space.

Breakfast is good, this trip I had room service, which is always nice, ambling around the room packing while munching on the assorted breads that they offer. Service in the petit dejuner restaurant is also good, serving a good variety of brekkie items and as much coffee as can reasonably be swallowed.

Finally to the staff. I think the staff here are about the most friendly that I have ever encountered, which counts for a great deal in my travels. As mentioned in another post, the first room had a problem with the TV and a power socket obstructed by a broken power lead. They moved me without question to another, better, room. I am particularly grateful to Kirstin and Celene for their help and superb local knowledge in advising on a good local restaurant. The hotel also stored my luggage whilst I explored a little of Paris whilst awating my connection to the UK.

Things that could be improved? It would be tempting to suggest a gym, pool, hot and cold masseuse. but for a rail hotel  in the centre of a capital I think they have the balance about right.

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