Style & Character
Augustin stays true to the Astotel theme of carefreeness and the French joie de vivre though there is a prominent Scandinavian touch (the vintage furniture). Celebrated interior designer Sophie Hanniet has incorporated the tale of Augustin (fictitious character created by Akira Inumaru, the Japanese artist) into the décor.
The hotel exudes a casual charm and the staff are always warm and hospitable and dressed with elegance. The rooms are done up in primarily black and white and the walls embellished with artsy doodles while splotches of bright canary yellow in the furnishings set off the understated artsy vibe of the place. The dining room is brightly colored and the halls and the lobby are all decorated in the “Augustin” theme.
The Augustin is part of the Astotel group that owns more than 10 properties in Paris and many others globally. The ambience is modern, clean and friendly and this Parisian 3 star hotel is mostly immaculately maintained. 57 rooms are spread over 6 floors; the hotel is suitable for both leisure and business travelers.
Rooms
The rooms in Augustin are divided into standard single, standard double/ twin, superior double/ twin, triple, and family rooms. Predictably the standard rooms (both single and double) are small (even by Parisian standards) and are only 11.5sq metre and 14 sq metre respectively. Space optimization is great and every inch of the available area is made useful and the predominance of white color makes all rooms appear larger.
The superior rooms are 21 sq metre while the triple and the family rooms are 23 sq metre and 26 sq metre respectively. Common amenities include beds with premium lining, safe, flat screen TV, direct dial phones, duvet, and desk with fitted lamp, mini bar with free water, snacks, yoghurt and soft drinks and courtesy tray with free tea and coffee supplies.
The windows are all double gazed and the rooms are fairly sound proofed. The standard room bathrooms have showers and no bath tubs. The bathroom fittings are modern and there is a hair dryer in each one. Availability of hot water and water pressure was great. The bathrooms have frosted glass windows and no curtains so that might be an issue. The half door in the shower area can also be a problem as the floor is perpetually wet.
Apart from standard single all other rooms have an I pad/ I phone docking station. The rooms on the second and 5th floor have balconies.
Amenities & Service
The entire hotel is air conditioned and Wi fi enabled. There are bookshelves with a decent collection of books which are readily available to guests. There is a beautifully colored dining room. The hotel is served by an elevator which is pretty small (can handle only 3 people at one time) so larger groups might find it inconvenient. There is a 24 hour operational front desk, concierge service and baggage storage service are available. You will also find a newspaper stand with English and French dailies.
On check-in you will receive an Astotel card and a map of all the Astotels in Paris (there are about 10)…this is also known as the Astotel tour facility. You can enjoy complimentary beverages and snacks and relax for some time at any of them should you wish…this is one of the best things about choosing to stay in this chain. Hotel Joke Astotel and Hotel 34B Astotel are in very touristy places so dropping in there after your sightseeing might be a good idea.
The staff is multi lingual and helpful with information be it a request for a route map or a tour operator. They will readily draw up schedules, arrange shuttles/ bike/ cars or accommodate requests for special diets. Special mention must be made of Mary Lou, DFabio, Deborah, Horaio who were especially courteous and attentive.
The room service is good too and they keep facilities clean and replenish toiletries, mini bar supplies swiftly. Rooms and bathrooms are accessible and the hotel is friendly towards people with reduced mobility. Pets are not allowed inside. Kids up to the age of 2 can stay for free.
Check in and check out times are 2.00 p.m. and 12.00 p.m. respectively.
Food & Drinks
European/ continental breakfast is provided every day in the breakfast room. The selection includes croissants, pastries, sausages, eggs, yoghurt, baguettes, quiche, fruit and a good supply of juice and coffee. French cheeses and hot breads are definitely the stars of the show here. Breakfast is free if you book directly otherwise there is a fixed charge.
The hotel doesn’t have an in-house restaurant but post afternoon there is a steady and free supply of snacks and nonalcoholic beverages in the breakfast room. It’s nice to come back exhausted from your Paris tour and dig into hot coffee and cookies for free!!
The hotel staff will happily recommend restaurants, bars and cafes to you and they will also help with directions. Special mention must be made of the Michelin star decked Bistrot du Sommelier on Boulevard Haussmann which is perfect for relaxed meals. Also on the same area is the apple themed Pomze, La Cantine D Augustin and Le Huitieme Arrt.
Rue de Laborde is also full of restaurants; Thierry Marx Boulangerie, Tandoor Punjabi, Le Laborde Bar a Viandes and Tuk Tuk Thai food. Or you can head off to Rue de Miromesnil where you can have Indonesian food at Djawa, Chinese finger food at Beijing8 and sip wine and cheese at Le Mecande garden bistro.
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Location
Augustin Astotel is in an excellent location though it’s more of a business than a tourist heavy district. It falls in the 8th androssiment opera district but is away from the hustle of the city and on a side street which insulates it from much of the noise. A Monoprix and a bakery are also nearby.
The nearest attraction is the Saint Augustin church that’s 700 meters away. You can take a 20 minute walk and reach the Opera and then the Arc de Triomphe. Extend your walk for another 30 minutes and you will reach the Eiffel tower. Take a half an hour walk and you can reach the Louvre museum. Take another longish walk to the Notre Dame the next day. If you are a good walker then most of the major Parisian attractions can be seen.
For shopping there couldn’t be a nicer location. The high street boutiques at Rue Saint Honore and the Champs Elysees are at a walking distance. The designer stores and the gourmet supermarket at Galleries Lafayette are also near. The Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore is a hub of international designer brands like Burberry, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Chanel and Hermes
When you are done with all the sightseeing and shopping you can sit on the green benches at the picturesque Square Marcel Pagnol and stare at Parisian life go by. You will find the nearest ATM at Rue de Amsterdam (600 meters away).
The nearest metro is St Augustin which is about half a kilometer away. The Opera metro station is second closest and is also walkable. The picturesque Gare Saint Lazare station is near (about 600 meters away). Incidentally there is a shopping mall and restaurant inside the station and it’s excellent for exploring greater Paris and the Normandy areas.
The CDG Airport is about 29 km away and an airport shuttle is available from the hotel (chargeable). Alternatively you can take a train from Gare St Lazare (Line E) to Magenta station and then an underground connection to Paris Nord (Gare du Nord) after which there are lots of RER trains to the CDG airport.
9 Rue Roy, 8th arr., 75008 Paris
Phone: +33(0) 1 42 93 32 17; Email: [email protected]; Hotel Website.
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