Style & Character
Rooms are done up in nude shades and pastels with a dominance of white. Most of the furniture is wood paneled and the mirrors have a pleasant metal embossed finish. Décor is kept mostly neutral and there is an absence of the usual intricate Parisian touch which may be a good or a bad thing depending on your preferences. The WO (Wilson Opera) shuns excesses and keeps things simple.
This is a privately run hotel and there is another one called le-A in rue de Arteois….again in a quiet unobtrusive area. The WO has commercial partnerships with CMG Sports Club (10 minutes from the hotel) and Business Center Kandbaz (just 15 meters from the hotel). So whether it’s a yoga class or a business meeting; the WO offers a good (though paid) solution. The entire property (5 floored building) is neat, well maintained and has an elevator.
Rooms
Rooms are divided into classic, double superior, balcony double superior, superior twin, deluxe room, deluxe terrace Eiffel, family room and superior adjoining rooms. Classic rooms and superior rooms have queen beds while deluxe and family rooms have king beds.
The classic room bathrooms are pretty small and they only have a shower and no bath tub. Superior adjoining rooms have 2 double beds in 2 rooms but strangely they don’t have a communicating door. Apart from classic and double superior rooms the others have a small balcony.
Common amenities include USB Sockets, free courtesy tray, mini bar (un-stocked), flat screen TV, desk and chair. All bathrooms have NUXE toiletry hampers.
Rooms are modern and airy with large sound proof windows though they are pretty compact. On the flip side the lighting may seem insufficient to you though some may term it “romantic”. Some of the rooms are irregularly shaped and therefore the layout of the furniture is cloistered together and accessing them become inconvenient.
The balconies have table and chairs and it’s nice to sit here and watch city life glide by. Some of the balcony rooms on the upper 2 floors have an Eiffel tower view so try getting one if you can. There is a terrace room that can be very pleasant for people who want to stay in the hotel for a sizeable time.
Amenities & Service
The rooms are kept scrupulously neat and clean and the staff replenishes toiletries and changes sheets with diligence. The temperature of water in the bathrooms is maintained well and there is adequate water pressure. If there is a fault with the room fittings or some other issue the staff seems to want to go that extra mile to take care of stuff. The whole hotel is air conditioned and Wi Fi enabled. There is only one key for every room which means that you need to deposit it at the reception before going anywhere…this is sometimes inconvenient.
The staff is simply brilliant in making guests feel warm and welcomed and they are very well spoken, well dressed and in all essences true French people (though most are multi lingual and speak excellent English). They will give you directions, plan your schedules, book cabs and draw maps for you all with a smile. Special mention should be made of Noir, Romaine, and Baptiste. A lady called Henriette supervises breakfasts on most mornings and she has really charming manners.
There is parking near the hotel (30 meters away) though you have to pay for it (25 Euros per night). There is a small business corner with a computer, printer, fax machine etc. and you can get your boarding passes printed for free. There is also a baggage room where you can deposit your luggage while you go off to exploring Paris. There is a newspaper stand stocking French as well as international dailies.
A masseuse will be available on request to serve your needs. There is also a babysitting service (also on request). Right in front of the hotel there is a small bicycle rental agency and you can exit the hotel and right away get on your bike to explore Paris. Airport transfers are available on request and on prior intimation and that’s payable too. As you can see the hotel offers many add on services though most of them are chargeable.
Unlike many hotels of this price range the WO is friendly towards guests with reduced mobility…the bathrooms and bedrooms have accessible features. On prior intimation more provisions are made.
Food & Drinks
There is a standard European breakfast served in the breakfast room (incidentally in the basement) every morning from 7.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. You can order room service for breakfast which is what most people do. Expect meat cuts, pastries, cheeses and super fresh bread (sourced from a baker next door). There is a DIY egg making and sausage grilling facility in the breakfast room. There is also a steady flow of cereals, fruits, juice and hot beverages.
The lobby area has a steady supply of free apples and bananas and that’s free for all guests. There is also a nespresso machine in the lobby that charges about 2 euros for an espresso…this is open all time. However there is no point in using it during the day…there are a bunch of cafes round the corner. The hotel doesn’t have a proper bar/ restaurant but it has a small room service menu and quality of food is good overall.
Head off to Nouilles & Wok, El Corazon, Sushi Da and La Frontera Tacos for sampling different kind of cuisines (they are all on Rue de Rocher). The nearby Rue de Rome is another restaurant hub with Le Jardin de Rome, Paris Europe (excellent steaks), and Sushi Japo etc. There are some nice pubs around too like Le Pub 27 (Rue de Rome) and Lazare (Rue Interieure).
The hotel staff will recommend dropping in some pretty French Bistros ….try the Bistro Medallion (rue Joseph) and the Le Bistro Agil (Rue de Madrid). For a sophisticated meal (fine dining) try Le Gaigne (rue Vienne) or Mandoobar (Korean food in rue Edimbourg). The Boulevard Haussmann area is full of lovely bistros, cafes and boutiques.
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Location
The Wilson Opera Hotel is located right near the Gare Saint Lazare station (just one block away) and is tucked away inside a pleasant Haussmann property in the 8th Arrondisment. It is also near the Champs Elysees and the Opera (two of the hottest Parisian areas). This is not a very touristy area of Paris though it can be called a business district so connectivity is great.
There are a bunch of metro stations nearby; Saint Augustin, Saint Lazare, Liege, Rome and Europe Metro stations are all within 1 km. So basically you can get easy commute to all parts of Paris from this area.
Easiest (and affordable way) to transfer to CDG airport (23 kms away) is to 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 you can take an RER train to the CDG station.
The Grand Magasins, Galleries Lafayette are also nearby so chic shopping opportunities are just around the corner. The Shopping Center Paris is also near and next to the train station you will find Lacoste, Sephora and Parfois stores. The Galeries Lafayette’s Gourmet Supermarket is also a good place to fill up your bags with chocolates, cheeses, artisanal cookies and foods sourced from across the world.
You will find the beautiful Saint Augustin Church just a short walk away. Head out for an evening/ night of entertainment at the Mathurins Theater and the Casino de Paris Theater; both of which are nearby. Attractions like the Sacre Coeur, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre museum and Notre Dame are also not far away (walk-able if you like walking)and so location wise the WO Wilson scores fair points.
As you can see the major attractions apart from the opera are about 20 minutes (or more) worth of walk away and this by Parisian standards is pretty near. The hotel is in the quieter part of Paris and when you close the triple paned windows its peaceful inside (again a rarity in Paris). If you want some ordinary groceries like some milk or bread or non-gourmet stuff then walk across to the Fanprix grocery store that’s across the street.
10, rue de Stockholm, 75008 Paris
Phone: ++33 1 45 22 10 85, Email: [email protected], Hotel Website
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A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.