Paris Travel: HolidayCheck

I wouldn’t call myself a nervous traveler, because being that kind of traveler does not sound like fun, and I do love fun, but the moment my plane touches down at my destination, I begin to worry: it’s already 7 p.m.—where will I eat tonight? No meal eaten during a vacation should be wasted for the sake of convenience! And then there’s the hotel: it looked nice, but will my room have the view I saw on the hotel’s website? And will it really be a five-minute walk to the center of town? Luckily my new go-to website, HolidayCheck.com, has alleviated all my worries. I go on vacation knowing exactly what to expect from my hotel and the surrounding area, based on hundreds of reviews, pictures and ratings—all gathered by the site.

View from Hotel les Jardins du Marais, courtesy of HolidayCheck.com 

I recently used HolidayCheck to plan an upcoming trip to Paris. One thing I love about HolidayCheck is that they care about not only where you’re going, but who you’re going with—whether friends, family or business partners. This is a great feature, because no one wants to end up on a romantic getaway with his or her business associates! HolidayCheck narrows down your selection based on hotels that have received the best reviews by single travelers or those that are best suited for a romantic getaway. 

Hotel les Jardins du Marais, courtesy of HolidayCheck.com 

For my upcoming girls’ trip, I was concerned about finding a hotel that would fit all our needs. Planning for a group of girls is never easy! The hotel needed to be nice but not too expensive, in a trendy neighborhood but not too noisy, and conveniently located near some major attractions and shopping—what trip to Paris would be complete without shopping?
On HolidayCheck the hotel and nearby attractions have been reviewed by visitors, which means that I know we won’t be surprised when we get there. Now I can plan my itinerary with a sense of where I’ll be staying, and arrive in Paris knowing exactly which Marais bistro to dine at my first night. Another great feature is that HolidayCheck shows a map with nearby hotels and their nightly rates, so you never have to wonder if you’ve found the best deal. 

Hotel les Jardins du Marais, courtesy of HolidayCheck.com

So what did I end up booking? HolidayCheck led me to l’Hôtel les Jardins du Marais, just north of the Place des Vosges. It’s a charming hotel that looks sophisticated, with a touch of girly and fun. Even better, it’s on the trendy rue Amelot and near the metro! The rooms themselves are located in a group of small houses dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, all situated around a little courtyard/garden area, so we can sleep in late and won’t be woken up early by any city noise. The more detailed ratings and reviews alerted us that the breakfast buffet was subpar, but my friends and I have an already too-long list of pâtisseries that we want to visit before the end of the trip, so we decided to skip the hotel breakfast, which is optional. I also found out through HolidayCheck that the hotel has a transport service to and from the airport, so I already feel more relaxed knowing we won’t have to find a cab for our early morning departure.
Hotel les Jardins du Marais, courtesy of HolidayCheck.comIn a perfect location, and with an art-deco-meets-old-Paris vibe, l’Hôtel les Jardins du Marais is exactly what my friends and I were looking for in a hotel, but it would have been hard to stumble upon this gem on our own. 

Related Link
HolidayCheck
In partnership with HolidayCheck

Editor’s note: Do you follow us yet on Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram? If not, why wait? It’s free, fun and a beautiful reminder of our favorite city—Paris of course!