Novotel Centre Gare Montparnasse

We booked a 3-day, 4-night stay through the Accor app because we are loyal Accor customers. After researching and reading reviews, we chose this hotel for several reasons:
1. Location
2. A room that could fit our small family
3. Parking availability
4. Positive reviews

We booked one suite room, approximately 70 square meters with a balcony. The room included a double bed and a double sofa, perfect for our family of five (2 adults and 3 kids aged 12, 11, and 10). As a small Asian family, our girls often share a double bed. They are petite, and the double bed is more than enough for them. Although the room description stated a maximum capacity of four people, we assumed—based on our experiences with hotels worldwide—that they wouldn’t mind allowing one extra child, especially since they are underage and, for safety reasons, need to stay with their parents.

We arrived at the hotel around 7 PM after a long day of driving, ready to rest, take a hot shower, and sleep. However, we faced our first issue immediately. The staff refused to let us check in, citing that the room could only accommodate four people max, as per hotel policy.

The front desk staff, Alexandro, insisted that for “safety reasons”, we needed to book an additional room. Despite explaining that our children are small and would share beds, he wouldn’t budge. At first, he suggested we take one suite and one standard room. When we refused and asked to cancel the booking to look for another hotel, he asked us to wait while he consulted his manager.

After waiting another 10–15 minutes, Alexandro returned without any apology and, with an arrogant attitude, said this was the best they could offer: two connecting rooms, each with a double bed and a sofa bed. These rooms were 30 square meters each—combined, still smaller than the suite we originally booked—and could fit six people. However, this option came with an additional charge of €200 per night!

We were shocked by the blatant attempt to upsell. The hotel wouldn’t allow an extra guest in a larger suite, yet they were happy to charge us for smaller rooms to “solve” the issue. It felt like a scam.

When we entered the rooms, we were welcomed by a bad, moldy smell. The carpet in front of the toilet was wet, and mold was visible on the bathroom ceiling. The safety lock on one of the room doors was broken, so we had to use our luggage as an additional safety measure.

The bathroom experience was equally frustrating. After taking a shower, the entire bathroom floor flooded and became dangerously slippery. The hotel didn’t provide any slippers, and while they used Rituals toiletries, the amenities were very basic—like a budget hotel.

At this point, we decided to cut our stay short. Instead of staying for 3 nights, we checked out after just 1 night. This was the worst hotel experience we’ve ever had, and we’ve traveled to many countries and stayed in numerous Accor chain hotels. This hotel completely failed to meet basic standards of comfort, cleanliness, and customer service. There are many better hotels nearby, so avoid this one at all costs!