Holiday Inn Express Paris-Canal de la Villette

Clad entirely in slats of timber with quirky wooden railings, this Holiday Inn Express certainly makes an impression from the outside. Inside, however, its mostly business as usual with simple, modern styling and colorful contemporary furnishings with a chain-hotel aesthetic -- albeit there are a few playful decorative flourishes. The vibe is functional and relaxed with a lobby bustling with groups, families, and budget travelers.  A small but pleasant decked terrace on the first floor provides a quieter place to unwind among potted palms and shrubs with a few chairs and a view onto the canal. The hotel is also particularly eco-friendly, even going as far as generating electricity from solar-paneling on the roof.

The hotel is located overlooking the Canal de la Villette in a trendy and bustling neighborhood in the 19th arrondissement. While the location is away from most of the city's main tourist attractions, the area is full of restaurants and bars popular among locals. Riquet Metro station is a four-minute walk away, however, and connects to central Paris -- for accessing attractions like the Louvre museum and Notre Dame cathedral -- in about 20 minutes. The picturesque Parc de la Villette is also under 10 minutes on foot. The hotel is well-positioned for access from the Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est train terminals (the journey takes about 10 minutes by cab), while Charles de Gaulle Airport takes around half an hour to reach.  

The hotel's 144 rooms are identically styled with simple modern decor and basic furnishings -- all are clean, well-maintained, and pretty spacious by Paris standards. Amenities are also impressive for this level of hotel, with air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi (fee for high-speed), and 32-inch flat-screen TVs with 30 satellite channels. Tea/coffee facilities and a choice of pillows are also available. Tiny bathrooms have step-in showers and wall-mounted soap dispensers. VIP-level rooms also include sixth-floor balconies with views of the canal (though they are partially obscured by the building's quirky architecture). Some inner-facing rooms, however, lack natural light and rooms can be prone to noise from neighboring bars. 

A full hot-and-cold breakfast buffet is served in the ground-floor dining room each morning and it's included in the price of the room -- though food quality can be inconsistent. A bright and colorful lobby bar serves drinks which can also be taken up to the decked terrace area with views of the canal. Wi-Fi is free of charge, though it can be slow if you don't opt for the paid upgrade. There are no fitness or health facilities on-site.