“Good (but could be better)”
The hotel is old and a bit cramped but it definitely has charm and style. You get used to holding the shower nozzle to have a shower and to not having any place in the bathroom to place toiletries etc. You can also (if you are not too inflexible) access the room safe at the back of the lowest shelf in the clothes wardrobe.
The room I was given on arrival (#401) had a particular disadvantage that should have been corrected long ago. The problem is one of water hammer in the pipes ("coups de bélier" in French) which occurs when taps are opened and closed in nearby rooms. It is an intermittent problem and I had some difficulty explaining it to the staff at reception. Because it is intermittent, it cannot easily be demonstrated. However, the loud hammering noise that it produces is enough to wake the dead. It can and does occur at intervals throughout the night. It is inconceivable that this problem has not been reported by other occupants. In any case, the hotel gave me another room (on the 5th floor) which did not have this problem. The rest of my stay was perfect.
Area recommendations
The 14th arrondissement of Paris is well located for access from CDG airport and is within easy striking distance (via good bus lines and the metro) of all the major attractions of Paris. It also has good shopping (clothes, shoes, etc.) and excellent restaurants, cafes etc. and the full range of grocery, bread, cheese, wine shops - whatever you may need. It is within walking distance of the Luxembourg Gardens (depending on what you define as walking distance, of course). Its hotels are not as expensive as those in the more heavily touristic parts, and it is relatively calm compared with the central arrondissements.
Getting around
If you have a modicum of ability in French, you may like to consider buying a weekly or monthly pass - the "carte Navigo/Découverte" - at any RER railway station. You can even do this on arrival at CDG airport. This pass enables you to use all of the public transport in Paris (within all 6 zones or only a few zones depending on your needs). Note that you would need to have 5-zone access if you want to use the pass from CDG into Paris and back again. You can get a pass for only one week or one month. With your pass you breeze through all metro and RER station gates and give a quick swipe on entering buses. No more tickets. You do need to have an ID photo to paste on the pass - these can normally be bought at a photomat within the station. Once you have bought the initial pass, you can top it up at the end of each week (or month).
