Review: the Hotel de la Porte Dorée

9 October 2004 by BP Editor    1504  
Review: the Hotel de la Porte Dorée
It came as no surprise to me to read this week on the San Francisco Chronicle’s website that the Hotel de la Porte Dorée, in the 12th arrondissement, was listed as one of their Paris bargains.   This 39-room gem on the edge of one of the “lungs” of Paris, the Bois de Vincennes, might not be tourist central, but that’s one of its many draw cards for some. Walk into the foyer and you’ll find another: the lovely wooden and wrought-iron staircase, lined with a red Oriental runner, that invites you to climb up to the four floors of charming rooms.   “We pulled up the carpet that had been there for so long, it was disgusting, and this is what we found,” hotelier Christina Greveldinger says, pointing to the honey-colored floorboards. “I was delighted.”   Not to get too syrupy, but Christina herself is delightful–graceful, warm, and with a smile that lights up the tastefully decorated foyer. A native of Sacramento, California, she came to Paris eight years ago to study French, and met Laurent Greveldinger, who worked at the hotel she was staying in. Quietly handsome, with warm brown eyes, he convinced her to stay longer and longer, until she cashed in her ticket and married him.   Laurent’s uncle owns the St. Jacques hotel on Rue des Ecoles in the Latin Quarter, and convinced the young couple that hotel life was the way to go. A fine idea that might have been, except they couldn’t find anything in their price range. They, along with Laurent’s parents, who are also partners in the hotel, looked all over Paris. “My mother-in-law drove past here, “Christina said, “but told us to not even bother going inside, it was a dump.”   However, by the time they got the financing together, hotel prices had boomed and all they could afford was, well, a dump. They came back to the Hotel de la Porte Dorée in 2000, trying not to wince as they walked through it. At the time a residential hotel, it had been owned by the same people for 60 years and looked it. Some of its clientele left a lot to be desired: prostitutes and junkies. Getting them to leave required a bit of a juggling act. French law is very strict about the removal of tenants, so some of them stayed while the building was being renovated, mainly the more “savory” types.   Another expense they couldn’t afford was the specialist hotel furniture. “Even the cheap stuff was horrible,” Christina admits, so they put her father-in-law to work, trawling the Ile-de-France’s consignments shops. Every piece of furniture–every table, chair and headboard–has been sanded back, stained and reupholstered by Laurent’s father. Some of the chairs are so lovely, there’s no way you would know they only cost 20 euros.   Saving money there meant they could spend it in other places, and the result is charming. Each room is individually decorated, although Christina does point out that her mother has a predilection for apricot. They redid almost every bathroom, adding them to the single rooms, and were ready to go in 2001.   And then along came September 11th. Luckily, Christina’s mother was a travel agent at the time, and brought through tour groups, mainly women. You’d think the ladies of Sacramento would have been horrified at the thought of the ladies of the night, but no. “They’d whisper ‘Is that one? Can I get my photo taken with her?'” Christina laughs.   In 2002, something amazing happened. On a trip home, Christina and Laurent were interviewed by the Sacramento Bee as part of their series on people “living the dream”. The article was syndicated in newspapers across America. Immediately, emails started coming in, up to 150 a day, followed by letters, cards and gifts–all from strangers wishing them well. And then the bookings started coming in. Even now, at any given time, there’s usually someone from Sacramento staying at the hotel. Their clientele comes mainly from Holland, Spain, France and the U.S., with half there for business the other half for pleasure.   After four years of living in the hotel themselves, Christina and Laurent have moved out. They’re renovating their former quarters, which will take the total number of rooms to 42. These 3 new rooms will be connected by a passageway, perfect for a family or group traveling together. On the ground floor, it will have access to the tiny terrace at the back of the hotel–a shady area just right for those warm summer days. Also under renovation at the moment is the large room that will soon become the breakfast room. (The current room is quaint but small.) With a restored fireplace in the corner and a planned mural on one wall, it will no doubt become a popular part of the hotel, regardless of the season.   When I left Australia two I was delighted to discover that my twin room (#27) had a bath. It also had very comfy beds, plump pillows, a separate bathroom and toilet (new), lots of space, and a view over Avenue Daumesnil. The double-glazing did much to cut down the noise, but if you’re a light sleeper, a room on the back of the hotel would suit you better.   (Note: by law, twin rooms must be larger than doubles, although I’ve been in a few that didn’t seem to take any notice of this–either that, or you got into their double rooms by walking over the bed! The Porte Dorée’s twin rooms are quite large by Parisian standards.)   A look at some of the other rooms:   #8: a standard double room at the back of the hotel.  
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By BP Editor