Citadines apart’ hotels

A subscriber recommended the apart’hotel Citadines Sainte-Catherine Brussels (www.citadines.com), in Belgium, noting “Citadines is a new chain of hotels” (March ’16, pg. 49). A minor observation — Citadines is not a new chain; it’s been around for at least 20 years* that I personally know of, maybe longer.

In May 2016, I stayed at the Citadines Opéra in the 2nd Arrondissement in Paris and loved the place. Because I booked early, the cost was around $200 for a studio. When my friend Joan and I got there, we upgraded to a one-bedroom for an additional €50 (near $56) per night. That’s a bargain, for Paris!

The Citadines Opéra’s location is wonderful if you want to be in the area of the Grands Boulevards, the Palais Garnier opera house and the great department stores and passages couverts. There are Citadines in several other locations in Paris as well, so I heartily agree with the above-mentioned writer about the chain.

For me, another plus is that, unlike with most apartment rentals, Citadines doesn’t require an advance deposit or advance payment. You pay when you get there. There are no cleaning or security fees, either.

JUNE WALLACE

Castro Valley, CA

*On the website of Citadines Apart’hotel’s parent company, The Ascott Limited (www2.theascott limited.com), it states, “Citadines started operations in Europe with its first apart’hotel, Citadines La Défense Paris, France, in July [1984].”