Paris Getaway: Unbeatable Nanterre Stays at Sejours et Affaires!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the world of Séjours & Affaires Paris Nanterre! This isn't your perfectly polished, corporate tagline review. This is a real person, with real expectations, letting you in on the nitty-gritty, the good, the bad, and the "wait, WHAT?!" of my Nanterre stay. Spoiler alert: it's a mixed bag. But hey, isn't life?
SEO & The Nitty-Gritty: Accessibility, and a Whirlwind of Features!
First, the boring (but important) bits. This review needs to cover EVERYTHING. Gotta help those Google spiders, ya know?
- Accessibility: Okay, so "wheelchair accessible" is a big box to tick, and Séjours & Affaires mostly checks it. Elevator? Check. Rooms designed for accessibility? Potentially. But the devil's in the details, and without specific room details, it's hard to say for sure how accessible every aspect is. It's a good starting point, though!
- Internet, Internet, Internet!: They shout about Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! Woohoo! We LOVE free Wi-Fi. They also offer Internet [LAN], which is your wired option if you need a rock-solid connection. Internet [again!] This is getting redundant, even for SEO. They're really pushing the Wi-Fi; it's in public areas, for special events… look, it's everywhere. You're covered. (Though, let's be honest, how fast is it? That's the real question…)
- Things to Do & Ways to Relax (and the Kitchen Sink): Right, so here's where things get… ambitious. They have a fitness center, a sauna, maybe a spa (that'll be interesting). They also offer Body scrub, Body wrap, Foot bath… I mean, are we in a budget hotel or a Balinese resort? It is confusing. There's a pool with a view… and a steamroom? Okay, I'm intrigued. I'm also getting flashbacks of my Aunt Mildred's basement spa circa 1987. This is a lot.
- Cleanliness & Safety: Let's Hope They Mean It! Okay, crucial. They're touting all the buzzwords: anti-viral cleaning, daily disinfection, individually wrapped food, physical distancing (yawn…), professional-grade sanitizing… Hopefully, they actually deliver on this. We'll see! Room sanitization opt-out is a nice touch for germaphobes/hypochondriacs (me).
- Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: The Food Fight Begins! They have a lot of dining options listed, but I'm a little dubious? A la carte, Asian cuisine, bar, breakfast buffet, what's on the menu? I think I saw 'soup' listed. The important thing is that there's something there for all tastes (and price ranges) And 24-hour room service? Now we're talking!
- Services & Conveniences: A Mixed Bag, As Always: This is where things get weird. Cash withdrawal? Check. Concierge? Check. A "shrine"? Uh… okay. Gift shop, dry cleaning, luggage storage, meeting facilities, outdoor venues for special events (in Nanterre? Seriously?). It's like they're throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
- For the Kids: Babysitting? Seriously? Family-friendly is good. But babysitting service? At Séjours & Affaires? I'm picturing a lone teenager watching bored kids in a tiny room. Proceed with caution…
Now, the juicy bits. My Experience: A Rambling, Honest Tale.
Okay, let's get real. I booked this place because it was "affordable" and "close to the RER train." (Pro tip: Nanterre isn't exactly Paris-Paris, but it's a decent base for exploring.) The pictures looked… pleasant.
The Arrival: First Impressions (and a Near-Meltdown)
The exterior, not gonna lie, was a bit… underwhelming. Concrete. Functional. Dare I say… grey? The lobby? More of the same. Efficient, but not exactly "ooh la la, welcome to Paris!" I get the feeling the hotel is fine with the guests spending nearly all of their time elsewhere because the foyer feels more like a waiting room at a train station. But here's where it gets interesting. Check-in was okay: Contactless, at least. The guy at reception? Efficiently polite, but didn't exactly radiate warmth. He definitely didn't "Welcome me" and it felt more of a 'here's your key, off you go, and get out of my zone!'
The Room: A Tale of Two Halves (and a Questionable Smell)
The room. Ah, the room. It’s the heart of my stay. It matters. Initially, I felt… okay. Standard, clean, and the wi-fi did work (thank goodness). But then… I noticed a faint, almost… musky odor. Not a deal-breaker, but definitely noticeable. The air conditioning was whisper-quiet, and the blackout curtains were a godsend. (Jet lag is a beast.) The bed? Surprisingly comfortable. The shower? Excellent water pressure.
But the real test happened during my 'relaxing time'. I was planning to have a steaming hot bath, and then watch TV. I got the bath going, and I was relaxing… then I heard a loud and concerning BANG. Uh oh.
My immediate reaction was that my ceiling had collapsed. I leaped out and went to the door, and opened it only to see nothing out of the ordinary in the corridor. It must have been me, so I filled the bath again, with what should have been soothing, and calming… then BANG… and I was out again to check. No evidence of anything, I was convinced I was going mad.
I called reception and the guy on the other end sounded like he'd heard it all before. He said that he would send someone up to have a look.
Fifteen minutes later, a maintenance guy shows up. He investigates and then tells me with a shrug, "It's probably just the pipes!"
"The pipes?" I asked, incredulous. "So, I can't have a bath?"
He shrugs again. "Maybe. Maybe not."
So there I was, stuck in the middle of a plumbing drama, and a whole bath in my room later.
I had a shower. The water pressure was excellent. Well. If it's good enough for a shower, then it's good enough for a shower. I was really disappointed.
Dining & Drinks: The Breakfast Buffet – A Rollercoaster!
Breakfast. Ah, the breakfast. Listed as a buffet and included! We're going to hope for the best here, yes?
I headed down, expecting a feast. What I found was… functional. Not terrible. Not amazing. The usual suspects: croissants (a bit stale, sadly), bread, cold cuts, cereal, a few hot items (scrambled eggs, questionable sausages). And the coffee? Let's just say it wasn't the Parisian café experience I'd dreamed of. It's breakfast at a 3-star hotel. Enough said.
Amenities: The Fitness Center (and the Mystery Sauna)
I ventured into the fitness center. Tiny. Two treadmills, a rickety weight machine, and a dusty yoga mat. And the "sauna"? Still trying to figure out if it's actually real, or just a figment of the website's imagination. (I suspect the latter.)
Overall Verdict: It Depends (As Always)
So, Séjours & Affaires in Nanterre. Is it a disaster? No. Is it a luxurious Parisian experience? Absolutely not. It's a budget-friendly option, a decent base for exploring, and a place to crash after a long day. The Wi-Fi worked, the bed was comfy, and the shower was great.
But!
The "shrine"? The questionable plumbing? The mystery sauna? It's all a bit… much. It's a place that's trying to be more than it is, and sometimes, that's endearing. Other times… it's just a bit weird.
My Honest Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. It's got potential, but it needs some serious TLC and less ambition. Maybe lose the "shrine" and invest in some better coffee.
Here's Your Tempting Offer for Séjours & Affaires Paris Nanterre! (With a Twist!)
Escape to Paris (Without Breaking the Bank!) – Stay at Séjours & Affaires Nanterre!
Tired of overpriced Parisian hotels that feel like shoeboxes? Craving a Parisian adventure without emptying your wallet? Then look no further! Séjours & Affaires Paris Nanterre offers comfortable, clean, and surprisingly well-equipped stays, ideally located for exploring the City of Lights!
Here's What Makes Séjours & Affaires a Great Choice:
- Prime Location: Close to transport links (RER!), making it easy to discover all the iconic sights
Okay, buckle up, buttercups. This isn't your meticulously crafted travel brochure. This is real. This is me, about to wrestle Paris and…well, mostly Paris’s suburbs, from a base camp called Sejours et Affaires Paris Nanterre. It's gonna be a ride.
The Nanterre Nightmare (and Maybe Dream?) Itinerary – A Hot Mess Express Edition
(Pre-Trip Meltdown – aka, the Packing Panic)
- -2 Days: Okay, so I told myself I’d be organized. HA! My suitcase looks like a clothes bomb exploded. Seriously, did I really need three different shades of beige? And those "comfy" boots? Probably going to kill my feet. Already feeling the existential dread of public transport lurking. Also, did I remember my damn passport? Checks…twice. Yep, I'm a travel cliche.
(Day 1: Arrival, Existential Apartment Crisis, and the Promised Land (of Supermarket Cheese))
- 7:00 AM: Wake up, realizing it's actually happening. Paris. Nanterre. This weird hotel-apartment thing. Deep breaths. Avoid looking at the mess.
- 8:00 AM: Train…delayed, naturally. My inner monologue is a symphony of swear words. Vowing to be "Zen" upon arrival.
- 2:00 PM: FINALLY! Arrive at Sejours et Affaires. God, it looks…functional. The key card feels flimsy. My room smells faintly of…something. Possibly cleaning product and a touch of loneliness. I'm pretty sure I need to bleach my soul.
- 2:30 PM-3:30 PM: Attempt to unpack. Successfully manage to lose the tiny spoon thingy for my instant coffee. Consider declaring room service, then remember I’m in a "self-catering" situation. Sigh. This is my life now.
- 4:00 PM: The Quest for Cheese Begins! Navigate the local supermarket. It’s a whirlwind of French chatter and suspiciously perfect produce. I feel utterly incapable. End up buying way too much cheese because, Paris. The cheese aisle is a beacon of hope in a sea of bewilderment.
- 5:00 PM: Back in the room. Cheese and crackers: My first Parisian dinner. Feeling slightly pathetic, mostly thrilled. That Brie is sublime. This is what victory tastes like.
- 7:00 PM: Realize I have absolutely no idea how to work the TV. Resort to scrolling through my phone. Already homesick. Already in love with France. A confusing emotional cocktail.
- 8:00 PM: Collapse into bed, convinced the mattress is a metaphor for my life: slightly lumpy, but with potential.
(Day 2: The Train of Trials & Tribulation (& The Louvre)
- 8:00 AM: Okay, deep breaths. Today is THE DAY I go into Paris. Armed with my Navigo Easy card (which I prayed I loaded correctly). Today I will not get lost.
- 9:00 AM: The dreaded RER train. Already overcrowded. Smells faintly of stale coffee and…something else. Attempt to decipher the announcements. Fail miserably. Embrace the chaos.
- 9:30 AM: The RER did what RER always does: get me there, eventually.
- 10:00 AM: Staring at the Louvre. It’s…massive. Overwhelmingly so. My mind starts to wander.
- 10:30 AM: Head in the general direction of the Mona Lisa. Get swept along in a human current. The sheer number of selfie sticks is…astounding. The painting is small, so small! It’s a tiny, enigmatic masterpiece! I feel like I've witnessed a celebrity sighting. Am I the only one who is shocked at how small it is?
- 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM: Wander aimlessly (and happily!) through the Louvre. See some art. Admire the architecture. Get completely lost. Develop a deep and abiding love for the Venus de Milo. Find a quiet corner to sit down (a miracle).
- 1:00 PM: Get aggressively hungry. Attempt to find a charming bistro. Fail. End up eating a mediocre crepe from a street vendor. Secretly pleased.
- 2:00 PM: Walk along the Seine. Watch boats go by. Feel inexplicably moved. Paris is a goddamn poem.
- 3:00 PM: The train. The RER. The crowdedness. The smells… I have become one with public transport.
- 5:00 PM: Back at Sejours et Affaires. Take a long shower. Scrub out all the Paris I've absorbed.
- 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Contemplate ordering pizza. Then, make the decision to cook. It is a failure. I give up and eat the rest of the cheese.
(Day 3: Nanterre Exploration? Maybe? Maybe Not?)
- 9:00 AM: Wake up. Consider staying in bed all day. Then, guilt sets in. I should explore Nanterre, right?
- 10:00 AM: Venture out. Discover a surprisingly pleasant park. Watch old men play pétanque. Feel a pang of envy for their leisurely lives. I also get lost trying to find a boulangerie.
- 11:00 AM: The boulangerie! Finally found it. Acquire a baguette and a pain au chocolat. Eat the pain au chocolat immediately. It's heavenly.
- 12:00 PM Return to my room. Spend the rest of the day reading and eating cheese. I realize that maybe living in Paris is about finding the little pockets of joy, like a perfect baguette or an afternoon with a book.
(Day 4: Day Tripping to Versailles (and Nearly Losing My Mind) - A Deep Dive Into Royal Dysfunction)
- 8:00 AM: Train. Again. This time, to Versailles. Determined to see the opulence…despite the crowds, and the train.
- 9:00 AM: Versailles. The grandeur. The gold. The sheer scale of everything. It is ridiculous, beautiful, and slightly terrifying.
- 9:30 AM-12 noon Get lost wandering around the palace. The Hall of Mirrors is…well, mirrored. Everywhere. Feels strangely like modern day Instagram (all flash but no realness). The state is ridiculous.
- 12:00 PM: Find the gardens. Vast. Majestic. Get distracted by a tiny squirrel doing…something. Spend an embarrassing amount of time watching it.
- 1:00 PM: Attempt to find somewhere to eat. The crowds are insane. Picnic instead. Feel… peaceful. It is so difficult to find a place to sit down, yet I find a quiet corner?
- 2:00 PM The Chateau… AGAIN. I'm starting to go mad, but everything is so pretty.
- 3:00 PM: Leaving Versailles, I am so sick of the place.
- 4:00 PM: The RER. Back to Nanterre.
- 5:00 PM: Back in the apartment. I have a breakdown. I'm so exhausted, so emotionally drained!
- 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Lie on bed. Consider not leaving the apartment.
- 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Take a shower.
- 8:00 PM: Eat cheese. This is the best way to cope.
(Day 5,6,7: The Slow Unraveling & The Embrace of the Mundane)
- Day 5: More cheese. More reading. Wander aimlessly around Nanterre, finding a favorite café.
- Day 6: Decide to try to wash some laundry. It’s a disaster. End up hand-washing everything and hanging it precariously from the window. Begin to feel like a proper local (or at least a slightly less inept tourist).
- Day 7: Goodbye Nanterre. Finally, I've accepted that I'm just not the kind of person that has it all figured out.
- Final thoughts: This trip was a mixed bag of frustration, self-discovery, and an unhealthy amount of cheese. Paris, even from the suburbs, has a way of getting under your skin. Would I come back? Absolutely. Will I be more organized next time? Probably not.
(Post-Trip – The Aftermath)
- Homecoming Meltdown: Unpack. The suitcase explodes (again). The smell of French cheese clings to everything. Start planning the next trip.
- Weeks Later: Still dreaming of baguettes. And the Venus de Milo. And maybe, just maybe, the RER.
Okay, spill. Nanterre? Really? Isn't that... not Paris? Like, *actual* Paris?
Alright, deep breaths. Yes, Nanterre is *technically* outside of Paris. But hear me out! Think of it like this: you're close enough to practically smell croissants baking in the morning (okay, maybe a slight exaggeration). You're a hop, skip, and a jump from the heart of the city via the RER A train. I'm talking like... 15 minutes! This isn't some desolate wasteland; it's a real town, and you get this amazing, *real* French experience. I actually saw a guy arguing with a pigeon on my way to the station once! Pure gold. Plus, those Paris hotel prices? Forget about it. Nanterre is a lifesaver for your wallet – you can actually *afford* to eat those croissants. (And maybe buy a beret, no judgement). Honestly? I went in expecting to be totally bummed out. But coming back from Nanterre city center and the Sejours et Affaires really changed my mind. Totally sold on it now.
Sejours et Affaires - What's the vibe? Super-fancy? Backpacker-y? Or something… in between? (And is the coffee drinkable?)
Okay, so, Sejours et Affaires is definitely not the Ritz. Don't expect a butler polishing your shoes (unless you brought your own, in which case, more power to you!). It's more like... comfortable, functional, and surprisingly charming, in a "we-get-things-done" kind of way. Think clean lines, a kitchenette (hello, instant coffee! And maybe some late-night cheese and baguette action!), and the kind of rooms where you can actually unpack and feel like you *live* there for a minute. The vibe? A mix. Business travelers, families, solo adventurers... Basically, people who want to see Paris without blowing their entire travel budget. And the coffee? Look, it's not artisanal, hand-roasted, single-origin perfection. But it's hot, and it *gets the job done* in the morning. Trust me, after a day of walking around, anything hot is a win. Okay, fine, it's probably Nescafe. BUT! I've seen worse, much, much worse. And the price makes it all worthwhile.
The kitchenette – tell me everything! Can I actually cook something besides instant noodles? (Please say yes.)
YES! You can absolutely cook something besides instant noodles! Seriously! The kitchenette is a *lifesaver* if you're on a budget (which, let's be honest, most of us are). It usually includes a stovetop, a microwave, a fridge (essential for keeping your cheese chilled!), and basic utensils. I once attempted to make a pasta dish (ambitious, I know) and nearly set off the smoke alarm (which is a whole other story), but the point is, I *could* have made a decent meal. The supermarkets near Sejours et Affaires (like Franprix - excellent, btw) are your best friend. Think fresh produce, delicious cheeses, and, of course, baguettes. Just remember to bring your own cooking oil, and learn a few basic French phrases. "Où sont les épices?" (Where are the spices?) is a good one. And hey, the stove can make your pasta.
What about the cleanliness? (Because nobody wants to live in a pigsty, even in Paris-adjacent.)
Look, I'm a clean freak. I once disinfected a doorknob because I *thought* someone sneezed on it (I didn't). But! The Sejours et Affaires locations I've stayed at have all been... clean. Not sterile hospital clean, but clean enough that you don't feel like you need to wear a hazmat suit. The rooms are generally well-maintained, the bathrooms are sparkly, and the sheets are, crucially, crisp and clean. The cleaning staff actually seem to do their job! I've never found any evidence of previous guests left behind. So, yes, a very happy clean freak. They do a good job. (And if you're really worried, pack some Clorox wipes. Can't hurt, right?).
Is there Wi-Fi? Because, you know, Instagram waits for no one.
Yes, there is Wi-Fi. But... and this is a big but... the Wi-Fi can be a bit... temperamental. It's not always lightning fast. Sometimes, you'll be able to stream Netflix without a problem. Other times, you'll be staring at that little buffering wheel of doom, feeling your life force slowly drain away. Be patient. It usually works, eventually. Plan on using it for basic browsing and posting your envy-inducing Eiffel Tower photos. Downloading a movie? Probably not. (Unless you have the patience of a saint, which, let's be honest, I rarely do.)
Okay, the commute. Really, how bad is it to get into the city itself?
Alright, the commute. The big question! It's not bad. Honestly. The RER A train is your friend. The station is super close to the Sejours et Affaires. So you are golden. You just hop on, and in maybe 15-20 minutes, you're in the heart of Paris. Champs-Élysées, the Louvre, all within easy reach. It's a godsend. The trains run frequently, so you're not waiting around forever. Worst-case scenario, you might have to stand during rush hour. (Which is a fun cultural experience in itself, trust me... especially when you understand *zero* of the announcements). Just embrace it. Think of it as part of the adventure. Plus, you save a fortune on accommodation, and that makes any commute worth it.
Tell me about the neighborhood around Sejours et Affaires. Is there anything to *do* in Nanterre?
Honestly? Nanterre is not the main event. It's a residential area, which is part of its charm. You're not going to find yourself overwhelmed with tourist traps. There are shops, cafes, and restaurants, and they're definitely cheaper than in Paris. You can soak up some *real* life. I found some great bakeries where I attempted to order pain au chocolat (the struggle is real, sometimes). You could explore the park (which is perfectly nice, for what it is). There's a university nearby, so you'll see students, and the atmosphere is less frantic than the tourist hotspots. I found a small park which had a tiny playground full of kids getting wild. I liked it. It's a calmer, more authentic experience. Definitely have dinner in Nanterre a few times, you'll see.
Are there restaurants nearby, and are they anyWorld Of Lodging
