Hi, last year in Paris we stayed in a small basic hotel. Had no complaints, very clean, lovely staff, great for price etc. The one thing I found difficult was having no coffee/tea making facilities i.e kettle, especially nice to have an early morning cuppa! Its the first time on any of my travels I have encountered this. This year I have booked to stay in the Hotel Residence Henri iv in the Latin Quarter based on the good reviews and because it has small kitchens in the rooms - thereby allowing me to have my cuppa. Imagine my dismay to read on one review they do not provide kettles. Is this a normal occurence in Paris?
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This is pretty normal throughout Europe and many parts of the world. It%26#39;s only the Anglo-Saxons, I think, who like to drink tea/coffee in their hotel rooms. But you can buy a small, light travel kettle and the relevant supplies and take them with you. I know a number of English people who travel the world happily with such equipment. Enjoy!
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Yes, it%26#39;s normal.
Just wander the neighborhood for a variety/hardware store and purchase an inexpensive small coffee maker or kettle.
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%26quot;It%26#39;s only the Anglo-Saxons, I think, who like to drink tea/coffee in their hotel rooms.%26quot;
...plus a couple billion South Asians and East Asians...
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I%26#39;m pretty sure many French people would enjoy drinking tea or coffee in their rooms if they were given the choice. I was told by an electrician who worked in France that electric wiring in many older buildings can still only safely cope with lighting, so that everyone switching on a kettle at once would be dangerous or at least result in a power failure. I assume most places have been rewired by now though.
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I spend a lot of time travelling in Europe and kettles in the room are very rare.
The only places that sometimes have them are the international chains - Holiday Inn, Hilton etc.
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Yes, this is entirely the norm in French hotels and apartments. Even in most well equipped apartment kitchens, there will only be a saucepan in which to boil water.
Interestingly, the Citadines Apart%26#39;Hotels have begun providing electric kettles in their apartments.
You will either have to take a small travel kettle with you or do as the French do and pop across to the nearest café for a café crème.
The same situation applies to most hotels in Italy so it is not just a France phenomenon.
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Even if you buy a kettle there, you may have trouble finding a place to plug it in! They don%26#39;t typically have many in a room (ever try to find a place to charge the phone, or plug in a hairdryer?) That may well be part of the reason that kettles aren%26#39;t found in hotel rooms . . .
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If there%26#39;s no stove, a hot pot works just fine for preparing tea in most places. I haven%26#39;t been anywhere where it doesn%26#39;t work.
Coffee%26#39;s a different story. I hate the stuff and I don%26#39;t drink any so I haven%26#39;t bothered to care.
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Darthanonymous obviously isn%26#39;t British, you just can%26#39;t make a decent cup of tea with water from a PAN! (shock horror!LOL) Something about having the water boiling properly.
I always take a travel kettle and an adapter. Last year as we stayed in an apartment I assumed there would be a kettle. OH NO. There were two types of coffee makers but no kettle. I was %26quot;spitting feathers%26quot; all week for a decent cup of tea! and everyone KNOWS the French can%26#39;t make one in thier cafes. They are brilliant at coffee and wine and food, but not tea.
The worst %26quot;cup of tea%26quot;(I use the term loosly) I ever had was at the Races at Longchamps. After I had queued for 20 minutes They put the mik and the teabag in first and then filled it up with warm (not even hot) water. it was like dishwater!!!!
For the uninitiated, how to make a cup of tea.....
Use fresh water.
Bring to the boil in a Kettle. It%26#39;s very important that the water is boiling.
Either pour over the tea or teabags in a warmed teapot. Or mug if you are in a hurry.
Allow to brew for a few minutes. according to taste and colour required
Squeeze teabag, depending on strength required, and remove teabag.
Then add milk to mug, or pour into cups.
There is a debate wether you put milk in first or last to poured tea but we will not go into that.
Denise
Love from England
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You didn%26#39;t warm the pot, grndma! Self-catering in France is bad enough with no kettle, but the only %26#39;teapot%26#39; may be a Pyrex coffee jug. They just don%26#39;t understand ;-)
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