It’s hard for me to rate this hotel because I had two very different impressions. I chose to stay here because I prefer hotels in old, historic buildings with some “old world” charm, and Grand Hotel de l’Opera seemed fit the bill. I had chosen a “Classic” room in the least expensive category, it looked nice in the pictures and I didn’t mind a smaller room since I traveled alone. When I opened the door to room- one the first floor- I was struck by a really bad smell, like damp cellar combined with grandma’s old basement. It looked beautifully decorated but was really dark because of the very small window (looked much brighter in the pictures). I honestly got a feeling of panic at the thought of sleeping in there for two nights. I’m someone who travels often, very easy going and adaptable to most situations, and this was the first time I have ever asked to change rooms. The staff was lovely and very helpful in every way. I was told there were very few other rooms available and finally I ended up in a king suite on the second floor, which was the total opposite of the first room- big, bright and beautiful and no bad smells whatsoever. Wonderful! However, I obviously didn’t need such a large room, and I ended up having to pay much more for the upgrade- way above my budget- but I felt I had no choice. In retrospect, had I known beforehand what to expect I would have chosen a different hotel.