When we got to Paris for a Saturday afternoon and overnight before we flew home from France, we stayed at the Hotel Mercure Gare de Lyon, which is attached to the Gare de Lyon train station in SE Paris (see map). This hotel was also listed as a 3 star hotel, but it was much nicer than the Hotel Mercure Saint-Etienne Parc L'Europe.
Once again, the rooms were small compared to American hotel rooms. The bed took up most of the space in the room and it was a queen size bed.
The bathroom didn't have a bidet like the one in Saint-Etienne - and not that I'd actually USE a bidet - but it was pretty good sized compared to the room itself.
Also, here's a good tip if you ever go to France - take along your own soap, shampoo and toilet paper. The bathroom amenities at 3 star hotels in France aren't the best. The shampoo is watered down and it takes a lot to work up a lather; the soap doesn't lather (or offer much deodorant protection, as well); and the toilet paper is a step above what you'll find in most port-a-potties at construction sites.
The soap, shampoo and toilet paper at both Hotel Mercure's I stayed at were pretty much spot on with the above description.
My room was up pretty high and offered a glimpse of the Seine River, which was about a block away. Here's a picture of a little boat house on the "Rive Gauche" (Left Bank) of the Seine.
Also, when we were in Paris that afternoon and evening, there was a big soccer game taking place between Marseille and Paris - Saint Germain out at the Stade de France, the huge stadium on the northeast side of Paris. It was for the French equivalent of the Super Bowl - The French Cup.
When we went out on a little walk for lunch and just to look around, we noticed a number of police in riot gear situated around our hotel. One of the guys in our group thought it may have been because of the demonstrations by young French people against the government's labor policies a few weeks prior. But there didn't seem to be anything going on as far as any type of a gathering.
About 5:30 after we got back from our walk, I kept hearing some commotion out the window and noticed the police presence 
had jumped up considerably. Suddenly, I heared a lot of rhythmic clapping and cheering. I looked out the window and saw this:
It turned out that it was the Marseille fans who were in a tightly controlled parade after they had gotten off a special train from Marseille to go to the game that evening.
I was impressed by the show of force by police in keeping the demonstration in tow. I'm sure they've had a ton of problems in the past with "hooliganism" directly tied to soccer fans. Some of the soccer riots in Europe make the Watts riots of 1965 look like a backyard birthday party that erupted into a food fight.
More soccer fans from Marseille
The little parade that was pretty much peaceful other than the Marseilles fans chanting and clapping ended up at the Gare de Lyon and from there they went out to the stadium for the game. By the way, Paris Saint-Germain beat Marseille 2-1 to win the French Cup later that evening.
The Hotel Mercure Gare de Lyon had a nice restaurant in the place, as well as a little wine bar with a nice selection of scotch behind the bar. A couple of us got together in the bar for a couple of drinks before dinner and even though the bar was pretty small, it was certainly comfortable.
Every person who worked in the hotel that I encountered spoke impeccable English. That is the thing that is pretty common in Paris - a lot of people speak English so it's pretty easy to get around.
And I've yet to encounter a French person who is surly and rude. It's not to say they aren't out there - but we have 'em here in the States, too. And I never really got any anti-American vibe when I was there, either. Sure, the majority of the French people don't agree with the United States foreign policy, but they know that a lot of people in America don't agree with it, either.
The Hotel Mercure Gare de Lyon is a wonderful place to stay. It's not too centrally located (the only things that are close by is the Notre-Dame Cathedral and Paris' Latin Quarter), but you can take the Paris Metro system to virtually any of the great places to see in Paris.
However, it will definitely take you more than an afternoon to do that...
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