10 Days in France: Hotel Berne Opera and So' Co Happy Culture Reviews

We landed at CDG Airport on September 10th at 12:45 pm, and by 2:00 pm, we were checking into our hotel. It was an early start leaving Dublin after waking up at 4:00am, so while on paper, arriving just in time for an immediate early check in is absolute perfection, in reality, a comedy of errors that was about to begin.

The hotel transfer had issues, and it started France off on a stressful note. We made it, but it didn’t feel organized; however, looking back, the magic of France made it all worth it! Honestly, it was just the getting there that was terrible; actually being there was wonderful.

Our trip started with a few chaotic logistics. There were only machines in the airport for customs, and the line was slow as people tried to figure out scanning their passport and getting their entry photo right. After a long travel day, you don’t want your first afternoon in Paris to be about managing logistics.

This part of the trip was booked through our tour company, and the hotel choices were one of the bigger Wingbuddy disappointments. Both hotels were fine in the sense that nothing disastrous happened. They were not hotels I would have chosen though.

Hotel Berne Opera in Paris: A Tale of a Confusing Location

Let’s talk Hotel Berne Opera. The room was okay, it was larger than our room in Dublin. Nothing about it felt dirty or unsafe. The catch? It sits on the absolute northernmost tip of the 8th arrondissement. While the southern 8th is filled with postcard-perfect monuments, this area is highly residential. For us as first-timers, the lack of immediate visual landmarks made orienting ourselves on foot a massive challenge.

If you booked Hotel Berne Opera yourself for budget reasons, knew the metro well, or had a specific reason to be in that area, you might be perfectly satisfied. Our problem is that I still have no idea why Wingbuddy put us there, other than cost.

For our plans, the location was poor. It didn’t feel close to the things we were doing. It didn’t help us understand Paris. It didn’t save us time. It made the city harder.

Paris was not easy to orient ourselves in. I know people say the Metro is great, and I believe them. But if you arrive tired, don’t already know the neighbourhoods, and have timed activities across the city, you need more preparation than we had done.

One lesson from Paris was that location is everything! Staying central would have easily saved us a lot of navigation stress (and around €180 in taxis).

Rescuing Our Paris Plans

We had planned to go to Versailles, but we missed that because I didn't account for the hour timezone difference from Ireland and booked it for 2pm. That's when we got to our hotel, so it was logistically impossible to make that meeting time. I ignored Google on this fact and lost around $325 because I didn't cancel soon enough. Luckily, we cancelled the Eiffel Tower for the evening of the 10th in time because we knew we’d be too tired.

That was the right call. It was disappointing, but it would’ve been worse to force it. Travel math is important when factoring for your energy levels. A long flight, a transfer issue, hotel check-in, and trying to figure out Paris all in one day can kill the energy fast.

The Classic Paris Magic Kicked in on Day Two

Our second day in Paris, we did the Louvre, Tootbus, and the Catacombs.

• The Louvre & The Catacombs: The Louvre was spectacular and worth every ounce of energy. Our guide was phenomenal, giving us incredible historical context of the building while seamlessly guiding us to the must-see masterpieces. Later that day, exploring the Catacombs was an unforgettable, solemn thrill.

• The Tootbus & The Taxi Trap: Wanting a breezy way to see the city, we hopped on the Tootbus from the Louvre, which was included in our Wingbuddy package. Unfortunately, a hot day forced us inside for non-existent AC instead of the open top deck, and we ended up stuck in brutal Parisian traffic. The only worthwhile part was seeing the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero. I understand the appeal of hop-on, hop-off buses. In theory, they help you see a big city without thinking too hard. In practice, it ate up two and a half hours of time and didn’t solve our transportation problem. This led us to rely on taxis, which quickly added up.

• Wine & Washers: That night ended in true local fashion: doing laundry at a neighbourhood Laverie while sipping wine and beer! A friendly couple from Florida even rescued us when the doors locked us out. It's moments like that you never forget.

The biggest Paris lesson was simple. You need to understand the city before you get there, or you need to build in extra time to figure it out.

Finding Our Stride on the Seine

On our final day in Paris, we took a WWII walking tour, which was a massive highlight. Following a guide who knew exactly where to go allowed us to completely switch off our brains and just soak in the history. At the end of the tour, we spotted the Eiffel Tower and knowing that direction, set off determined to wait in line to summit it.

With tired feet but determined spirits, we immediately hopped on a Seine River cruise (included in our Wingbuddy package) when we arrived at the base of the tower. We hoped we'd feel the energy to wait in line after an hour rest. This activity was a good way to see Paris without fighting the city.

We relaxed and got an opportunity to see some iconic sights. Seeing the city and a breathtaking view of Notre Dame from the calm of the water was the perfect, peaceful antidote to our chaotic start in the city. By 3:00 pm, we realized the summit wasn't all that appealing. We headed back to pack for our ridiculously early 2:00 am wake up call for our 3:15 transfer to CDG for a domestic flight to Nice.

Hotel So'Co by Happy Culture: Another Location Oversight

Arriving in Nice, we checked into Hotel So’Co by Happy Culture. To our delight, the room was the largest of the trip! Having a bathtub, a great shower, and a private balcony felt like checking into a luxury retreat after our tiny Paris and Dublin accommodations. Sadly, they only had one shampoo/bodywash product in the shower though.

While the hotel's main perk was being directly across from the Nice-Ville train station, ideal if you're taking day trips to Monaco or Cannes, we would have still preferred being closer to the beach or Old Town.

If you're comparing 3 star hotels in France or budget accommodation in Paris and Nice, remember that good value can disappear quickly if the location costs you time, taxis, or energy.

French Hospitality and Hotel Service Timing

The hotels were not the only problem. A broader issue was French hospitality, especially around service expectations. The French are not known for their hospitality, but there were a handful of times we were outright ignored and not given service.

The biggest hotel frustration was that rooms were not cleaned early enough. When you’re out all morning and come back hoping to rest, shower, or reset before the next thing, it’s frustrating when housekeeping still hasn’t happened. Quite a few times, we didn't get fresh towels and had to ask for them.

I don’t need over-the-top service. I do need the basics to line up with how I actually move through a day. A late-cleaned room can throw off the afternoon. It can make the room feel less restful. It can make a three-star hotel feel cheaper than it needs to feel.

Our Activities in Nice and Around the French Riviera

The South of France had many strong moments.

We went to Le Plongeoir, which was memorable because the setting is the whole point and the food was delicious. We also went to the beach. Nice has that classic pebbled shoreline, so it’s not a soft white sand beach experience, but it’s still beautiful and even better for Dean who is a geology enthusiast.

We did Cannes and Antibes with Wingbuddy on my 44th birthday. We rode in a van with very few other travelers and were basically just dropped off with an hour of free time or so at each location. By this point I was already questioning the structure of this part of the trip. I’m glad we went, but I kept thinking we would’ve planned it differently on our own.

We went to Nespo as well. That meal stood out as one of the moments where the trip felt more like what I had hoped France would feel like. Good food can rescue a lazy travel day.

We also did Èze and Monaco with Wingbuddy. Èze was one of the places I was excited to see because it is a beautiful medieval hilltop village. Monaco was interesting, the wealth there is astounding. I’m glad we saw it, but I wouldn’t build a whole trip around it unless you can keep up with that kind of glamour.

Then we went scuba diving with Nice Diving. That should have been straightforward, but we got caught in a harbour strike. That added another layer of French travel chaos, but we made a new friend that day, which was wonderful to make a human connection in a foreign land.

On September 18th, our second to last day of the trip, we ditched the Wingbuddy tour and went to Villefranche-sur-Mer instead. I don’t regretit. Sometimes the best trip decision is admitting the plan isn’t working and doing the thing you actually want to do.

Villefranche-sur-Mer was worth it. It had more of the coastal feeling I wanted from the Riviera. We also did a boat trip to Mala Cave to snorkel and swim. Seeing the coast from the boat was one of the highlights. It was cool to see Eze and Villefranche-sur-Mer from the water. The water, the cliffs, and the view back toward land made the Riviera feel worth all of our troubles while we were in France.

Would I Recommend Hotel Berne Opera or Hotel So’Co by Happy Culture?

I wouldn’t rush to recommend either, but I also wouldn’t say they’re unbookable.

Hotel Berne Opera could work if the location fits your plans and you’re comfortable navigating Paris transit.

Hotel So’Co by Happy Culture had the better room. The balcony, larger space, shower, and bathtub were all positives. If being near Nice-Ville train station is your top priority, it has a clear use. If you want a beachy Nice experience, I’d look elsewhere.

A hotel review can’t just be about the room. Location can make or break a trip. A decent hotel in the wrong place becomes a problem fast.

Hotels Highly Affected Our France Experience

France gave us some great memories. The Louvre, the WWII walking tour, the Seine cruise, the food, Villefranche-sur-Mer, scuba diving, and the boat trip near Mala Cave all stand out.

But the hotels dragged the trip down.

Hotel Berne Opera and Hotel So’Co by Happy Culture were not disasters. They were just not the right choices for us. If I were doing it again, I’d spend more time choosing neighbourhoods before choosing hotels. I really might have paid for the upgrade from Wingbuddy if I'd known or had the foresight to look into how difficult transport would be.

Nice is where we truly fell in love with the South of France. We discovered the pure joy of Uber and Uber Eats, which we wished we knew about earlier on the trip. Getting down to the port ended up being super easy, and we finally got exactly what we needed: a few glorious days where we did absolutely next to nothing. No navigation pressure, no tight schedules—just soaking in the stunning French Riviera sunshine.

At the end of the day, France tested our navigation skills, but it rewarded us with iconic sights, beautiful coastlines, and memories we’ll keep forever.