France - better value hotel at Paris? SPG or IHG or Hilton or Marriott?

We are planning to travel to Paris in July 2012. Since I am a business traveler, I would like to give my business next year (2012) to one of these hotel chains - SPG or IHG, Marriott, Hilton to achieve 7 free nights using just points only or Cash+Points redemption.

I would prefer to stay in the same hotel room all the 7 nights. We are 2 adults, one 5 year old, 6 months old baby. I would like to have a comfortable room for all of us even it is little far from the attractions. Based on the points redemption, I would plan to give my business to one particular hotel chain to achieve my target.

I would like to be closer to any metro station and also would like to be closer to the city seeing bus tour which stops at major attractions in Paris.

We stayed at the Marriott Rive Gauche last summer. I highly recommend it for a family stay. It is a very short walk to two stations. You can get there by taking the RER B. Look it up on the website for specifics.

You will need to reserve a suite to accommodate four people. That will be standard for any chain. For Marriott that unfortunately means a surcharge. The total for 7 nights was approx $1000US. It was well worth it. If you have status, you will also have access to the lounge for breakfast and snacks.

Excellent location and many nearby conveniences. Our view was incredible, except for the Montparnasse Tower blocking our view of the Eiffel Tower.

Hard to beat the IHG hotels w/ C&P. You can each get 60K pts if approved for the Chase PC card. See the first link in the MilesBuzz forum. Also I think this offer is on their website. You will need two rooms per night at most properties.

I would not really worry about value, I would worry about getting anything in July on points with 4 (albeit 1 infant). For Paris, it will be probably be either Marriott or IHG. SPG does not have good hotels that allow 4 in a room. I know nothing about Hilton hotels in Paris.

Marriott has some options, but the nicest hotels (Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe Hotel, Renaissance Paris Le Parc Trocadero Hotel, Renaissance Paris Vendome Hotel) are going to be tough for this July 2012 as they usually require a "family" room and those book very quickly on points. I would look at the Courtyard Paris Neuilly. It is 30,000 pts + E60 surcharge. For Marriott, I would book the rooms ASAP. With Marriott, you do not have to have the pts in your account to make the reservation, only about 2 weeks before. So you can hedge your bets.

For IHG, I would look at HI Opera - Grands Blvds due to the great location. They have rooms at 15,000 and you would need two, but the website does mention connecting rooms. Not sure how accommodating they would be with reserving those with points for you. The Crown Plaza Republique has 25,000 pt standard rooms. I know this hotel has plenty of rooms that accommodate 4, again would need to contact hotel directly to see if they would guarantee your pt reservation for that type of room. The HI Paris-Canal De La Villette has 2 double beds available for 25,000 pts (they don't pull the standard room crap) so that would always be an option. A little more outside the city (arr 19th), but still right on Metro line.

Any questions, let me know. Good luck.

Another vote for the Marriott Rive Gauche. In addition to the RER B at Denfert-Rochereau, there is also good access to the Ligne 6 Metro (Glaciere and Saint Jacques).

With an infant and a 5 year old, you might also consider paying cash for an apartment rental and using the high number of miles a hotel would cost elsewhere. If you shop well, you'll likely have better and bigger accomodations, you'll save a lot on meals, and on a net basis you may come out ahead if you have another use for the miles.

Also, whatever route you take, I would not be quick to trade away location. Paris is a hot, tough city in July and the ability to easily get back to where you are staying during the day is pretty important, especially with small kids.

Also, whatever route you take, I would not be quick to trade away location. Paris is a hot, tough city in July and the ability to easily get back to where you are staying during the day is pretty important, especially with small kids.It can be a hot city in July, but it is often not.

I would agree it's a tough city in July with all those darn tourists in the way! ;)

to find 4 in a room, use venere.com. it does a 4 people search. you may try 3 in a room and a child. i noticed italy(i know paris is not in italy) has relaxed their room policies, and allow an under 1 or 2 or something in the room.

I would not really worry about value, I would worry about getting anything in July on points with 4 (albeit 1 infant). For Paris, it will be probably be either Marriott or IHG. SPG does not have good hotels that allow 4 in a room. I know nothing about Hilton hotels in Paris.

Marriott has some options, but the nicest hotels (Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe Hotel, Renaissance Paris Le Parc Trocadero Hotel, Renaissance Paris Vendome Hotel) are going to be tough for this July 2012 as they usually require a "family" room and those book very quickly on points. I would look at the Courtyard Paris Neuilly. It is 30,000 pts + E60 surcharge. For Marriott, I would book the rooms ASAP. With Marriott, you do not have to have the pts in your account to make the reservation, only about 2 weeks before. So you can hedge your bets.

For IHG, I would look at HI Opera - Grands Blvds due to the great location. They have rooms at 15,000 and you would need two, but the website does mention connecting rooms. Not sure how accommodating they would be with reserving those with points for you. The Crown Plaza Republique has 25,000 pt standard rooms. I know this hotel has plenty of rooms that accommodate 4, again would need to contact hotel directly to see if they would guarantee your pt reservation for that type of room. The HI Paris-Canal De La Villette has 2 double beds available for 25,000 pts (they don't pull the standard room crap) so that would always be an option. A little more outside the city (arr 19th), but still right on Metro line.

Any questions, let me know. Good luck.

Happy New year to everyone and many thanks for your post. I checked Crowne Plaza, Republique, it has room to accommodate 2 adults + 2 kids for 25000 points or 15000 points + $60 (which I prefer), I guess that should work. I will contact the hotel directly via email and will ask them whether they can accomodate all of us in 1 room. Thanks for the heads up. Do you know how centrally this hotel is located to metro & sight seeing tour bus stops?

Hard to beat the IHG hotels w/ C&P. You can each get 60K pts if approved for the Chase PC card. See the first link in the MilesBuzz forum. Also I think this offer is on their website. You will need two rooms per night at most properties.

Thanks a lot, this is exactly I am planning to do if there is no big promotion from now to summer. Do you know if they charge you USD 60 and deduct 15000 points immediately when you make a reservation if you redeem 15000+USD 60? Or do they do like SPG, where they deduct just the points and charge the credit card upon your check in?

If you book cash and points with ihg, your card is charged immediately for tr cash portion and the points are deducted immediately.

In your priority club account, you'll see a deposit of points purchased with that cash, followed by a withdrawal of all points needed for your reservation.

If you cancel, all the points (earned and purchased) go back into your account. The cash portion is non refundable.