Nizar

Hi,

Next year I plan to take my wife away for 10-12 days only for her birthday to these two cities. It will be both of our first time there.

We plan to split the stay 50/50 with 5-6 nights in each. I know its probably not enough time to spend in each city but with work commitments two weeks off work is probably the absolute max (travel time is a day in both directions).

I want to stay in a hotel which has in its architecture and design something unique about it in terms of representing its city (ie. a hotel thats Parisian/English in its style, decor and touches).

I don't want to stay in a hotel that could be "anywhere" if you know what I mean. Still, I am going for a top hotel that is five star.

Location is also very important as we would prefer to walk as much as we can to see most of the attractions.

Without discussing location, the hotels that I think fit the bill as being 5* and Parisian are either Hotel Bristol or George V in Paris and maybe the Savoy and the Ritz in London. Which of these are better when taking into account location ?

What are other hotels we should be considering ?

I was surprised that the Peninsula in Paris got shocking reviews on tripadvisor (ranked in the hundreds with average rating of 3.5 stars) - is it that bad ? How about the Shangrila ? That used to be an old mansion of napoleons grandson or someone like that the building probably has some grandeur about it ?

Budget is around US$2k per night but happy to push higher (2.5-3k) for something really exceptional.

Thanks

Pierre&Cédric

When do you plan to go?

For Paris I guess many people here will go for Le Bristol. It is a good choice especially for foodies (their 3-star Michelin restaurant l'Epicure is great) but I am not a fan. I prefer the Shangri-La which is beautiful, with a very nice swimming pool and Spa.

For London the Lanesborough shall be at the top when it reopens. Right now my choice remains Bvlgari or Four Seasons Park Lane but they are not typically English. Why not the Connaught?

Nizar

Mid to late August 2015, wife's bday is the 20th. Will the Lanesborough be open by then ?
Never heard of the Connaught I will look into it.

Thanks

Pierre&Cédric

Lanesborough is supposed to reopen early 2015. In London Firmdale hotels and the Rosewood seems to be highly praised. Actually there are many threads including recent ones extensively discussing what Paris & London have to offer, you can use the Search engine to find them. The only risk is to come up with more confusion as there are so many good choices. :P

sonofzeus

Lesson learned: folks with big money to burn on hotels have the same research resources as the 98%. I thought they had superior staff to get anything done in a heartbeat.

LondonElite

The first piece of advice is to ignore TripAdvisor when it comes to luxury hotels.

In Paris I would suggest the Bristol, Shangri-La, George V, Plaza Athenee, or, if it's open by then, the Crillon (which Rosewood is redoing).

In London there are probably five top choices, including the Dorchester, Ritz, Mandarin Oriental, Claridges, and the Connaught.

quitecontrary

Tripadvisor can be very useful for hotels at all levels especially the travelers' photos. Ignore those that have only one review. I would also look to see what other hotels the reviewer has stayed in.

As this a birthday trip I would opt for hotels your wife will have heard of so the iconic Grand hotels in both places would I think be best suited for this trip. For that reason I would keep the Savoy in the mix - I think someone here stayed recently. At least visit for afternoon tea. A friend loves the Connaught and I think it can be counted amongst the quintessentially English hotels.

Nizar

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

I'm leaning towards George V or Plaza Athenee in Paris and maybe Cannaught or Claridges in London.

Shangrila in Paris is also hard to ignore although I heard the location is poor ?

Hard to go past George V as that's been on my list for a long time and I know my wife would love the flowers in the lobby. That said she would also love the Eiffel view from the bathroom from the Plaza Athenee Eiffel suites. Does anyone know how much these go for ? (on the website it says to call their reservations team) Is it around 2k Euro ?

Nizar

It seems reading older threads on here (from 2011) that the Connaught has a "new wing" and an older wing where the rooms are looking a bit "tired".

Is this the case or has the whole hotel been renovated since then ?

Nizar

Maybe some rooms are still dated as looking at their website, the carlos suite has a very nice bathroom

http://www.the-connaught.co.uk/luxur.../carlos-suite/

Compare that to the bathroom of the next room category, the grosvenor suite

http://www.the-connaught.co.uk/luxur...osvenor-suite/

Also - how does Rosewood London compare to the Connaught ?

For the same price as the Carlos Suite (~GBP1500) I could get a Grand Premier Suite at the Rosewood

http://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/lon...-premier-suite

Pausanias

August is a poor time to visit Paris - many restaurants are closed. In London my instinct for such an occasion for a first-timer to the city would probably be The Connaught. The Goring is also a good choice and, in August, it has that touch of true luxury - a garden.

In Paris I always tend to veer away from the big glitzy places run by chains. The Crillon was always my favourite of the luxe-palaces and it's in a truly classic building and location. I also love the Pavilion de la Reine in the most beautiful and romantic square in the city.

Nizar

Thanks for your feedback. I'm shocked to hear this about August in Paris, many restaurants are closed ? I thought its the late summer and a wonderful time to visit lol just after the crowds but when the weather is still warm.

I will look into the Crillon.

Nizar

Looks like its closed for renovations, any idea when in 2015 it will reopen ?

offerendum

Ritz? No FS, no Rosewood? If this is the top 5 I prefer to stay in one of the not so high rated hotels

It can be a perfect time, depends on your Needs. August is the main holiday time in Europe which means cities are relative empty. If you don`t care for special restaurants you can find relative low rates and not too many People. We were in Rome in August and found it great. Nice warm (some People would say HOT) weather, low rates and no Long lines. Perfect for us as we didn`t plan to visit restautrants in Rome.

Groombridge

London:

The Connaught has, in my mind, the most quintessentially London location, Carlos Place and Mount Street are incredibly beautiful, and each time you step out of the hotel you will know you are in London and nowhere else. but if a spacious room is a priority, you probably need a suite. I would not hesitate to book a suite in the original old wing, where the styke is much more traditional than the new wing, which is very nice, but could be anywhere.

I have not stayed at Claridge's, but its location is a close second, in terms of London charm, to Connaught.

I am a fan of the Savoy, but only the Edwardian style rooms and suites, not the art deco ones. For walking to the theatre district, it is perfect, and it is also an easy walk to St Paul's, the Tate Modern, the Natuonal Gallery / Trafalgar Sq, etc. it is a large, grande dame, and the immediate area is not charming like the gorgeous streets around the Connaught and Claridge's, but a room, jr suite, or suite with a river view will ensure you feel you are in London.

I do agree with Pierre and Cedric that Bulgari is London's best, but it does not have the quintessence you are seeking.

For Paris, I have not stayed at Le Bristol or Plaza Athenee, but of the others, Shangri La is my favorite, with very good service, superb food at L'Abeille, and bu far the best views of the Eiffel Tower of any of the Parisian 5-stars. Definitely worth paying for am Eiffel view room or suite. The historic building is both intimate and grand, a real Parisiam treasure. And the styling of the rooms is very classical Parisian. The pool is a lovely retreat at the end of a day of sightseeing.

Keep your eye on the new La Reserve Hotel and Spa opening Feb 1. (I will be checking in on that day so can report back.) It is in a beautiful area in a 19th century mansion and has been designed in a classic French style by Jacques Garcia. It looks very promising, and I believe vuittonsofstyle toured the sight recently and came away very impressed. The location looks ideal for walking to major sights.

Do book through a Virtuoso agent like those on this Forum to get free breakfast, amenities, and possible upgrades. (I use DavidO.)