Originally Posted by
thenumblehigwoo
1) for the base rooms, is there an appreciable difference in the room sizes? Not just the square footage but the layouts? Or is this an unanswerable question because each room is different? I'm also not going to Paris with the expectation that we are going to have huge rooms - I know the rooms in general are smaller compared to other places.
I've never been in the base rooms at either PH or PdG, since usually upgraded or booked higher suites (usually with points). My guess is that they'd be comparable. PH Vendome website lists standard rooms 26-30 sq mtrs, PdG website lists standard (including deluxe) rooms 22-38 sq mtrs. So you can guess that there may be a slight edge to PH.
2) Which location is "better" for a first time tourist who, on this short trip, really only has time to hit the highlights?
This depends on you. I think both are great, but I have personal preference for the Vendome area, even though I love the PdG. That is why I most often stay at the Westin Vendome, actually--since you'll see my service review on PH soon! I think you should look up the sights/restaurants you want to visit most, and then map it out on Google Maps. You can do this EASILY to decide if one is better located than the other. If even, pick the cheaper or one most likely to upgrade you. You can't go wrong--it's Paris.
3) How does the PH Vendome compare to Park Hyatt Istanbul (we loved our stay in Istanbul but I get the sense that the PH Vendome style is a bit more classic?)
The PH Vendome is not in the same league as the PH Istanbul. We also loved the PH Istanbul, preferring it over the FS Bosphorus. The new StR had not yet opened, so we weren't able to see that. We had fantastic service and a tremendous upgrade at the PH Istanbul, great food/beverage. The PH Vendome is less service-oriented and more stiff, less impressive all-around IMO. I actually choose the nearby and better service/friendlier Westin Vendome over the PH Vendome regularly as a result. I actually choose the Westin more often than the PdG because I love the Vendome area the most, but that won't necessarily be true for you.
4) What is the style of PDG? My wife and I loved our stays at Royal Hawaiian and Westin Palace, not necessarily because the hotels/rooms were the greatest but because both hotels have a classy/historical air about them. I have the sense that PDG is probably a much better property than either of these, but any frame of reference comparison would be really helpful.
All of the PH, PdG and even the Westin Vendome are nice properties. PdG is Art Deco--and beautifully done. PH is more modern and sterile, another reason we're not as fond of it. (One reason I'm not fond of some FS is that they could be anywhere; this is true of the PH Vendome IMO.) ALL of these Paris properties are VASTLY superior in every way to the Hawaiian hotels you just listed. NO CONTEST. If you like a hotel to feel more Parisian, though, I think the Westin Vendome (more traditional Parisian) and PdG (Art Deco Parisian) are the winners.
In the end, there is not just one. All of these are very nice hotels. I DESPISE the FS George V in Paris--too much blue hair for me, too formal and stiff in its feel for me. But mot people LOVE that hotel. So it's all relative...and you can't go wrong!