I just got back from France, which included a 3-night stay at the Hilton Paris (near Eifel Tower) and later a 2-night stay at the Hilton La Defense. At the Eifel Tower facility as a gold I was treated relatively well -- upgrade to good-sized Eifel tower view room with balcony, lounge access, basic continental breakfast for two included for free, helpful front desk and concierges. I would return there if coming to Paris, though it did not rate as highly as my stays at Hilton Prague or Hilton Frankfurt. Unfortunately my La Defense stay did not inspire me to return, though I did get upgraded to a "comfort" or tranquility room.
1. NO BREAKFAST INCLUDED FOR GOLDS, NO LOUNGE, NO WELCOMING AMENITY. At check-in I asked about breakfast coupons, was told they have no coupons but I could have breakfast on the 5th floor, all I needed to do was show up. Just to be sure, I asked "That's included for Hilton Gold members, correct?" First the clerk said yes, then stuttered a bit and corrected herself and said she wasn't sure it was included but would call me.
She did not call, so the next AM before going to breakfast, not wanting to get stuck with a surpise bill for 26 euro/person for croissants etc and coffee, I called the desk and was told it HAD been included last year and then it was discontinued for golds.
I asked about lounge access, she said "no lounge" to that too.
There was no welcome letter or water or mint or anything else in the room thanking me for staying with them as an honors member. I even get a welcome letter at Hampton Inns!
2. MISINFORMATION I checked in on a Sunday, the hotel and area looked a bit deserted and I asked about any casual cafes or brasseries for lunch within walking distance in the area, the clerk said everything was closed except the hotel restaurant and McDonalds across the way. When I then walked around outside to look at the big Arch, I noticed right across the way next to McDonalds a brasserie (Arc) was indeed open with outside tables, saving me a trip on the Metro.
3. BROKEN STUFF AND FORM NOT FOLLOWING FUNCTION, COMICAL SERVICE. The first upgraded room I was escorted to was ceremoniously checked over when we got there by the guy carrying the luggage when I came in. He noted the TV in the bathroom wasn't working and the room smelled of some chemical, so he moved me down the hall (I was tired and didn't care about a bathroom TV, but he seemed determined to move me -- as the hotel was slow that day, query why they didn't check out the rooms in advance?). The bathroom TV worked the first evening, then broke the next day in the second room too. When it did work, it was hard to lie in the "tranquility" tub and see it unless you were at a particularly untranquil angle, given the high-tech screen. Also the jets on the tubs were industrially loud, so no point in turning them on if you want "tranquility" especially since a sign on the wall reminded you that sound carries to the next rooms.
There was also no CNN, only English language channel I got was BBC. I could not view my bill on screen, or check out on the TV. In-room movie offerings were very limited.
There was no newspaper delivery in the AM to the room, as many Hiltons have even if you don't ask for it. There were some magazines in the hallway lounge on my floor, but the hallway was not air conditioned so I had no desire to sit there and swelter while reading. The rooms themselves were nicely air conditioned, as was the bar, quiet, good sound insulation.
There were two cups and a water boiler for in-room coffee, but no coffee or coffee supplies. I asked for these by phone, did not receive them. The next day I positioned the cups as if used, hoping the maid would clean them and add supplies, instead she just washed the cups, but again her service provided no coffee or supplies. It wasn't worth fighting over, might have disrupted the tranquility.
The design of the room and hotel, though visually modern and pretty, was in some ways impractical. The desk area blocked access to the closet by the second person while one person worked at the desk, and the closet was the only area to put bulky clothing in, no dresser drawers. The elegant bathroom sink, a kind of bowl sitting on top of the countertop, had faucets I could not turn when my hands were wet, had to use a towel, too slick.
The bed had only a thick and very hot down comforter, so the first AM I called the front desk to ask for a light blanket and sheet to replace it as there was none in the closet. Reception (picking up after about 12 rings, which was not atypical), transferred me to housekeeping, where the woman who answered (and who claimed to speak English) clearly could not comprehend what I wanted but did offer to come up to the room to clarify. She came up and between her broken English, my broken French, and a pantomime I engaged in showing how the down comforter was too hot, she stated she understood I wanted a "petit quilt." I left the room and when I came back I indeed had a thin blanket -- though the maid had made up the bed with it UNDER the sheet instead of over it, so I had to redo the whole thing.
Turn-down service consisted of putting a little weather information sheet at bedside, nothing else.
On the first day, I noticed there was only one bathrobe. Well, I figured if they were saving on breakfast for golds, they were likely saving on bathrobes too, or that most of the time only one person would occupy the room. Then to my surprise the next afternoon, without any request or comment from me, a maid knocked at the door and presented us with two more bathrobes -- now we had three!
Trying to follow the environmentally correct suggestions to hang up towels that would be reused, we hung up all but one towel when we left the room. The maid replaced all towels anyway.
When coming back to the hotel I wanted to run in to the lobby, use the restroom, then go out and take a quick picture of the Arch before the light changed, but found you needed a security code to get into the lobby restroom. I had not been offered this code at check-in as something I might need, and at that point it was easier to just go to my room.
The doorknobs on the rooms on my floor are designed in such a way that it is hard to hang up a "do not disturb" sign without if falling off. When I arrived I noticed 2-3 of them on the ground outside rooms, it wasn't clear to me why this was until the same thing happened to me. Unless you precisely wedge the sign into the doorknob opening, it easily falls off with the slightest breeze, e.g., someone walking by (though it looks real sleek).
GOOD THINGS:
1. Visually impressive design of lobby, restaurant, rooms.
2. Good AC and sound insulation in the room.
3. Good Metro/RER access to the rest of Paris, it's not as far away from the "action" in Paris as it looks on the map.
4. Interesting contrast of the La Defense area to the rest of "old" Paris -- the big Arch is definitely worth seeing (go up if you have time to the top and check out the art exhibit and view of the old Arch), there's also a big shopping mall and grocery market Auchon across the square if you don't want to pay exorbitant hotel prices for bottled water etc. -- and the McDonalds, of course.
But if I go back to Paris and stay at a Hilton, it'll either be the one ner the Eifel Tower or the new one near the Arch of Triumph.
