bgriff

Just a follow-up on the Renaissance Arc de Triomphe.

First, from my earlier post, I guess I should say, I liked the hotel's location in the sense that I liked the combination of location + quality + price. I don't know that it was the best location, though I found it perfectly fine. I have been a few times but I still don't feel like I have a good sense for what is the "ideal" location in Paris (and I have found Paris to be one of those cities like Tokyo that, as a tourist, you're going to spend some time in transit to various different parts of town anyway), so I would be curious to hear from @Kacee or others which Paris Marriott hotels they think have the best location (regardless of quality of hotel).

But anyway as for the Ren ADT: overall I liked it a lot. Very modern style hotel, which isn't easy to find in Paris, and all of the benefits of that -- big elevators, good climate control, nice functional bathroom, etc. I'm sure the neighbors think it's an eyesore but you don't have to look at it when you're staying there; the rest of the block looks more traditionally Parisian.

Ternes Metro is very close and Etoile Metro/RER is a short walk at the other end of the block, offering a good combination of lines heading in different directions, although like many Paris Metro transfer stations, it can be a labyrinthine walk through the station to get to the line you're looking for (especially the RER), but the M1 access point is quite close and will likely be the most useful line for a lot of tourist activities. (I'm not sure why anyone would go to George V Metro when the M1 stops at the closer Etoile station?) Immediate area is a little bland, but that can have advantages (we encountered several con artists/would-be pickpockets in the otherwise beautiful Opera area, for example), and there are a number of nice little boulangeries, fromageries, etc., on Avenue des Ternes near the hotel.

I booked 2 rooms and was also able to use a combination of SNAs for one room to a Junior Suite and points + cash upgrade for the other to a Paris Sky View Terrace room, which was one of the main reasons I chose this hotel. (In theory SNAs are offered to their very best room categories, though I don't know how often they clear.) Junior Suite had a so-so view facing La Defense and the northwest, but was otherwise reasonably spacious -- in a US suburban hotel it would be considered a entry level room size, but in Paris that's a good upgrade. Sky View Terrace room was a smaller room but with a beautiful big balcony. As several have posted on this thread, not all Eiffel Tower views are created equal, and this was definitely not a "prime" view since you could only see the upper part of the tower above the landings, but it was still worth it, and the view was also sweeping in the other directions up to Montmartre and across the city. To be able to secure that view in advance at a reasonable price was perfect for this trip.

And finally, elite treatment was also quite good. Was given the option of both 1000 points or a 10EUR F&B credit PLUS free breakfast or 750 points per day. Breakfast was not the best in Paris of course but I thought it was good with a nice set of options on the hot buffet and a decent bakery selection. We also got a coupon for 2 drinks (wine or beer) for being a Titanium member, and they generously extended all elite benefits to both rooms I had booked.

Also, perhaps most importantly, no protest activity at all during our Mon-Thu stay. I would not stay here on Saturdays at the moment. We saw many spiderwebbed windows and plywood-covered facades nearby, not so many right on the block of the hotel but lots in the general vicinity as especially as you walk down Champs Elysees.