FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Renaissance Vendome Paris [Master Thread]
Old Aug 16, 2021, 5:29 am
  #108  
jpdx
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,918
We just completed a two night stay here. I feel slightly guilty for posting a negative review, because our reservation was moved over from Marriott Opera, which reached out a month or so ago with news of a summer closure due to low occupancy. I had scored a super low BRG of €124 at the Marriott, so kudos to the owners for honoring the reservation and moving us to the Ren.

The Ren was at 100% occupancy throughout, which I appreciate makes things tough for hotels.

When we arrived, an agitated American sat at the front desk, complaining about her room. She had booked a La Petite room for herself and her two 20-y/o-ish daughters, and upon seeing the room realized that they'd be unable to even open their bags or walk around. What did you expect of a 170sqft room? Well, as we and the entire lobby learned, she demanded to be moved (as Gold!) to another Bonvoy property.

SNAs failed, so I was expecting that we'd be getting one of those 170sqft rooms. But to my surprise, we received an upgrade to a Prestige room on the top floor (despite our low rate, and the fact that we didn't do what half the posts on this threads are about, reaching out to the hotel to request an upgrade). Room was some 300sqft, with some nice design touches, but really nothing special. AC didn't work properly, so the room remained at a balmy 25 degrees C until well after dark, when lower outside temperatures helped bring it below 20. More problematic was the low water pressure. At 9.30am on Saturday, apparently everybody was showering, and we had a mere trickle. Don't recall ever experiencing anything like this at a hotel, although I do have childhood memories of campgrounds in former Yugoslavia with similar water pressure. We went to breakfast unkempt and showered afterward.

Breakfast was just ok. The physical space is pleasant enough, breads/pastries/yogurt were fine, but the omelets were salty, rubbery and borderline disgusting, and the fruit salad was awful. It's a great benefit on paper (compared to the eye-watering sticker price), but really not up to par.

On our last day, we requested late check-out. The hotel denied it, arguing that it is "guaranteed, but on demand, and we are full, so we cannot." I hate being a pest, and considering the 100% occupancy and our low rate, we gave in. I was traveling with medication that requires refrigeration, so being kicked out of the room early caused some problems.

I wouldn't say no if I were offered another opportunity to stay here at €124, but at their usual rates of €350 or so, or as a Cat 7 redemption, ZERO chance I'd return.
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