Originally Posted by
mrmbenz1
Do you have other go-to's you like to stay in Paris? The best value in my opinion at the moment is at Le Bristol, but despite its reputation for being extremely "Parisian" it oddly reminds me too much of the Peninsula Beverly Hills with all the florals. I would love to try Cheval Blanc just to check it off the list, but can't get over its location and the constant traffic in the area. I was hoping Crillon would finally present a reasonable compromise especially with slightly more attractive pricing and higher category rooms to boot, but this is very much in doubt. Fortunately I still have plenty of time to think about it and will undoubtedly be spending an unhealthy amount of time studying those floor plans. Thank you again!!!
No. I've only had 3 stays and 2 of 3 were at Crillon. The first was at Peninsula Paris, and this was 6 years ago. Practically speaking, given the size of the Pen building, the rooms are much more standardized, functional and have more storage, etc. Also Pen as a brand is good at making functional rooms with good closets and bathrooms, etc. From that POV it's very practical. But in terms of in-room design and finishes, the Pen Paris feels somewhat like a clone of the Pen Tokyo or HK with upgraded finishes and a few Parisian touches. So folks who want something that feels distinctly Parisian will ding it on that front. Also, it felt like Crillon has a higher standard of hard product finish in-room, like the decorative millwork on the doors and walls and book-matched large marble panels in the bathroom. Ultimately for me, however, I wanted to stay closer to Le Marais and the Pen's location is pretty far west.
One of my friends loves the Ritz, although the decor in the non-named suites doesn't do much for me: e.g. lots of love for gold bathroom fixtures and gold colored accents... feels like oligarch decor. Maybe it looks better in person?
A few things I'd considered for my trip: 1) I was considering trying out 1 Place Vendome this trip and wish I had. In the past few years I've been increasingly going more toward luxury hotels with <20 rooms vs. "grand" luxury hotels, or 2) La Reserve (due to its reputation) or 3) Pavilion de la Reine just to try staying in the Marais (but knowing it's not going to be the same experience as most of the 5 star hotels typically discussed here).
I'm also curious about Cheval Blanc in the sense that the non-suite rooms look like they have very good layouts (large closets, functional bathrooms, etc.) but had the same concern as you regarding the congested location.