Maison Astor Paris, Curio Collection (Paris) {FRA} (France) (was Astor-Saint Honore)
Aug 9, 2015, 9:46 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: US, HH
Posts: 895
The latest blurb on the reservations page is this:
The earlier reference to not getting points/stays prior to August 2015 is now gone.
This is an affiliate hotel and will be joining the Curio, A Collection by Hilton in Spring 2017.
Last edited by GrjApp; Aug 10, 2015 at 6:05 am Reason: Typo
Aug 11, 2015, 8:03 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: ATL
Programs: HH D, MB G, IHG P, Nat'l EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 496
Sorry, I didn't notice this reply. It's likely too late, but I found the lower rate on Expedia.
I took a screenshot when I made my booking, when the banner referenced August 2015. Soon after, it was changed to August 2016. What are the chances I can get them to award points (assuming they don't post automatically) after the fact?
My confirmation email also shows the usual diamond benefits. Since they're not a full-fledged Hilton, I wonder if these benefits will be honored.
My confirmation email also shows the usual diamond benefits. Since they're not a full-fledged Hilton, I wonder if these benefits will be honored.
Aug 29, 2015, 9:38 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
What more can you tell us about the Hotel Astor?
Aug 29, 2015, 6:05 pm
#21
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 7
Aug 29, 2015, 8:29 pm
#22
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: ATL
Programs: HH D, MB G, IHG P, Nat'l EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 496
The Hotel
I had 2 stays in mid-August; one for 4 nights and another for 1 night. In talking to the front desk manager, they just joined Hilton at the beginning of August. A lot of the branding/amenities still reflect their old hotel group. The hotel itself is quaint and charming. The exterior looks exactly like what's pictured, which I find to be rare for many hotels. The lobby is small with an antique wood decor/feel. There's a nice garden area/courtyard in the area for enjoying snacks or a drink. The rooms are equally as charming, with purple and white striped wallpaper, comforters, and upholstery. The furniture is old but is unique. I had the opportunity to see inside a few rooms, and each looked different. The windows were all full length, as is common in Paris. If you're looking for a modern hotel, this certainly isn't it, but it does feel like Paris as soon as you walk in the door. The hotel is located within an easy walk to many restaurants, shops, bakeries, the metro, and tourist attractions.
The Staff and Breakfast
The staff appear to have recently undergone some HHonors training, as they were quite familiar with the programs and were glad to offer and point out the Diamond benefits. Aside from a few issues which I'll get to below, the staff was fantastic, particularly the front-desk manager (Andry), the concierge, and the breakfast staff. Breakfast was a buffet, offered from 7-10 on the weekdays and 7-11 on the weekends, in a full restaurant setting. The complimentary breakfast consisted of many hot items (bacon, sausage, eggs, roasted tomatoes, etc), yogurt, cereals, sliced meats and cheeses, and pastries. The breads/pastries appeared to be fresh daily and were on par with what I got from local bakeries when out and about.
A Few Issues...
We did encounter a few issues during our stay, some of which I think were largely a function of their being quite full. One of the biggest annoyances was the slow/spotty wifi, and the fact that it requires frequent re-logins. It doesn't have the Hilton interface yet, so I expect this will be looked into shortly.
As far as checking in goes, we arrived a good bit before noon, so no room was ready for check in. This was fine, as the front desk manager blocked us in a room, we left our bags, and went out for the day. We returned in the late afternoon and the room we were assigned apparently wasn't ready, so we were given an alternate room. Since it was a different person checking us in, I didn't realize this and wasn't informed. Anyway, we got moved from a queen room to a nice room with a "king" (a.k.a. 2 twin) bed. I wasn't frustrated about this at all until check-out, when the front desk manager checked me out and commented that I must have moved rooms (I was obviously moved, but not at my request). So that this wouldn't happen again, he blocked me into a specific room for my next stay.
On the day of my second stay, I arrived in the early evening. I was checked into my blocked room and went upstairs. The room had not been visited by housekeeping, and was quite frankly filthy (normal messiness in addition to stains on the linens, wallpaper, carpets, etc). I returned downstairs, where I had to wait about 15 minutes for the manager on duty to move me to a different room, as the lower-level employee couldn't override the blocked room. My new room was just fine, though not as large as for my first stay. The only annoyance I had was that the mini-bar wasn't stocked (and isn't electronic). As I had overheard someone disputing mini-bar charges already, I went back downstairs to inform the front desk. Between having to move rooms and the staff not being too familiar with their new systems, the check-in process took nearly 45 minutes.
Despite these issues, I would still recommend the hotel. It's not only more affordable than some of the other US chain hotels, but it also has character.
I had 2 stays in mid-August; one for 4 nights and another for 1 night. In talking to the front desk manager, they just joined Hilton at the beginning of August. A lot of the branding/amenities still reflect their old hotel group. The hotel itself is quaint and charming. The exterior looks exactly like what's pictured, which I find to be rare for many hotels. The lobby is small with an antique wood decor/feel. There's a nice garden area/courtyard in the area for enjoying snacks or a drink. The rooms are equally as charming, with purple and white striped wallpaper, comforters, and upholstery. The furniture is old but is unique. I had the opportunity to see inside a few rooms, and each looked different. The windows were all full length, as is common in Paris. If you're looking for a modern hotel, this certainly isn't it, but it does feel like Paris as soon as you walk in the door. The hotel is located within an easy walk to many restaurants, shops, bakeries, the metro, and tourist attractions.
The Staff and Breakfast
The staff appear to have recently undergone some HHonors training, as they were quite familiar with the programs and were glad to offer and point out the Diamond benefits. Aside from a few issues which I'll get to below, the staff was fantastic, particularly the front-desk manager (Andry), the concierge, and the breakfast staff. Breakfast was a buffet, offered from 7-10 on the weekdays and 7-11 on the weekends, in a full restaurant setting. The complimentary breakfast consisted of many hot items (bacon, sausage, eggs, roasted tomatoes, etc), yogurt, cereals, sliced meats and cheeses, and pastries. The breads/pastries appeared to be fresh daily and were on par with what I got from local bakeries when out and about.
A Few Issues...
We did encounter a few issues during our stay, some of which I think were largely a function of their being quite full. One of the biggest annoyances was the slow/spotty wifi, and the fact that it requires frequent re-logins. It doesn't have the Hilton interface yet, so I expect this will be looked into shortly.
As far as checking in goes, we arrived a good bit before noon, so no room was ready for check in. This was fine, as the front desk manager blocked us in a room, we left our bags, and went out for the day. We returned in the late afternoon and the room we were assigned apparently wasn't ready, so we were given an alternate room. Since it was a different person checking us in, I didn't realize this and wasn't informed. Anyway, we got moved from a queen room to a nice room with a "king" (a.k.a. 2 twin) bed. I wasn't frustrated about this at all until check-out, when the front desk manager checked me out and commented that I must have moved rooms (I was obviously moved, but not at my request). So that this wouldn't happen again, he blocked me into a specific room for my next stay.
On the day of my second stay, I arrived in the early evening. I was checked into my blocked room and went upstairs. The room had not been visited by housekeeping, and was quite frankly filthy (normal messiness in addition to stains on the linens, wallpaper, carpets, etc). I returned downstairs, where I had to wait about 15 minutes for the manager on duty to move me to a different room, as the lower-level employee couldn't override the blocked room. My new room was just fine, though not as large as for my first stay. The only annoyance I had was that the mini-bar wasn't stocked (and isn't electronic). As I had overheard someone disputing mini-bar charges already, I went back downstairs to inform the front desk. Between having to move rooms and the staff not being too familiar with their new systems, the check-in process took nearly 45 minutes.
Despite these issues, I would still recommend the hotel. It's not only more affordable than some of the other US chain hotels, but it also has character.
Last edited by ncSam; Oct 6, 2015 at 8:53 am
Sep 10, 2015, 12:20 am
#24
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: San Francisco, CA & Bangkok (Home)/Lawrenceville & Switzerland (Boarding School)/Baltimore, MD (College)
Programs: DL DM, AL MVPG 75K, SQ Gold, BA Silver, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriot Plat, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 599
I have just booked a one night stay in October and will update with my thoughts. For those who have stayed here after it became a Hilton property, where any of you able to get an upgrade?
Oct 6, 2015, 8:54 am
#25
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: ATL
Programs: HH D, MB G, IHG P, Nat'l EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 496
The hotel was pretty full when I was there, and no upgrade was proactively offered. I didn't push for one, either.
Oct 11, 2015, 12:44 pm
#26
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 2
Now I know why Fitzgerald's writing is so full of sadness and pain
I should preface this review by saying that I've stayed at hotels all over the world, I'm always polite to hotel staff, and I'm no stranger to older European-style hotels or "French" service, but this place is an absolute disaster.
I spent six nights here in September. Five nights were reward stays one was paid at the retail rate. Our troubles began at check-in when the woman staffing the front desk barked at me for having separate reservation numbers due to the combination of paid and award stay. I tried explaining that this was necessary due to the way Hilton's booking system does reservations (the Diamond Desk booked the stay for me and included a note about it being a continuous stay), but I don't understand why this bothered her as much as it did. Without any prompting on my part, she angrily announced I would not be getting an upgrade as I was using points for the stay (mind you at this point I hadn't asked for one).
The entire conversation irritated me, but I didn't want to be difficult, so we took our keys and went upstairs to unpack. Our hearts sank when we saw the room where we would be staying for the next 6 nights. Room 610 was a stuffy closet-sized room that backed against the elevator shaft. The bed appeared to be a non-standard size (I would estimate something between a full and a queen) with a mattress that sloped to one side. There was no way it would sleep two adults comfortably. There was barely enough space to move around the bed and there was nowhere to put luggage. The bathroom was also tiny with just a small shower stall, no tub, and a lavatory about the size of one you'd see on an airplane. The room itself was in terrible condition with dingy stained carpeting, peeling paint, and an awful musky smell. There was no alarm clock and the power outlets were inconveniently located behind the bed in a place that was nearly impossible to reach. There was even a cloud of small gnat-like insects buzzing around the room. My companion and I realized there was no way we could have a comfortable stay in this room and decided to speak to the management.
I checked online and saw that the hotel was still selling rooms for each night of our stay, so I went back to the front desk and politely explained to clerk who'd barked at me earlier that the room I was given was in extremely poor condition, we wanted to be moved, and that furthermore I thought she was mistaken about points stays being ineligible for upgrades. At this point, she claimed not to understand, so I asked to speak to a manager. She then summoned two other hotel employees, a youngish-looking man and another woman, and the three of them proceeded to argue loudly in French for several minutes. The new woman finally turns to me and says that the room I'd been given, Room 610, was actually one of the nicest rooms in the hotel and was an upgraded room "three levels above the standard room." (upgraded from what I wonder? The ninth circle?) The man then identifies himself as a manager and claims that no other rooms are available because the hotel is full. I reiterated that the room was in a terrible condition, and asked how on earth it could be considered upgrade, and asked why the hotel was still selling rooms online if they were full. This prompted more arguing in French. Finally the manager turns to me and says that no other rooms are available because the hotel is being renovated and that the online inventory system is not accurate. The new woman adds that I'm lucky my room even has a private bath (apparently the hotel sells rooms without private baths?
). I felt we were being lied to, but realized we wouldn't get anywhere with these people, and our exhaustion from jet lag was setting in, so we left it at that.
Unfortunately the general rudeness and contempt we received from the hotel staff continued throughout our stay. I found pushing the wake up call button on my room phone resulted in nothing happening, so I walked down to the front desk to ask for a wake up call only to get barked at again by the front desk clerk who yelled "that is not my job!" After much arguing, it turned out the concierge was supposed to be in charge of wake up calls. I don't understand why they'd yell at a guest when something along the lines of "Yes of course, the concierge can help you with that" would was all that needed to be said. At any rate, even after putting in a request with the concierge we never did get the wake up call. Another time my partner stopped by the front desk to ask for an extra pillow (the bed was super uncomfortable) and the desk clerk snapped at him, yelling "NO! no pillows!" At one point, I asked to borrow a voltage converter to charge my phone. Every international hotel I've stayed at has let me borrow one at no charge provided I returned it. At the Hilton Astor, they curtly told me I could "rent" one from them for 15 Euros per night (you can actually buy a voltage converter in central Paris for less!). Luckily, I discovered I could charge my iphone for free using the TV's USB port.
The hotel's "business center" consisted of a single computer with a non-QWERTY keyboard stationed in a hallway. The first few times we tried to use it, it was being used by a young American couple who had also made the mistake of choosing the Hotel Astor and were searching desperately online for a room at another hotel in central Paris to salvage their honeymoon. We wished them luck and left them to it. When we finally did get a turn on the computer, the staff was clueless about helping us use the keyboard. I know France tends not to use the QWERTY layout, but really I expect more from a hotel with international clientele.
The only two things this place has going for it are the location in central Paris and the full breakfast given the Hilton Diamond Members. The hotel is on a quiet side street, so city noise is minimal (of course if you get Room 610 you can expect the elevator to keep you up all night!). Because the hotel is new to Hilton, taxi drivers are likely to confuse it with the nearby Hilton Paris Opera. The breakfast in the restaurant was decent, and included hot items, but the selection was not as large as what I've seen at other Hiltons, and you can expect slim pickings if you arrive after 9:00 AM. That said, I wouldn't pay extra for the hotel's breakfast as there are plenty of restaurants nearby with better and less expensive options.
All in all, this hotel is an embarrassment to Hilton, and it is an outrage what they charge per night both in points and in Euros. During my stay, the rooms retailed for nearly 500-600 Euros per night, with the standard award room being 80,000 points per night with most rooms being between 200,000-500,000 points per night. This for a tiny, stuffy, closet-sized room, no in-room amenities or executive lounge, and the privilege of getting barked at by surly employees who clearly hate their jobs and their customers. The ongoing rudeness from staff was so frequent, my partner I would joke about it and ask each other "What do you think they'll do to us tonight?" each evening as we returned from a day of sightseeing. Bottom line: I've stayed at much nicer properties in central Paris with bigger rooms and lovely staff that charged only about $150 USD per night. This place is a rip off, and if it is your only option in Paris, well then you might want to rethink your itinerary.
I spent six nights here in September. Five nights were reward stays one was paid at the retail rate. Our troubles began at check-in when the woman staffing the front desk barked at me for having separate reservation numbers due to the combination of paid and award stay. I tried explaining that this was necessary due to the way Hilton's booking system does reservations (the Diamond Desk booked the stay for me and included a note about it being a continuous stay), but I don't understand why this bothered her as much as it did. Without any prompting on my part, she angrily announced I would not be getting an upgrade as I was using points for the stay (mind you at this point I hadn't asked for one).
The entire conversation irritated me, but I didn't want to be difficult, so we took our keys and went upstairs to unpack. Our hearts sank when we saw the room where we would be staying for the next 6 nights. Room 610 was a stuffy closet-sized room that backed against the elevator shaft. The bed appeared to be a non-standard size (I would estimate something between a full and a queen) with a mattress that sloped to one side. There was no way it would sleep two adults comfortably. There was barely enough space to move around the bed and there was nowhere to put luggage. The bathroom was also tiny with just a small shower stall, no tub, and a lavatory about the size of one you'd see on an airplane. The room itself was in terrible condition with dingy stained carpeting, peeling paint, and an awful musky smell. There was no alarm clock and the power outlets were inconveniently located behind the bed in a place that was nearly impossible to reach. There was even a cloud of small gnat-like insects buzzing around the room. My companion and I realized there was no way we could have a comfortable stay in this room and decided to speak to the management.
I checked online and saw that the hotel was still selling rooms for each night of our stay, so I went back to the front desk and politely explained to clerk who'd barked at me earlier that the room I was given was in extremely poor condition, we wanted to be moved, and that furthermore I thought she was mistaken about points stays being ineligible for upgrades. At this point, she claimed not to understand, so I asked to speak to a manager. She then summoned two other hotel employees, a youngish-looking man and another woman, and the three of them proceeded to argue loudly in French for several minutes. The new woman finally turns to me and says that the room I'd been given, Room 610, was actually one of the nicest rooms in the hotel and was an upgraded room "three levels above the standard room." (upgraded from what I wonder? The ninth circle?) The man then identifies himself as a manager and claims that no other rooms are available because the hotel is full. I reiterated that the room was in a terrible condition, and asked how on earth it could be considered upgrade, and asked why the hotel was still selling rooms online if they were full. This prompted more arguing in French. Finally the manager turns to me and says that no other rooms are available because the hotel is being renovated and that the online inventory system is not accurate. The new woman adds that I'm lucky my room even has a private bath (apparently the hotel sells rooms without private baths?
). I felt we were being lied to, but realized we wouldn't get anywhere with these people, and our exhaustion from jet lag was setting in, so we left it at that.Unfortunately the general rudeness and contempt we received from the hotel staff continued throughout our stay. I found pushing the wake up call button on my room phone resulted in nothing happening, so I walked down to the front desk to ask for a wake up call only to get barked at again by the front desk clerk who yelled "that is not my job!" After much arguing, it turned out the concierge was supposed to be in charge of wake up calls. I don't understand why they'd yell at a guest when something along the lines of "Yes of course, the concierge can help you with that" would was all that needed to be said. At any rate, even after putting in a request with the concierge we never did get the wake up call. Another time my partner stopped by the front desk to ask for an extra pillow (the bed was super uncomfortable) and the desk clerk snapped at him, yelling "NO! no pillows!" At one point, I asked to borrow a voltage converter to charge my phone. Every international hotel I've stayed at has let me borrow one at no charge provided I returned it. At the Hilton Astor, they curtly told me I could "rent" one from them for 15 Euros per night (you can actually buy a voltage converter in central Paris for less!). Luckily, I discovered I could charge my iphone for free using the TV's USB port.
The hotel's "business center" consisted of a single computer with a non-QWERTY keyboard stationed in a hallway. The first few times we tried to use it, it was being used by a young American couple who had also made the mistake of choosing the Hotel Astor and were searching desperately online for a room at another hotel in central Paris to salvage their honeymoon. We wished them luck and left them to it. When we finally did get a turn on the computer, the staff was clueless about helping us use the keyboard. I know France tends not to use the QWERTY layout, but really I expect more from a hotel with international clientele.
The only two things this place has going for it are the location in central Paris and the full breakfast given the Hilton Diamond Members. The hotel is on a quiet side street, so city noise is minimal (of course if you get Room 610 you can expect the elevator to keep you up all night!). Because the hotel is new to Hilton, taxi drivers are likely to confuse it with the nearby Hilton Paris Opera. The breakfast in the restaurant was decent, and included hot items, but the selection was not as large as what I've seen at other Hiltons, and you can expect slim pickings if you arrive after 9:00 AM. That said, I wouldn't pay extra for the hotel's breakfast as there are plenty of restaurants nearby with better and less expensive options.
All in all, this hotel is an embarrassment to Hilton, and it is an outrage what they charge per night both in points and in Euros. During my stay, the rooms retailed for nearly 500-600 Euros per night, with the standard award room being 80,000 points per night with most rooms being between 200,000-500,000 points per night. This for a tiny, stuffy, closet-sized room, no in-room amenities or executive lounge, and the privilege of getting barked at by surly employees who clearly hate their jobs and their customers. The ongoing rudeness from staff was so frequent, my partner I would joke about it and ask each other "What do you think they'll do to us tonight?" each evening as we returned from a day of sightseeing. Bottom line: I've stayed at much nicer properties in central Paris with bigger rooms and lovely staff that charged only about $150 USD per night. This place is a rip off, and if it is your only option in Paris, well then you might want to rethink your itinerary.
Oct 12, 2015, 1:11 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: San Francisco, CA & Bangkok (Home)/Lawrenceville & Switzerland (Boarding School)/Baltimore, MD (College)
Programs: DL DM, AL MVPG 75K, SQ Gold, BA Silver, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriot Plat, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 599
[QUOTE=Frequent_Travels;25548983]I should preface this review by saying that I've stayed at hotels all over the world, I'm always polite to hotel staff, and I'm no stranger to older European-style hotels or "French" service, but this place is an absolute disaster.
Thanks for the review! Have me a bit nervous lol, and I'm only a gold member so I may not even have full breakfast to look forward to? This will be my first night ever in Paris, just for a day as I have a long layover coming back from Turkey. Would you recommend forfeiting my itinerary and booking another hotel? I only paid $120 so not too much money on the line. Thanks!
Thanks for the review! Have me a bit nervous lol, and I'm only a gold member so I may not even have full breakfast to look forward to? This will be my first night ever in Paris, just for a day as I have a long layover coming back from Turkey. Would you recommend forfeiting my itinerary and booking another hotel? I only paid $120 so not too much money on the line. Thanks!
Oct 12, 2015, 10:18 am
#28
Company Representative - Honors by Hilton
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 1,516
I should preface this review by saying that I've stayed at hotels all over the world, I'm always polite to hotel staff, and I'm no stranger to older European-style hotels or "French" service, but this place is an absolute disaster.
I spent six nights here in September. Five nights were reward stays one was paid at the retail rate. Our troubles began at check-in when the woman staffing the front desk barked at me for having separate reservation numbers due to the combination of paid and award stay. I tried explaining that this was necessary due to the way Hilton's booking system does reservations (the Diamond Desk booked the stay for me and included a note about it being a continuous stay), but I don't understand why this bothered her as much as it did. Without any prompting on my part, she angrily announced I would not be getting an upgrade as I was using points for the stay (mind you at this point I hadn't asked for one).
The entire conversation irritated me, but I didn't want to be difficult, so we took our keys and went upstairs to unpack. Our hearts sank when we saw the room where we would be staying for the next 6 nights. Room 610 was a stuffy closet-sized room that backed against the elevator shaft. The bed appeared to be a non-standard size (I would estimate something between a full and a queen) with a mattress that sloped to one side. There was no way it would sleep two adults comfortably. There was barely enough space to move around the bed and there was nowhere to put luggage. The bathroom was also tiny with just a small shower stall, no tub, and a lavatory about the size of one you'd see on an airplane. The room itself was in terrible condition with dingy stained carpeting, peeling paint, and an awful musky smell. There was no alarm clock and the power outlets were inconveniently located behind the bed in a place that was nearly impossible to reach. There was even a cloud of small gnat-like insects buzzing around the room. My companion and I realized there was no way we could have a comfortable stay in this room and decided to speak to the management.
I checked online and saw that the hotel was still selling rooms for each night of our stay, so I went back to the front desk and politely explained to clerk who'd barked at me earlier that the room I was given was in extremely poor condition, we wanted to be moved, and that furthermore I thought she was mistaken about points stays being ineligible for upgrades. At this point, she claimed not to understand, so I asked to speak to a manager. She then summoned two other hotel employees, a youngish-looking man and another woman, and the three of them proceeded to argue loudly in French for several minutes. The new woman finally turns to me and says that the room I'd been given, Room 610, was actually one of the nicest rooms in the hotel and was an upgraded room "three levels above the standard room." (upgraded from what I wonder? The ninth circle?) The man then identifies himself as a manager and claims that no other rooms are available because the hotel is full. I reiterated that the room was in a terrible condition, and asked how on earth it could be considered upgrade, and asked why the hotel was still selling rooms online if they were full. This prompted more arguing in French. Finally the manager turns to me and says that no other rooms are available because the hotel is being renovated and that the online inventory system is not accurate. The new woman adds that I'm lucky my room even has a private bath (apparently the hotel sells rooms without private baths?). I felt we were being lied to, but realized we wouldn't get anywhere with these people, and our exhaustion from jet lag was setting in, so we left it at that.
Unfortunately the general rudeness and contempt we received from the hotel staff continued throughout our stay. I found pushing the wake up call button on my room phone resulted in nothing happening, so I walked down to the front desk to ask for a wake up call only to get barked at again by the front desk clerk who yelled "that is not my job!" After much arguing, it turned out the concierge was supposed to be in charge of wake up calls. I don't understand why they'd yell at a guest when something along the lines of "Yes of course, the concierge can help you with that" would was all that needed to be said. At any rate, even after putting in a request with the concierge we never did get the wake up call. Another time my partner stopped by the front desk to ask for an extra pillow (the bed was super uncomfortable) and the desk clerk snapped at him, yelling "NO! no pillows!" At one point, I asked to borrow a voltage converter to charge my phone. Every international hotel I've stayed at has let me borrow one at no charge provided I returned it. At the Hilton Astor, they curtly told me I could "rent" one from them for 15 Euros per night (you can actually buy a voltage converter in central Paris for less!). Luckily, I discovered I could charge my iphone for free using the TV's USB port.
The hotel's "business center" consisted of a single computer with a non-QWERTY keyboard stationed in a hallway. The first few times we tried to use it, it was being used by a young American couple who had also made the mistake of choosing the Hotel Astor and were searching desperately online for a room at another hotel in central Paris to salvage their honeymoon. We wished them luck and left them to it. When we finally did get a turn on the computer, the staff was clueless about helping us use the keyboard. I know France tends not to use the QWERTY layout, but really I expect more from a hotel with international clientele.
The only two things this place has going for it are the location in central Paris and the full breakfast given the Hilton Diamond Members. The hotel is on a quiet side street, so city noise is minimal (of course if you get Room 610 you can expect the elevator to keep you up all night!). Because the hotel is new to Hilton, taxi drivers are likely to confuse it with the nearby Hilton Paris Opera. The breakfast in the restaurant was decent, and included hot items, but the selection was not as large as what I've seen at other Hiltons, and you can expect slim pickings if you arrive after 9:00 AM. That said, I wouldn't pay extra for the hotel's breakfast as there are plenty of restaurants nearby with better and less expensive options.
All in all, this hotel is an embarrassment to Hilton, and it is an outrage what they charge per night both in points and in Euros. During my stay, the rooms retailed for nearly 500-600 Euros per night, with the standard award room being 80,000 points per night with most rooms being between 200,000-500,000 points per night. This for a tiny, stuffy, closet-sized room, no in-room amenities or executive lounge, and the privilege of getting barked at by surly employees who clearly hate their jobs and their customers. The ongoing rudeness from staff was so frequent, my partner I would joke about it and ask each other "What do you think they'll do to us tonight?" each evening as we returned from a day of sightseeing. Bottom line: I've stayed at much nicer properties in central Paris with bigger rooms and lovely staff that charged only about $150 USD per night. This place is a rip off, and if it is your only option in Paris, well then you might want to rethink your itinerary.
I spent six nights here in September. Five nights were reward stays one was paid at the retail rate. Our troubles began at check-in when the woman staffing the front desk barked at me for having separate reservation numbers due to the combination of paid and award stay. I tried explaining that this was necessary due to the way Hilton's booking system does reservations (the Diamond Desk booked the stay for me and included a note about it being a continuous stay), but I don't understand why this bothered her as much as it did. Without any prompting on my part, she angrily announced I would not be getting an upgrade as I was using points for the stay (mind you at this point I hadn't asked for one).
The entire conversation irritated me, but I didn't want to be difficult, so we took our keys and went upstairs to unpack. Our hearts sank when we saw the room where we would be staying for the next 6 nights. Room 610 was a stuffy closet-sized room that backed against the elevator shaft. The bed appeared to be a non-standard size (I would estimate something between a full and a queen) with a mattress that sloped to one side. There was no way it would sleep two adults comfortably. There was barely enough space to move around the bed and there was nowhere to put luggage. The bathroom was also tiny with just a small shower stall, no tub, and a lavatory about the size of one you'd see on an airplane. The room itself was in terrible condition with dingy stained carpeting, peeling paint, and an awful musky smell. There was no alarm clock and the power outlets were inconveniently located behind the bed in a place that was nearly impossible to reach. There was even a cloud of small gnat-like insects buzzing around the room. My companion and I realized there was no way we could have a comfortable stay in this room and decided to speak to the management.
I checked online and saw that the hotel was still selling rooms for each night of our stay, so I went back to the front desk and politely explained to clerk who'd barked at me earlier that the room I was given was in extremely poor condition, we wanted to be moved, and that furthermore I thought she was mistaken about points stays being ineligible for upgrades. At this point, she claimed not to understand, so I asked to speak to a manager. She then summoned two other hotel employees, a youngish-looking man and another woman, and the three of them proceeded to argue loudly in French for several minutes. The new woman finally turns to me and says that the room I'd been given, Room 610, was actually one of the nicest rooms in the hotel and was an upgraded room "three levels above the standard room." (upgraded from what I wonder? The ninth circle?) The man then identifies himself as a manager and claims that no other rooms are available because the hotel is full. I reiterated that the room was in a terrible condition, and asked how on earth it could be considered upgrade, and asked why the hotel was still selling rooms online if they were full. This prompted more arguing in French. Finally the manager turns to me and says that no other rooms are available because the hotel is being renovated and that the online inventory system is not accurate. The new woman adds that I'm lucky my room even has a private bath (apparently the hotel sells rooms without private baths?
). I felt we were being lied to, but realized we wouldn't get anywhere with these people, and our exhaustion from jet lag was setting in, so we left it at that.Unfortunately the general rudeness and contempt we received from the hotel staff continued throughout our stay. I found pushing the wake up call button on my room phone resulted in nothing happening, so I walked down to the front desk to ask for a wake up call only to get barked at again by the front desk clerk who yelled "that is not my job!" After much arguing, it turned out the concierge was supposed to be in charge of wake up calls. I don't understand why they'd yell at a guest when something along the lines of "Yes of course, the concierge can help you with that" would was all that needed to be said. At any rate, even after putting in a request with the concierge we never did get the wake up call. Another time my partner stopped by the front desk to ask for an extra pillow (the bed was super uncomfortable) and the desk clerk snapped at him, yelling "NO! no pillows!" At one point, I asked to borrow a voltage converter to charge my phone. Every international hotel I've stayed at has let me borrow one at no charge provided I returned it. At the Hilton Astor, they curtly told me I could "rent" one from them for 15 Euros per night (you can actually buy a voltage converter in central Paris for less!). Luckily, I discovered I could charge my iphone for free using the TV's USB port.
The hotel's "business center" consisted of a single computer with a non-QWERTY keyboard stationed in a hallway. The first few times we tried to use it, it was being used by a young American couple who had also made the mistake of choosing the Hotel Astor and were searching desperately online for a room at another hotel in central Paris to salvage their honeymoon. We wished them luck and left them to it. When we finally did get a turn on the computer, the staff was clueless about helping us use the keyboard. I know France tends not to use the QWERTY layout, but really I expect more from a hotel with international clientele.
The only two things this place has going for it are the location in central Paris and the full breakfast given the Hilton Diamond Members. The hotel is on a quiet side street, so city noise is minimal (of course if you get Room 610 you can expect the elevator to keep you up all night!). Because the hotel is new to Hilton, taxi drivers are likely to confuse it with the nearby Hilton Paris Opera. The breakfast in the restaurant was decent, and included hot items, but the selection was not as large as what I've seen at other Hiltons, and you can expect slim pickings if you arrive after 9:00 AM. That said, I wouldn't pay extra for the hotel's breakfast as there are plenty of restaurants nearby with better and less expensive options.
All in all, this hotel is an embarrassment to Hilton, and it is an outrage what they charge per night both in points and in Euros. During my stay, the rooms retailed for nearly 500-600 Euros per night, with the standard award room being 80,000 points per night with most rooms being between 200,000-500,000 points per night. This for a tiny, stuffy, closet-sized room, no in-room amenities or executive lounge, and the privilege of getting barked at by surly employees who clearly hate their jobs and their customers. The ongoing rudeness from staff was so frequent, my partner I would joke about it and ask each other "What do you think they'll do to us tonight?" each evening as we returned from a day of sightseeing. Bottom line: I've stayed at much nicer properties in central Paris with bigger rooms and lovely staff that charged only about $150 USD per night. This place is a rip off, and if it is your only option in Paris, well then you might want to rethink your itinerary.
Hope youre doing well! I sent you a PM for more information on your stay at Hotel Astor. Look forward to hearing back from you.
Safe Travels,
Ashleigh
Oct 12, 2015, 11:26 am
#29
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 2
Hi Quinlanty. Sorry to hear you have an upcoming stay at the Hotel Astor. Since it sounds like you're just there for a one-night layover rather than a "special" Paris trip it may not be worth it in your case to absorb the cost and change things at this point. Just go in with very low expectations. That said, I would avoid any of the X10 rooms since they back up to an elevator, and I'd be worried if you think you'll want to sleep during the day, since the manager claimed the hotel is undergoing a renovation. We spent our days in Paris out sightseeing, so I'm not sure whether the renovation claim was true and if it was how bad the daytime noise is. I would also refuse any room that didn't have an en-suite bathroom. You are paying $120 USD, and it's supposed to be a hotel, not a hostel, so no matter what they say, there really is no excuse for that. As for breakfast, if the hotel won't give it to you, there are plenty of places in the nearby Saint Agustin Square where you can grab a full breakfast or just coffee and a croissant.
I hope you enjoy Paris. Definitely bring your own alarm clock, and make sure your cell phone is fully charged!
I hope you enjoy Paris. Definitely bring your own alarm clock, and make sure your cell phone is fully charged!
Oct 12, 2015, 4:17 pm
#30
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: San Francisco, CA & Bangkok (Home)/Lawrenceville & Switzerland (Boarding School)/Baltimore, MD (College)
Programs: DL DM, AL MVPG 75K, SQ Gold, BA Silver, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriot Plat, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 599
You are paying $120 USD, and it's supposed to be a hotel, not a hostel, so no matter what they say, there really is no excuse for that. As for breakfast, if the hotel won't give it to you, there are plenty of places in the nearby Saint Agustin Square where you can grab a full breakfast or just coffee and a croissant.
I hope you enjoy Paris. Definitely bring your own alarm clock, and make sure your cell phone is fully charged![/QUOTE]
I wasn't aware that Hilton had hotels in their umbrella that didn't have bathrooms in each room!! Is this the only hotel like that or is it common? I was able to get a BRG claim approved, (which really is hit or miss) which brought it down to 120 euros, so I thought I was getting a deal. If I get a room without a bathroom, will probably just book a last minute hotel room elsewhere and let AMEX fight with the hotel!
I hope you enjoy Paris. Definitely bring your own alarm clock, and make sure your cell phone is fully charged![/QUOTE]
I wasn't aware that Hilton had hotels in their umbrella that didn't have bathrooms in each room!! Is this the only hotel like that or is it common? I was able to get a BRG claim approved, (which really is hit or miss) which brought it down to 120 euros, so I thought I was getting a deal. If I get a room without a bathroom, will probably just book a last minute hotel room elsewhere and let AMEX fight with the hotel!