Apr 5, 2014, 7:57 pm
Last edit by: skj
I'm making this thread a wiki since there are issues that keep getting repeated (breakfast and transportation from/to CDG). Feel free to add whatever you feel is important - stick to facts of please and not one off exceptions (eg if you get an upgrade to the Presidential Suite on an award stay without any status - that's definitely a one off that doesn't belong in the WIKI - obviously you can do a regular post on it).
Public transport to the hotel from CDG
The best option is to take the Roissy bus to Opera. From there, the hotel is about a 5 minute walk.
The next best option is to take RER B to Chatelet-Les Halles. All trains from Roissy/CDG head south into Paris so no worries there. Some go express all the way into Paris (Gare du Nord, so Chatelet-Les Halles is the second stop); others are locals, in which case there are a lot of stops; some are half-express, half-local ... but all stop at Chatelet-Les Halles; and there is no point waiting for an express because it is rare if ever that an express will overtake a local. So get on whatever comes first. At Chatelet-Les Halles, transfer to RER A for one stop to Auber (which is joined to Opera station). You will be heading westbound, toward the termini St. Germain-en-Laye/Poissy/Cergny. You have to go up the stairs and back down for the Auber-bound train. Do not race across the platform for the RER B because that will be heading eastbound, to Gare de Lyon, Nation, Vincennes (and, depending on which one you get on, eventually Eurodisney!) The walk from the Auber exit closest to the RER stop takes about 10 minutes.
Public transport to the hotel from Orly
Take the Orlyval train to its end at Antony, then switch to RER B to Chatelet-Les-Halles and continue as above. In this case you can just cross the platform from the RER B to get the RER A headed to Auber.
Breakfast
The breakfast at Cafe Jeanne is free for Globalist members but is 40-50 euros per person otherwise. A modified but still very good version of this buffet breakfast is also available in the room and is also free for Globalists. Tips are not covered but then again the theory in France is that the service charge is in the price.
Museum tickets & pass from the concierge
You can buy "skip the line" tickets to the Louvre or Orsay for 18€ each, which is higher than the regular tickets via the Louvre & Orsay websites. But being able to "skip the line" obviously adds some value. They will also sell you the two day Paris Museum Pass for 55€. That is a 7€ markup.
Phone/data recommendations:
Lebara worked really well for me. What you need to do:
• You must unlock your phone (you can do this for free online with ATT through their website if you are out of contract)
• Order free SIM card at Lebara.fr a few weeks before your trip. I don’t think it took more than 2 weeks for my SIM card to arrive
• Activate SIM card at https://www.lebara.fr/activate-sim-detail?isoCode=en_GB or search “activate SIM” at Lebara.fr
• Load your SIM card with what you need. I paid 10 euro for 3G of data, unlimited SMS and local calls for 10 days (this should be plenty for most tourists)
LeFrench Mobile did not work so well for me: I paid 20-30 euro for local and international calls for my sister but was only able to make local calls and SMS
restaurant recommendations:
Nearby:
(We're here on 1 Oct 2021 and it appears this restaurant is closed permanently ...) Le Cap Bourbon- good, inexpensive, our server was nice and attentive (by French standards), great local crowd, menu has English translation
We ate a local Thai restaurant - Yo - its about a 5 minute walk from the hotel and very busy. I had a guinea fowl green curry - a first for me. Very good food and friendly service.
Other:
L'Avant Comptoir is a wine bar with great,relatively cheap eats and a great atmosphere and friendly, English-speaking staff. Standing room only and tight.
Public transport to the hotel from CDG
The best option is to take the Roissy bus to Opera. From there, the hotel is about a 5 minute walk.
The next best option is to take RER B to Chatelet-Les Halles. All trains from Roissy/CDG head south into Paris so no worries there. Some go express all the way into Paris (Gare du Nord, so Chatelet-Les Halles is the second stop); others are locals, in which case there are a lot of stops; some are half-express, half-local ... but all stop at Chatelet-Les Halles; and there is no point waiting for an express because it is rare if ever that an express will overtake a local. So get on whatever comes first. At Chatelet-Les Halles, transfer to RER A for one stop to Auber (which is joined to Opera station). You will be heading westbound, toward the termini St. Germain-en-Laye/Poissy/Cergny. You have to go up the stairs and back down for the Auber-bound train. Do not race across the platform for the RER B because that will be heading eastbound, to Gare de Lyon, Nation, Vincennes (and, depending on which one you get on, eventually Eurodisney!) The walk from the Auber exit closest to the RER stop takes about 10 minutes.
Public transport to the hotel from Orly
Take the Orlyval train to its end at Antony, then switch to RER B to Chatelet-Les-Halles and continue as above. In this case you can just cross the platform from the RER B to get the RER A headed to Auber.
Breakfast
The breakfast at Cafe Jeanne is free for Globalist members but is 40-50 euros per person otherwise. A modified but still very good version of this buffet breakfast is also available in the room and is also free for Globalists. Tips are not covered but then again the theory in France is that the service charge is in the price.
Museum tickets & pass from the concierge
You can buy "skip the line" tickets to the Louvre or Orsay for 18€ each, which is higher than the regular tickets via the Louvre & Orsay websites. But being able to "skip the line" obviously adds some value. They will also sell you the two day Paris Museum Pass for 55€. That is a 7€ markup.
Phone/data recommendations:
Lebara worked really well for me. What you need to do:
• You must unlock your phone (you can do this for free online with ATT through their website if you are out of contract)
• Order free SIM card at Lebara.fr a few weeks before your trip. I don’t think it took more than 2 weeks for my SIM card to arrive
• Activate SIM card at https://www.lebara.fr/activate-sim-detail?isoCode=en_GB or search “activate SIM” at Lebara.fr
• Load your SIM card with what you need. I paid 10 euro for 3G of data, unlimited SMS and local calls for 10 days (this should be plenty for most tourists)
LeFrench Mobile did not work so well for me: I paid 20-30 euro for local and international calls for my sister but was only able to make local calls and SMS
restaurant recommendations:
Nearby:
(We're here on 1 Oct 2021 and it appears this restaurant is closed permanently ...) Le Cap Bourbon- good, inexpensive, our server was nice and attentive (by French standards), great local crowd, menu has English translation
We ate a local Thai restaurant - Yo - its about a 5 minute walk from the hotel and very busy. I had a guinea fowl green curry - a first for me. Very good food and friendly service.
Other:
L'Avant Comptoir is a wine bar with great,relatively cheap eats and a great atmosphere and friendly, English-speaking staff. Standing room only and tight.
Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme REVIEW - MASTER THREAD (Aug 2011 onward)
Aug 21, 2013, 2:35 pm
#1516
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: Starwood Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, Southwest Companion Pass
Posts: 92
I finished a stay at PHV about a week ago. It's a special trip for my wife and I, so I paid the extra points for a suite, 3 nights. When we arrived, we were given a "junior suite" room, and promised an upgraded room for the next two nights. We never received the upgrade, as when I checked the next day, the front desk simply apologized and said that one was not available. A little disappointing to not get anything higher, but we made the most of it, and the room was still very, very nice.
As per the recent comment, I won't mention breakfast (diamond, included).
Bed, bathroom, toiletries, staff service were all very good, and on par with what I would expect at a hotel of this caliber. Every staff member we encountered greeted us warmly, even if you had just seen them a few minutes ago. We felt very welcome, and indeed wanted at the hotel, a feeling that hasn't been matched at other top tier European hotels. After we checked out, we got stuck in the elevator for just a few minutes. After finding this out, the director of rooms was genuinely mortified, and fell over herself to apologize, and gave us her card, with explicit instructions to call her the next time we stay (which I will!)
The most unique service came on our second morning there. After we awoke, the phone rang. Room service was calling to let me know that they were bringing me cream for my in-room coffee. This is unique because we hadn't asked for it, indicated it anywhere, or been notified beforehand. Furthermore, our sleep schedule was still non-standard due to time adjustments. The only explanation I can surmise is that when I ordered coffee with cream at breakfast on the first morning, they noted this. The next day, when we started turning on lights, it alerted the staff that we were awake, and it was OK for them to bring it by. Small, insignificant, but illustrates how they can get the little things right.
The service that really shone through was the concierge desk. They were able to help me get a sim card, find a laundromat, and other varied tasks. One night, I had just so much as finished saying that I needed a dinner reservation, that he was dialing the phone to confirm what turned out to be our best meal in Paris.
The spa was small, included, and very welcome to help soothe the aches caused by the cobblestones. Whirlpool, steam room and sauna were all coed and clean, with water and tea available.
As per the recent comment, I won't mention breakfast (diamond, included).
Bed, bathroom, toiletries, staff service were all very good, and on par with what I would expect at a hotel of this caliber. Every staff member we encountered greeted us warmly, even if you had just seen them a few minutes ago. We felt very welcome, and indeed wanted at the hotel, a feeling that hasn't been matched at other top tier European hotels. After we checked out, we got stuck in the elevator for just a few minutes. After finding this out, the director of rooms was genuinely mortified, and fell over herself to apologize, and gave us her card, with explicit instructions to call her the next time we stay (which I will!)
The most unique service came on our second morning there. After we awoke, the phone rang. Room service was calling to let me know that they were bringing me cream for my in-room coffee. This is unique because we hadn't asked for it, indicated it anywhere, or been notified beforehand. Furthermore, our sleep schedule was still non-standard due to time adjustments. The only explanation I can surmise is that when I ordered coffee with cream at breakfast on the first morning, they noted this. The next day, when we started turning on lights, it alerted the staff that we were awake, and it was OK for them to bring it by. Small, insignificant, but illustrates how they can get the little things right.
The service that really shone through was the concierge desk. They were able to help me get a sim card, find a laundromat, and other varied tasks. One night, I had just so much as finished saying that I needed a dinner reservation, that he was dialing the phone to confirm what turned out to be our best meal in Paris.
The spa was small, included, and very welcome to help soothe the aches caused by the cobblestones. Whirlpool, steam room and sauna were all coed and clean, with water and tea available.
Aug 21, 2013, 3:42 pm
#1517
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,856
I cannot imagine the hotel gets notifying every time a guest turns on or off their lights! More likely, it was a call intended for another room that accidentally went astray.
Since the hotel did not deliver on your suite, I would think it reasonable to ask for the extra points you paid for a suite upgrade to come back to you.
Since the hotel did not deliver on your suite, I would think it reasonable to ask for the extra points you paid for a suite upgrade to come back to you.
Aug 21, 2013, 3:44 pm
#1518
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM
Posts: 85,554
Aug 21, 2013, 6:47 pm
#1519
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
The standard suite upgrade here is the Park Suite which is a junior suite (slightly larger room with a sofa). The Park Executive Suite is a further upgrade (a true 2 room suite with 1.5 baths). To me it sounds like they got the Park Suite.
Aug 21, 2013, 9:33 pm
#1520
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,990
it does i have had that one as well, it's the "standard" upgrade for points or cash, not a bad room huge bathroom lots of space. Especially when on an extended trip through Europe
Aug 22, 2013, 11:36 am
#1521
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: DL Plat, BA Silver
Posts: 235
Recent trip
Returned from the Park Hyatt Vendome for 3 nights (2 with CC bonus, 1 on points). Overall very happy with the experience, esp. given that we weren't paying over 500 euro each night! They gave us a slightly larger room (I presume the standard rooms must be very small indeed) overlooking the courtyard, and for our honeymoon they sent us a complimentary bottle of very nice champagne. The rooms are very comfortable, and since we were out for most of the time walking, a larger room wouldn't have been of any use anyways! Always love the bathrooms at Park Hyatts, this one had the electronic bidet toilets and a bit over-the-top gold hardware on everything. The ceiling was also ridiculously high, which was nice.
I can confirm that the complimentary breakfast for first-time-travelers (indicated by numerous Platinums and non-status reviews before) to the Park Hyatt Vendome is no longer being given - I mentioned that someone was offered this before, and they told me it was a limited time promotion that has ended. I will contribute something to this breakfast debate by noting that there is plenty of Nespresso in your room (I think 6-8 pods, refreshed daily) and an Eric Kayser bakery literally a block away.
Other than that, it is everything you could ask for, nice location next to THE Cartier store, a few metro stations not far away. The spa was very nice, but unfortunately the whirlpool was out of commission while we were there. Concierge desk was very helpful - we had made reservations online for a few meals and they required confirmation 24-48 hours before, and the concierge desk took care of all of that so we didn't have to make any calls.
I can confirm that the complimentary breakfast for first-time-travelers (indicated by numerous Platinums and non-status reviews before) to the Park Hyatt Vendome is no longer being given - I mentioned that someone was offered this before, and they told me it was a limited time promotion that has ended. I will contribute something to this breakfast debate by noting that there is plenty of Nespresso in your room (I think 6-8 pods, refreshed daily) and an Eric Kayser bakery literally a block away.
Other than that, it is everything you could ask for, nice location next to THE Cartier store, a few metro stations not far away. The spa was very nice, but unfortunately the whirlpool was out of commission while we were there. Concierge desk was very helpful - we had made reservations online for a few meals and they required confirmation 24-48 hours before, and the concierge desk took care of all of that so we didn't have to make any calls.
Last edited by superbobx2; Aug 22, 2013 at 11:43 am
Aug 22, 2013, 8:14 pm
#1522
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,856
Aug 23, 2013, 5:50 am
#1523
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: IHG Amb, Honors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 78
The junior suite does not sound like it would be worth using a suite upgrade for. Correct?
Aug 23, 2013, 8:02 am
#1524
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Osaka
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, UA
Posts: 3,158
It would be worth using a Diamond suite upgrade. For a point upgrade (6000 pts for 4 nights) I believe you would have to pay for a Deluxe room, but that is only about 80€/night above the basic room, so that would be worth it as well. For a pts stay, I personally would pass on the 11,000 pts/night extra, but for someone who had a lot of pts coming in from business travel, it is probably still worth it.
Aug 23, 2013, 8:32 am
#1525
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
Aug 23, 2013, 8:45 am
#1526
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: IHG Amb, Honors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 78
It would be worth using a Diamond suite upgrade. For a point upgrade (6000 pts for 4 nights) I believe you would have to pay for a Deluxe room, but that is only about 80€/night above the basic room, so that would be worth it as well. For a pts stay, I personally would pass on the 11,000 pts/night extra, but for someone who had a lot of pts coming in from business travel, it is probably still worth it.
That is good to know. If it's not high season, I guess there's a decent chance of that.
Aug 23, 2013, 10:23 am
#1527
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: Hyatt diamond
Posts: 645
It would be worth using a Diamond suite upgrade. For a point upgrade (6000 pts for 4 nights) I believe you would have to pay for a Deluxe room, but that is only about 80€/night above the basic room, so that would be worth it as well. For a pts stay, I personally would pass on the 11,000 pts/night extra, but for someone who had a lot of pts coming in from business travel, it is probably still worth it.
You do not have to pay for a Deluxe room.
You only need to pay the rack rate for a Park Twin or Park Queen.
The Park Suite Twin or Queen will then be priced at that rate + 6000 points,
provided there is availability for the dates the OP is looking for.
Aug 23, 2013, 10:59 am
#1528
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Osaka
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, UA
Posts: 3,158
I was mistakenly reading the terms for upgrade at a resort property, which PHV is not (although more sought after, as well as more expensive, than most Hyatt resort properties; go figure).
So I would say that if one were paying for the base room, then the 6000 pts for 4 nights upgrade to the suite is a bargain, even if it is a smallish suite.
But as I said, for me personally, on an award stay I did not consider the suite worth 50% more pts than the base level room. For someone with lots of pts to spare, the value might be quite different.
Aug 24, 2013, 11:56 am
#1529
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
Hmm, now I am really rethinking this. We have two rooms booked on points -- a suite and a standard. I am not dripping with points. The suite is 44k more for four nights than would be a regular room. 44k is not insignificant for me, but it's a special family trip.
I will be Diamond. Anyone have an opinion about what a Dia booked into two standard rooms can expect as compared to a standard room plus a suite?
I will be Diamond. Anyone have an opinion about what a Dia booked into two standard rooms can expect as compared to a standard room plus a suite?
Last edited by lkar; Aug 24, 2013 at 12:02 pm
Aug 24, 2013, 11:42 pm
#1530
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Osaka
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, UA
Posts: 3,158
Hmm, now I am really rethinking this. We have two rooms booked on points -- a suite and a standard. I am not dripping with points. The suite is 44k more for four nights than would be a regular room. 44k is not insignificant for me, but it's a special family trip.
I will be Diamond. Anyone have an opinion about what a Dia booked into two standard rooms can expect as compared to a standard room plus a suite?
I will be Diamond. Anyone have an opinion about what a Dia booked into two standard rooms can expect as compared to a standard room plus a suite?
Standard room, 26-30 m2, 750€
Deluxe room, 30-40 m2, 830€
Park suite, 40-50 m2, 1040€
As a Diamond, I was very likely to be upgraded to the Deluxe room when booking the Standard room on points, but very unlikely to be upgraded to get a further upgrade if booking the Park suite on points.
So for me personally, I did not consider the 50% more pts required for the Park suite to be very tempting.
I'm sure I would feel differently if I had a lot of points coming in from business travel, or if I were maxing out every GP promo. But since that is not the case, I would consider the extra 11K pts/night as if I were purchasing the pts (since I have previously actually purchased pts when there was the 30% bonus), so that would be equivalent to about $220/night difference.
I'd probably feel different if it was a honeymoon or some other once-in-a-lifetime trip.