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)
Mar 31, 2014, 1:09 pm
#2116
Join Date: May 2007
Location: San Francisco Area
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Fairmont Platinum, ICG Platinum Royal Ambassador, Avis President's Club
Posts: 317
Could someone please PM me the email for the general manager? We are leaving on a trip in about a week. Thank you.
Mar 31, 2014, 10:03 pm
#2117
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: deep within the Eskimo lair
Programs: TubWorld, Bar Alliance, Borratxo Legendarium
Posts: 16,968
Is the skip line ticket the same as a museum pass? Is the pricing at the PHV for the ticket the same as picking it up at the museums? Has the concierge at PHV been effective at getting anyone into special tours? Champagne houses?, etc.
Could someone please PM me the email for the general manager? We are leaving on a trip in about a week. Thank you.
Could someone please PM me the email for the general manager? We are leaving on a trip in about a week. Thank you.
Mar 31, 2014, 10:26 pm
#2118
Join Date: May 2007
Location: San Francisco Area
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Fairmont Platinum, ICG Platinum Royal Ambassador, Avis President's Club
Posts: 317
Thanks Missy.
Is this passport ticket you mention in your earlier post the museum pass or still yet another ticket?
Is this passport ticket you mention in your earlier post the museum pass or still yet another ticket?
Apr 1, 2014, 9:50 am
#2119
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Minnesota
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,101
Just completed a 1-night stay using Points+Cash and I am a Diamond member. Here is a recap of info that might be helpful:
PHV service & staff : A+
Checked in at 2pm, the room wasn't quite ready so they offered us free coffee in the lounge for the 20 minute wait until the room was ready for us.
Room: I used a Suite Upgrade Certificate to book a King Suite room : A+
Here is what I liked about the room - Windows opened into the atrium, very quiet, also could get a nice cool breeze at night
Power window shades, my 14 year old son loved those!
Bathroom - huge, with heated towel rack, robes, and slippers, and tons of storage and place for luggage
Nespresso coffee machine & 2 complimentary bottles of Evian water
Doorbell and Private DND button
Lighting - really can create a very warm and inviting atmosphere at night
Location: B+
I've stayed closer to the Eiffel Tower previously and like the quaint neighborhoods and markets, like Rue Cler. The PHV is situated around very high end shops that I don't typically frequent.
Overall Experience : A+
I booked this 1-night stay as a stopover from a family vacation in Ireland all last week and decided to splurge 1 night in Paris at the PHV.
Breakfast Buffet: A+
Included with my Diamond membership for me and my wife and son. The bill would have been 137 Euros if I would have had to pay. I don't think any breakfast would have been worth that price though. It was amazing and tasted great with lots of choices and great service but lets be honest, its breakfast for 137 Euros.
Here are some additional details that might be helpful to others:
Additional charge for 3rd person in the room : Upon check-in, the desk agent told me there is normally a 100 Euro "extra" charge to have a roll-away brought into the room. This was for my 14 year old son that was travelling with me and my wife. The agent offered to "waive" the fee this "one time" but said in the future.....I would be charged this fee as an extra daily charge
No one ever mentioned this fee at Hyatt when I called to make the reservation months ago. I have never seen this fee mentioned on the website either. The agent handled the situation in a positive way but I felt like he was warning me that if I ever stay there again with my son, I should be prepared to pay the extra 100 Euro fee per night. Has anyone else ever been charged this additional fee for a 3rd person staying in the room?
Transportation to/from hotel:
Arrival - We took the Roissybus from CDG to Opera....it was around 11.50 Euro per person. On a Sunday afternoon it took about 45 minutes to arrive at Opera destination, then 5 minute walk (2-3 blocks) to PHV. Very good experience.
Departure - We took a cab on a Monday morning from PHV to Terminal 2E. Total cost with tip, 70 Euros. It took 40 minutes, with traffic. We took the cab just to make sure we arrived early, in hindsight, Roissybus would have been fine and would have saved 40 Euros. Uber would have been a possibility as well as the quote from Uber was 45 Euro.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, what an amazing place, and really sets itself apart from other Hyatt properties, right from the moment you enter. This is a place to stay to get a feel for how ultra millionaires live. I never felt unwelcome at any point but this is such a high class hotel that it almost made me feel....what's the right way to say this?.....out of place perhaps.
This was a great experience and a real treat and now I can see why Hyatt added this into a Category 7 hotel and made the P+C price at $300/night. I get the feeling they want to maintain a certain level of class of clientele at this property.
PHV service & staff : A+
Checked in at 2pm, the room wasn't quite ready so they offered us free coffee in the lounge for the 20 minute wait until the room was ready for us.
Room: I used a Suite Upgrade Certificate to book a King Suite room : A+
Here is what I liked about the room - Windows opened into the atrium, very quiet, also could get a nice cool breeze at night
Power window shades, my 14 year old son loved those!
Bathroom - huge, with heated towel rack, robes, and slippers, and tons of storage and place for luggage
Nespresso coffee machine & 2 complimentary bottles of Evian water
Doorbell and Private DND button
Lighting - really can create a very warm and inviting atmosphere at night
Location: B+
I've stayed closer to the Eiffel Tower previously and like the quaint neighborhoods and markets, like Rue Cler. The PHV is situated around very high end shops that I don't typically frequent.
Overall Experience : A+
I booked this 1-night stay as a stopover from a family vacation in Ireland all last week and decided to splurge 1 night in Paris at the PHV.
Breakfast Buffet: A+
Included with my Diamond membership for me and my wife and son. The bill would have been 137 Euros if I would have had to pay. I don't think any breakfast would have been worth that price though. It was amazing and tasted great with lots of choices and great service but lets be honest, its breakfast for 137 Euros.
Here are some additional details that might be helpful to others:
Additional charge for 3rd person in the room : Upon check-in, the desk agent told me there is normally a 100 Euro "extra" charge to have a roll-away brought into the room. This was for my 14 year old son that was travelling with me and my wife. The agent offered to "waive" the fee this "one time" but said in the future.....I would be charged this fee as an extra daily charge
No one ever mentioned this fee at Hyatt when I called to make the reservation months ago. I have never seen this fee mentioned on the website either. The agent handled the situation in a positive way but I felt like he was warning me that if I ever stay there again with my son, I should be prepared to pay the extra 100 Euro fee per night. Has anyone else ever been charged this additional fee for a 3rd person staying in the room?Transportation to/from hotel:
Arrival - We took the Roissybus from CDG to Opera....it was around 11.50 Euro per person. On a Sunday afternoon it took about 45 minutes to arrive at Opera destination, then 5 minute walk (2-3 blocks) to PHV. Very good experience.
Departure - We took a cab on a Monday morning from PHV to Terminal 2E. Total cost with tip, 70 Euros. It took 40 minutes, with traffic. We took the cab just to make sure we arrived early, in hindsight, Roissybus would have been fine and would have saved 40 Euros. Uber would have been a possibility as well as the quote from Uber was 45 Euro.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, what an amazing place, and really sets itself apart from other Hyatt properties, right from the moment you enter. This is a place to stay to get a feel for how ultra millionaires live. I never felt unwelcome at any point but this is such a high class hotel that it almost made me feel....what's the right way to say this?.....out of place perhaps.
This was a great experience and a real treat and now I can see why Hyatt added this into a Category 7 hotel and made the P+C price at $300/night. I get the feeling they want to maintain a certain level of class of clientele at this property.
Apr 1, 2014, 7:54 pm
#2120
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Osaka
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, UA
Posts: 3,158
Additional charge for 3rd person in the room : Upon check-in, the desk agent told me there is normally a 100 Euro "extra" charge to have a roll-away brought into the room. This was for my 14 year old son that was travelling with me and my wife. The agent offered to "waive" the fee this "one time" but said in the future.....I would be charged this fee as an extra daily charge No one ever mentioned this fee at Hyatt when I called to make the reservation months ago. I have never seen this fee mentioned on the website either. The agent handled the situation in a positive way but I felt like he was warning me that if I ever stay there again with my son, I should be prepared to pay the extra 100 Euro fee per night. Has anyone else ever been charged this additional fee for a 3rd person staying in the room?
No one ever mentioned this fee at Hyatt when I called to make the reservation months ago. I have never seen this fee mentioned on the website either. The agent handled the situation in a positive way but I felt like he was warning me that if I ever stay there again with my son, I should be prepared to pay the extra 100 Euro fee per night. Has anyone else ever been charged this additional fee for a 3rd person staying in the room?
Apr 2, 2014, 5:53 pm
#2121
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Minnesota
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,101
When booking on Hyatt.com it is pretty clear that the room charge is €100 more for 3 adults than 2 adults (I believe that 12 yr and over is considered an adult at most European properties, and even most properties outside North America). There is no extra charge for 2 adults + 1 child. If you told the reservation agent at the time of booking on the phone that you had 3 adults and they did not give you the correct rate, that is a significant error on their part. But on the other hand it certainly would be nice if they had a clear definition of child vs adult on each hotel's website, since this definition can vary considerably around the world. It was nice that they waived the extra charge at check-in, but some staff can sound pretty ostentatious when they say things like "just this one time".
I think Hyatt's website and reservation system makes it difficult and confusing to determine if you will get hit with an extra guest fee. In my opinion its not at all intuitive. If you reserve a room on their website, and you select 2 Adults and 1 Child, you would have to click on the little "i" and then read the definition of a child. In the US a child is anyone under 18, in their hotels for the rest of the world a child is 12 and under.
If you click and read the definition, and then select 3 adults, you will then notice that the room fee is higher per night than when you select 2 adults + 1 child.
But I didn't use the website to make my reservation, I booked a Points+Cash room and applied a Suite upgrade so I had to dial their reservation line to book it. And I told the phone agent 2 Adults + 1 Child. The phone agent didn't ask me how old my son was or even mention that Hyatt hotels outside of the US will charge an added fee. They just made the reservation, booked me in Park King Suite and made a note to include a roll-away for my child.
My point in all this is that Hyatt needs to train their phone agents on the process and update their website to make it more clear. If they don't, I would think this type of "surprise" would come up all the time.
Again, the PHV desk agent waived the fee but imagine if they didn't and I had reserved 5 nights! That would be a 500 Euro surprise that would make me want to leave Hyatt and never come back. Maybe I'm overthinking all this but I just hate added fees and surprises like this, especially when on vacation.
Apr 2, 2014, 6:01 pm
#2122
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,337
Apr 2, 2014, 9:39 pm
#2125
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,309
Paris - Park Vendome - REVIEWS - MASTER THREAD - 8/2011 Forwards
I got both the cookies AND champagne. cookies were there at check-in, champagne came later.
Apr 3, 2014, 1:26 pm
#2126
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1
Will be going to PHV next week for 6 nights - 1 room, 1 suite - Diamond status w/room, Platinum w/suite - I assume 2 breakfasts per night for Diamond. Do they give vouchers upon arrival or credit room? If credit, can I have all 5 of us eat breakfast buffet twice and get credit for that? If I don't use breakfast buffet, can I get room service?
Apr 5, 2014, 7:33 am
#2127
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Minnesota
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,101
Will be going to PHV next week for 6 nights - 1 room, 1 suite - Diamond status w/room, Platinum w/suite - I assume 2 breakfasts per night for Diamond. Do they give vouchers upon arrival or credit room? If credit, can I have all 5 of us eat breakfast buffet twice and get credit for that? If I don't use breakfast buffet, can I get room service?
I believe room service is the other option you can use as a diamond member. Platinum is out of luck on breakfast.
Apr 5, 2014, 10:03 am
#2128
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2003
Location: AA Plat / UA NOTHING / Alaska 75K / Hyatt Diamond / SPG LT Plat / Marriott Gold / Priority Club Plat / Hertz Pres
Posts: 24,706
It would be great to figure out a solution to this whole "phv breakfast" obsession the forum seems to have.
Apr 5, 2014, 7:53 pm
#2129
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
I think I'll make this thread a WIKI - people then can feel free to post the facts there (especially breakfast and transportation from/to CDG) which comes up frequently. We'll see if this helps.
Apr 6, 2014, 11:41 am
#2130
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,987
So has anyone tried the Olympic Cafe ? we stop in at once every time we are in Paris. They have a "section" where one of the waiters work who is French but married to an American and he speaks perfect english so for those of us who's French is really bad this works well.
The food is delightful and I highly recommend ! We are returning to PHV in November, should be interesting to see Paris at Thanksgiving !
