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 4, 2014, 8:11 pm
#2236
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Sweet Home Chicago
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 646
Aug 4, 2014, 10:14 pm
#2237
Moderator: Mileage Run, United Airlines; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: The City/Honolulu
Programs: UA 3MM; Hyatt Glob*****; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,473
I read this thread with wonder, because my experience at the PHV did not come anywhere near the experiences people describe in this thread. Still I will return to Paris and the PHV (with expectations in check), because the location can't be beat.
Aug 5, 2014, 7:18 am
#2238
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,990
For Diamonds the breakfast is wonderful and a great start to a long day of visiting Paris. We go back almost every year and loved it at Christmas last year and will return again coming back from a safari this year at Thanksgiving which should be interesting in to it's self
Aug 5, 2014, 10:00 pm
#2239
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska 100K - MM, defender of shoes on the carpeted bulkhead 4ever, AA LT PLT, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia
Posts: 7,441
I like my routine and sadly, the Park Hyatt Vendome is part of it now, at least in November and December - ever year like clockwork. I am no longer a diamond, so breakfast is not something I partake in any more. In fact, the ten years I was a diamond, we rarely ate breakfast in the hotel.
I do like the fact they remember us, always manage to get our reservations for dinner sorted out, that one of the concierges loves to tell me about the latest craft cocktails he's tried and that my packages either arrive or depart on time from the hotel.
lala
I do like the fact they remember us, always manage to get our reservations for dinner sorted out, that one of the concierges loves to tell me about the latest craft cocktails he's tried and that my packages either arrive or depart on time from the hotel.
lala
Aug 6, 2014, 12:04 am
#2240
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,079
I like my routine and sadly, the Park Hyatt Vendome is part of it now, at least in November and December - ever year like clockwork. I am no longer a diamond, so breakfast is not something I partake in any more. In fact, the ten years I was a diamond, we rarely ate breakfast in the hotel.
I do like the fact they remember us, always manage to get our reservations for dinner sorted out, that one of the concierges loves to tell me about the latest craft cocktails he's tried and that my packages either arrive or depart on time from the hotel.
lala
I do like the fact they remember us, always manage to get our reservations for dinner sorted out, that one of the concierges loves to tell me about the latest craft cocktails he's tried and that my packages either arrive or depart on time from the hotel.
lala
Aug 6, 2014, 2:06 am
#2242
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Other smells are more likely to be stronger, but not because of the courtyard-facing windows.
Last edited by GUWonder; Aug 6, 2014 at 2:11 am
Aug 6, 2014, 10:18 am
#2243
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: Hyatt diamond
Posts: 645
The problem, I found out comes from the "air intake" being placed in the courtyard, right next to a table where smoking is allowed.
The night I complained about it, they were smoking cigars at that table and the scent was going through the duct system. It didn't matter whether the ventilation was turned on or not, you could smell it.
Now surely, common sense would dictate that you do not place a table of smokers, let alone cigar smokers, at a table where the "air intake" is located.
Short of making it a courtyard for non-smokers which they will not do, they should either relocate the "air intake" (which is supposed to be fresh air), an expensive task if not practically impossible, or designate part of the courtyard for non-smokers which might not make much difference since the courtyard is rather small.
Nevertheless, I am hoping they find a solution.
Aug 6, 2014, 10:40 am
#2244
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska 100K - MM, defender of shoes on the carpeted bulkhead 4ever, AA LT PLT, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia
Posts: 7,441
Le Relegade Conservatoire (booking essential - email concierge stat)
Le Relegade St. Honore (not as booked up)
Terroir Parisien (New on by Bourse is good, or maubert mutualite)
Les Bouquinistes - dinner
Ze Kitchen Gallerie bis for lunch
Pirouette - in les Halles for lunch (booking essential)
For a decent one star I suggest le violin de l'ingres - nice restaurant, part of the constant empire
Aug 6, 2014, 12:24 pm
#2245
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,079
Try Le Dorcia, not so far away on foot, behind the Bourse. Excellent food; a real French restaurant (but modern); mid-priced.
Yesss.....
Le Relegade Conservatoire (booking essential - email concierge stat)
Le Relegade St. Honore (not as booked up)
Terroir Parisien (New on by Bourse is good, or maubert mutualite)
Les Bouquinistes - dinner
Ze Kitchen Gallerie bis for lunch
Pirouette - in les Halles for lunch (booking essential)
For a decent one star I suggest le violin de l'ingres - nice restaurant, part of the constant empire
Le Relegade Conservatoire (booking essential - email concierge stat)
Le Relegade St. Honore (not as booked up)
Terroir Parisien (New on by Bourse is good, or maubert mutualite)
Les Bouquinistes - dinner
Ze Kitchen Gallerie bis for lunch
Pirouette - in les Halles for lunch (booking essential)
For a decent one star I suggest le violin de l'ingres - nice restaurant, part of the constant empire
Aug 7, 2014, 1:56 pm
#2246
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Atlanta and the Big Island, Hawaii
Programs: DL Diamond, SPG Gold. I share these affiliations so that you can ask me questions about the programs
Posts: 812
On the same line but a little farther afield,
1. Chez Paul is a delicious traditional bistro: http://www.chezpaul.com/
2. Le Petit St. Benoit http://www.petit-st-benoit.com/ is also excellent (cash only)
Enjoy and please let us know if they are planning renovations at this property...Though I really like their rooms it seems like this palace is next in line for a complete renovation (a la Crillon and Ritz).
1. Chez Paul is a delicious traditional bistro: http://www.chezpaul.com/
2. Le Petit St. Benoit http://www.petit-st-benoit.com/ is also excellent (cash only)
Enjoy and please let us know if they are planning renovations at this property...Though I really like their rooms it seems like this palace is next in line for a complete renovation (a la Crillon and Ritz).
Aug 7, 2014, 5:09 pm
#2247
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CVG
Programs: Hyatt Giraffe
Posts: 1,664
With regards to the smoke smell issue, I'd like to report that it can also happen as S2S mentions above, in rooms that aren't courtyard facing. We had an executive suite which faced out, and one night in the main living area, had a really bad smoke smell. Windows were all closed, I even opened them to step out on the balcony to see if someone next door or outside on the street was smoking (though unlikely at 3 stories+ up).
I eventually shut the door to the sleeping area to prevent more of the odor from spreading and in the morning it was clear. Happened only that one time, so maybe as suggested above, it depends where they seated smoking people near intake vents.
I eventually shut the door to the sleeping area to prevent more of the odor from spreading and in the morning it was clear. Happened only that one time, so maybe as suggested above, it depends where they seated smoking people near intake vents.
Aug 12, 2014, 4:20 pm
#2248
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,134
Yes, some do. Mine did, all the way to the 7th floor.
The problem, I found out comes from the "air intake" being placed in the courtyard, right next to a table where smoking is allowed.
The night I complained about it, they were smoking cigars at that table and the scent was going through the duct system. It didn't matter whether the ventilation was turned on or not, you could smell it.
Now surely, common sense would dictate that you do not place a table of smokers, let alone cigar smokers, at a table where the "air intake" is located.
Short of making it a courtyard for non-smokers which they will not do, they should either relocate the "air intake" (which is supposed to be fresh air), an expensive task if not practically impossible, or designate part of the courtyard for non-smokers which might not make much difference since the courtyard is rather small.
Nevertheless, I am hoping they find a solution.
The problem, I found out comes from the "air intake" being placed in the courtyard, right next to a table where smoking is allowed.
The night I complained about it, they were smoking cigars at that table and the scent was going through the duct system. It didn't matter whether the ventilation was turned on or not, you could smell it.
Now surely, common sense would dictate that you do not place a table of smokers, let alone cigar smokers, at a table where the "air intake" is located.
Short of making it a courtyard for non-smokers which they will not do, they should either relocate the "air intake" (which is supposed to be fresh air), an expensive task if not practically impossible, or designate part of the courtyard for non-smokers which might not make much difference since the courtyard is rather small.
Nevertheless, I am hoping they find a solution.
Aug 13, 2014, 1:00 am
#2249
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,853
Inexpensive yet very enjoyable restaurant not too far away -- but hard to get a booking at:
Frenchie http://www.frenchie-restaurant.com/en
Whoops, I see it's being renovated and won't re-open until September 1.
Frenchie http://www.frenchie-restaurant.com/en
Whoops, I see it's being renovated and won't re-open until September 1.
Aug 13, 2014, 10:22 am
#2250
Join Date: May 2012
Location: New York
Posts: 283
Another fantastic option (if you can snag a reservation) is Septime. Had the best lunch of my life here.
http://www.septime-charonne.fr/
http://www.septime-charonne.fr/