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)
Jul 23, 2019, 5:35 pm
#3811
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 2MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,157
I agree this property has gone down hill. We checked in for a 5 night stay about a month ago. No upgrade, even though several room types, including standard suites, showed as available for the duration of our stay on the app. We were greeted as returning guests (our 4th or 5th stay) by the Guest Relations manager but still told nothing was available. We did get a welcome amenity - a small dish of nuts and 5 € bottle of Bordeaux.
The recently renovated hard product is OK. There's plenty of USB ports for charging, but I found the wi-fi so unstable, it wasn't usable. Luckily, I travel with an ethernet cable and the hard-wired networking was better.
Breakfast, while still good, has declined compared to previous stays. The omelettes were rubbery, and not the soft, creamy versions we remembered. We tried the eggs benedict, and the poached eggs were poorly cooked, with runny whites, both times. Worst of all (but probably better for my heart) is there is no longer any kouign-amann at breakfast.
Oh well, it's probably still a good use of a free cat 1-7 night, but I will look very seriously at other properties the next time we're in Paris.
The recently renovated hard product is OK. There's plenty of USB ports for charging, but I found the wi-fi so unstable, it wasn't usable. Luckily, I travel with an ethernet cable and the hard-wired networking was better.
Breakfast, while still good, has declined compared to previous stays. The omelettes were rubbery, and not the soft, creamy versions we remembered. We tried the eggs benedict, and the poached eggs were poorly cooked, with runny whites, both times. Worst of all (but probably better for my heart) is there is no longer any kouign-amann at breakfast.
Oh well, it's probably still a good use of a free cat 1-7 night, but I will look very seriously at other properties the next time we're in Paris.
Jul 23, 2019, 6:11 pm
#3812
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 2MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,157
We did have an excellent dinner at Pur during our stay. We ordered the 8 course tasting menu with wine pairings. While nothing was life-changing, every dish was beautifully composed and very tasty. Stand outs for us were lobster tail, the Wagyu, and as mentioned before, the amazing cheeses. The cheese "sommelier" (what is the correct term ?) asked what we both liked in our cheese and selected 5 different ones for each of us. I will say he nailed it for both my wife, who's not a fan of strong cheeses, and me, who loves a full-flavored blue. The wine parings complemented the dishes really well and it was fun opportunity to explore some new wines and regions. After reading platbrownguy's comments about the servers and their strong accents, I found it interesting that once we learned one of our servers was from the US, his accent disappeared entirely. This was our most expensive meal this trip, but I found it fairly priced, and of course, it's nice to get a bunch of points for it !
Jul 23, 2019, 11:57 pm
#3813
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP (OWE), VA PLAT, EY GLD, SPG PLAT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton DIA, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,522
Seriously, I didn't hear anything and the only indication of construction I saw was the sign on the lobby level for the elevator saying it wasn't operating. In June my suite overlooked the back open courtyard with the terasse restaurant and this time I had a suite on the front glassed in courtyard looking down on the breakfast restaurant. I also didn't notice any problems on nearby streets beyond the usual city traffic noises.
This is not a real busy time for the hotel, so you should be able to contact them in advance and ask for quiet rooms if you're concerned, especially if you're a Glob. The property seems very aware of elite recognition.
This is not a real busy time for the hotel, so you should be able to contact them in advance and ask for quiet rooms if you're concerned, especially if you're a Glob. The property seems very aware of elite recognition.
The hotel is extremely busy. They are running at 100% on several of our nights. When we arrived they were at 100% but the attic room with half windows and literally unusable wifi (as above) was unacceptable. Do not forgot higher floors of such hotels for were for servants and the lower floors as the Piano Nobil (Noble floors). The room was tiny, cramped, the wardrobe was in the bathroom with no doors.
Will write a full review tomorrow.
Jul 24, 2019, 7:14 am
#3814
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,165
I recently had the chance to stay at this hotel for 2 nights, and the experience was pretty bad.
The rooms were noisy from construction work, the wifi was virtually non-existent, and they refused room upgrades even though Hyatt's website was selling higher category rooms during the 2 nights we were at the hotel.
When I told the front desk about the noise and wifi problem, they said they were sorry but no corrective action was taken afterwards and they just shrugged it off.
I seriously question how this hotel can be a palace level property.
IMO this hotel is just a mediocre hotel that is very overpriced.
The rooms were noisy from construction work, the wifi was virtually non-existent, and they refused room upgrades even though Hyatt's website was selling higher category rooms during the 2 nights we were at the hotel.
When I told the front desk about the noise and wifi problem, they said they were sorry but no corrective action was taken afterwards and they just shrugged it off.
I seriously question how this hotel can be a palace level property.
IMO this hotel is just a mediocre hotel that is very overpriced.
Jul 24, 2019, 8:18 am
#3815
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,987
I recently had the chance to stay at this hotel for 2 nights, and the experience was pretty bad.
The rooms were noisy from construction work, the wifi was virtually non-existent, and they refused room upgrades even though Hyatt's website was selling higher category rooms during the 2 nights we were at the hotel.
When I told the front desk about the noise and wifi problem, they said they were sorry but no corrective action was taken afterwards and they just shrugged it off.
I seriously question how this hotel can be a palace level property.
IMO this hotel is just a mediocre hotel that is very overpriced.
The rooms were noisy from construction work, the wifi was virtually non-existent, and they refused room upgrades even though Hyatt's website was selling higher category rooms during the 2 nights we were at the hotel.
When I told the front desk about the noise and wifi problem, they said they were sorry but no corrective action was taken afterwards and they just shrugged it off.
I seriously question how this hotel can be a palace level property.
IMO this hotel is just a mediocre hotel that is very overpriced.
Jul 24, 2019, 9:10 am
#3817
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
My earlier comment was based on end-of-month May (got it) vs. mid-June (didn't get it) stays.
Jul 24, 2019, 9:24 am
#3818
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP (OWE), VA PLAT, EY GLD, SPG PLAT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton DIA, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,522
After our room change the wifi went from completely unusable to very fast so I suspect it’s floor and room location. Duty manager agreed.
Jul 24, 2019, 12:07 pm
#3820
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP (OWE), VA PLAT, EY GLD, SPG PLAT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton DIA, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,522
We were on the 3rd floor but it sounds like the courtyard rooms suffer most as wifi points are outside the rooms by the rooms facing the main street. This morning it started at 08:42....
Jul 24, 2019, 3:00 pm
#3821
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 404
I’ll let you guys know how my stay in three weeks goes. We’ve stayed here three times in the past 3 years and all stays, we’ve never had issues and have been delightful.
We have three suites booked and I’m a globalist so at the very least I’m expecting baseline okay service but fingers crossed in light of everyone’s comments here!
We have three suites booked and I’m a globalist so at the very least I’m expecting baseline okay service but fingers crossed in light of everyone’s comments here!
Jul 25, 2019, 7:46 am
#3822
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,987
I’ll let you guys know how my stay in three weeks goes. We’ve stayed here three times in the past 3 years and all stays, we’ve never had issues and have been delightful.
We have three suites booked and I’m a globalist so at the very least I’m expecting baseline okay service but fingers crossed in light of everyone’s comments here!
We have three suites booked and I’m a globalist so at the very least I’m expecting baseline okay service but fingers crossed in light of everyone’s comments here!
Jul 25, 2019, 5:07 pm
#3823
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
I’ll let you guys know how my stay in three weeks goes. We’ve stayed here three times in the past 3 years and all stays, we’ve never had issues and have been delightful.
We have three suites booked and I’m a globalist so at the very least I’m expecting baseline okay service but fingers crossed in light of everyone’s comments here!
We have three suites booked and I’m a globalist so at the very least I’m expecting baseline okay service but fingers crossed in light of everyone’s comments here!
If you're a repeat Glob guest and have booked three suites, I'd contact the hotel ASAP and say that you understand that some parts are subject to construction noise and would like to make sure that you're given quiet suites away from the construction work. Depending on the suite categories booked, this could be easy or difficult to confirm. You might need to negotiate on the suite category or bedding types for one or more rooms,and of course this will be harder if you want the suites to be close to each other.
Aug 3, 2019, 8:26 am
#3824
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,166
First time visitor next month - looking at using a TSU, are both the Park Deluxe Suite and Park Executive Suite (extra 85 EUR on the weekend I'm looking) part of the TSU "pool"? Is the Prestige Suite even? TIA.
Aug 3, 2019, 1:48 pm
#3825
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 2MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,157