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)
#3706
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,980
Sounds like the PH MEL where despite the few room categories, there are over 37 actual room configurations and room vastly larger than others. Some of the Club Deluxe rooms are larger than the Park Suites if you know the right room numbers to request.
Thank you all for your input.
Thank you all for your input.
#3707
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP (OWE), VA PLAT, EY GLD, SPG PLAT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton DIA, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,509
In these older hotels and buildings many of them former residential the larger rooms tend to be on the lower floors and smaller the higher you go. The PHV has some really really tight rooms and some pitiful "suites" even for Paris. I would follow Mike's lead and ask at the desk, depending on level of status you might be more fruitful.
#3708
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
Those who know better should request a Park Suite on a low floor, as those have the wonderful high ceilings. In any case though, with award reservations I think the smartest play is to offer to pay upsell at check in for an upgrade if desired. That tilts everything in the guest’s favor, and you can ask to see the available rooms and suites before deciding.
#3709
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP (OWE), VA PLAT, EY GLD, SPG PLAT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton DIA, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,509
Those who know better should request a Park Suite on a low floor, as those have the wonderful high ceilings. In any case though, with award reservations I think the smartest play is to offer to pay upsell at check in for an upgrade if desired. That tilts everything in the guest’s favor, and you can ask to see the available rooms and suites before deciding.
#3710
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,980
#3711
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,268
I can say the opposite, as I was first there in their opening month and then not back until this month. The first time, heating didn't work, on constantly, tiniest room, etc. Breakfast was amazing at that time, but not enough to bring me back in all these years.
Had a great 6 night stay to start the year there for my return. Used a TSU plus paid upgrade. Was first shown to the attic suites with the slanted roofs, and I asked about a lower floor with normal ceilings and got a lovely prestige suite. (To be honest, if the slanted roof didn't bother you, it was an amazing suite, larger than the prestige even though it was a category down).
The rest of the stay was amazing. A lovely, thoughtful, welcome gift, fabulous breakfast every day (usually in the suite, we went to the buffet once and pretty much anything on the buffet would fit in the room service globalist breakfast without extra charge, so did that for the rest of the time. Enjoyed Pur very much. I was a Hotel du Louvre refugee, and they treated me top notch.
It's too bad this treatment doesn't seem consistent to FTers.
Had a great 6 night stay to start the year there for my return. Used a TSU plus paid upgrade. Was first shown to the attic suites with the slanted roofs, and I asked about a lower floor with normal ceilings and got a lovely prestige suite. (To be honest, if the slanted roof didn't bother you, it was an amazing suite, larger than the prestige even though it was a category down).
The rest of the stay was amazing. A lovely, thoughtful, welcome gift, fabulous breakfast every day (usually in the suite, we went to the buffet once and pretty much anything on the buffet would fit in the room service globalist breakfast without extra charge, so did that for the rest of the time. Enjoyed Pur very much. I was a Hotel du Louvre refugee, and they treated me top notch.
It's too bad this treatment doesn't seem consistent to FTers.
#3712
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,980
I can say the opposite, as I was first there in their opening month and then not back until this month. The first time, heating didn't work, on constantly, tiniest room, etc. Breakfast was amazing at that time, but not enough to bring me back in all these years.
Had a great 6 night stay to start the year there for my return. Used a TSU plus paid upgrade. Was first shown to the attic suites with the slanted roofs, and I asked about a lower floor with normal ceilings and got a lovely prestige suite. (To be honest, if the slanted roof didn't bother you, it was an amazing suite, larger than the prestige even though it was a category down).
The rest of the stay was amazing. A lovely, thoughtful, welcome gift, fabulous breakfast every day (usually in the suite, we went to the buffet once and pretty much anything on the buffet would fit in the room service globalist breakfast without extra charge, so did that for the rest of the time. Enjoyed Pur very much. I was a Hotel du Louvre refugee, and they treated me top notch.
It's too bad this treatment doesn't seem consistent to FTers.
Had a great 6 night stay to start the year there for my return. Used a TSU plus paid upgrade. Was first shown to the attic suites with the slanted roofs, and I asked about a lower floor with normal ceilings and got a lovely prestige suite. (To be honest, if the slanted roof didn't bother you, it was an amazing suite, larger than the prestige even though it was a category down).
The rest of the stay was amazing. A lovely, thoughtful, welcome gift, fabulous breakfast every day (usually in the suite, we went to the buffet once and pretty much anything on the buffet would fit in the room service globalist breakfast without extra charge, so did that for the rest of the time. Enjoyed Pur very much. I was a Hotel du Louvre refugee, and they treated me top notch.
It's too bad this treatment doesn't seem consistent to FTers.
#3713
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: 7,432
I love the 6th floor!
We're big fans of the 6th floor, so the fewer of you that use them, the easier it is for folks like us to get assigned jr. suites or very large rooms because of the mansard room roof height.
#3714
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM
Posts: 85,392
#3719
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: 7,432
#3720
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,980