I think OsakaWino has it about right. It's about as interesting (and as sterile) as Fifth Avenue in NYC. Similarly, you can walk easily to tons of great stuff ... Petit Palais, Seine, Tuileries .... It's a certain version of Paris and one that is fun if you like high-end shopping, a certain snootiness, and so on.

There are other versions of Paris that are, in my view, more fun and lots cheaper. Most of the time I stay in the "popular" (eastern) end of town, at 10% of the price, and love it. But Hyatt is reasonable with the credit card and the 22K points, so once a year I am willing to amortize a paid night or two by some free nights and stay at PHV as a very fun goof. Just won't be paying for the b'fast if they don't comp us!

If I were rich, I wouldn't think twice -- the place is smooth, why not? But if I were rich, I probably wouldn't be on this forum either.

Oddly enough, there are quite a few affluent people on here - I can think of a couple CEOs off the top of my head of large billion dollar companies.

Biggie Fries, you are very wise!
I did not like Andaz 5th Avenue the first time I stayed there but it is one of my favourite hotels now.
So, PHV might deserve another chance.
But regarding the position of PHV.....my very first visit to Paris was in a quaint hotel with a flower market opposite, a cheese shop around the corner. It was a small room with an even smaller elevator but we loved it because we could pretend we were Parisians.
Since then, we have stayed at more expensive hotels in Paris but they have had atmosphere and were quaint.
PHV does not have the same 'feel'.
But it doesn't pretend to be.
Thinking about it all I realise it is the OUTLOOK that makes the hotel for me......PH Sydney is another of our favourites. The rooms have the best views and I enjoy sitting on the balcony with a glass of something, just taking in the views. Same with Andaz 5th Avenue.
PHV feels a little like a nicely furnished box (with great bathrooms)

This is a great debate. I have never been to PHV and don't think I've even been to the street it's on. But after looking at many pictures, reading various reviews, and investigating the area on google satellite, Osaka is really confirming some of my concerns. Or at least echoing the question that has been running through my head -- it looks fine but 750 euros a night for a 25 sqm room in a nondescript midblock building on a street with little but shopping that can be found in most big cities? That must be some breakfast.

Last time in Paris we stayed at the hotel du louvre, long before it became a Hyatt and apparently before it got run down. But that felt like Paris. Beautiful old stand-alone building in a quintessential Paris square. We could see into the Louvre from our room. For a points stay, it's only a 4k difference per night, and the HdL recent reviews scare me away. But for the things we value, wouldbe hard pessed to consider paying a 400 euro per night premium for the PHV. I do think there must be something to the notion that it's exclusivity is reinforced by the fact that it prices itself as exclusive. That plus the 2 night free Hyatt credit card giving referral bonuses to the bloggers makes this sort of aspirational property, nightly rate wise, worth mentioning to say the free nights are worth up to $2k or whatever.

This recent talk brings out another big reason to appreciate the addition of Hyatts in Paris that I hadn't considered: They relieve the pressure on those who have had to stay at the Park Hyatt Vendome (and those who divert to Paris) because of Gold Passport, when they would really rather not. ^

And it puts me in mind of the FlyerTalker's signature that goes something like: "Don't move to Denver. It's cold here. Very cold."

That is something when we are in Paris in December we plan on visiting the "new" Hyatt's to see for ourselves. Also the Manager from MPH is now running the Martinez and we plan on visiting there as well.

To anyone who has stayed here recently and might know, does the mess described have anything to do with the Ritz's total renovation, or the massive fire in its garage beneath the Place Vendome? I haven't stayed at the PHV since. Thanks. :)

Before the PHV there were the Hyatt Madeleine and the Hyatt regency. At least the former was considered a good hotel but when the PHV appeared it recieved all the attention, at least on this board.

When we were there in May construction at Place Vendome was camouflaged well enough with advertising; the wafting concrete dust may be from the construction, or maybe it is just kicked up by the traffic through the square. The area was often being used as parking space for tour busses during the day and for a disco party bus on weekend evenings. The torn up sections of sidewalk on Rue de la Paix were in the other direction from PHV. Rather a pain to step around on rainy days and quite dusty on dry days; there was no work related to them during our 10 days there.

I don’t recall seeing any of those supposedly ubiquitous dog droppings, but the arcade walkway on Rue de Rivoli adjacent to the Westin was always filled with litter; the only really dirty place we saw in Paris.

Before we went I read all the hype and expected PHV to be the ultimate in luxury. I expected to be awed, and that didn’t happen.

Nevertheless, I consider a points stay at PHV a good value, especially with comped breakfast for Diamonds. The rooms are comfortable (we like a large bathroom), and the location is ultra convenient. And we never encountered any snootiness; FD and room service staff were excellent and I always felt that we were being treated the same as any paying guests.

Next time we go I won’t be burdened by excessive expectations.

When we finally make it to Paris, we'll likely spend our HGP points here, as I have saved a lot of them over the years. If we were paying, I think we'd probably stay at George V. I am expecting PHV to be nice, but not at the same level as the FS and likely other top hotels. Still, probably worth it to save the money for our next trip to Hualalai.

But I've never been to Paris, so it's all speculation.

Martinez in Cannes ?

Well I have stayed there probably 10 times. I basically agree with your comments above. It is a very good hotel but the hyatt.com prices are often very high, to the point that there are alternatives. Not that it is easily out-competed as we have stayed in some of the other top ones and were not wowed either. Depends on what you like.

It's all a matter of the city - the cost that is.

While I can't identify any CEOs, I too have noticed that some posters are definitely quite affluent, yet very egalitarian, especially here in the Hyatt threads. That was one factor that provided a lot of encouragement to me to try for Diamond after many years as Plat. While of course there are always a few snide remarks, it has always seemed to me that that they are more in the spirit of jest than actual derision. Sorry if these comments would have been better placed in some other thread.

Yes he took over as GM when Hyatt took over !