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)
May 6, 2015, 6:54 pm
#2476
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Hi everyone!
(I am a diamond member if that helps.) I used 30k points a night for 3 nights (total 90k) for a standard room, since I'm bringing my elderly mother with my husband, she wanted to stay in the same room with us because she didn't want to be alone. rather than chance it and risk not getting a complimentary upgrade, I emailed the hotel and was given the option to pay 90 Euros to guarentee an upgrade to the Park Deluxe room and pay 100 euros for a rollaway bed a night.
For those who have stayed at Park Hyatt Vendome, what did everyone else pay?
Should I just chance it and see if they will upgrade me upon arrival?
Thank you!
(I am a diamond member if that helps.) I used 30k points a night for 3 nights (total 90k) for a standard room, since I'm bringing my elderly mother with my husband, she wanted to stay in the same room with us because she didn't want to be alone. rather than chance it and risk not getting a complimentary upgrade, I emailed the hotel and was given the option to pay 90 Euros to guarentee an upgrade to the Park Deluxe room and pay 100 euros for a rollaway bed a night.
For those who have stayed at Park Hyatt Vendome, what did everyone else pay?
Should I just chance it and see if they will upgrade me upon arrival?
Thank you!
Per this blogger http://weekendblitz.com/park-hyatt-p...w-paris-france he paid substantially less and he had no status, just the standard Gold passport entry level default.
Another thing I tried on this booking was the “eStandby Upgrade® program” that Hyatt (and Marriott + others?) participate in. I’ve seen it a few times but always thought it to be gimmicky and never tried it. The minimum room upgrade offered was to a “Park Deluxe King” for 50 € (~$69), nothing that really interested me
Again this person had NO status and stated so in his blog,
I would have loved P+C and use a DSU but when I booked this a year ago that option was not available despite multiple attempts in checking.
Another thing I tried on this booking was the “eStandby Upgrade® program” that Hyatt (and Marriott + others?) participate in. I’ve seen it a few times but always thought it to be gimmicky and never tried it. The minimum room upgrade offered was to a “Park Deluxe King” for 50 € (~$69), nothing that really interested me
Again this person had NO status and stated so in his blog,
I would have loved P+C and use a DSU but when I booked this a year ago that option was not available despite multiple attempts in checking.
This said, we have always gotten upgraded to Park Deluxe King, gratis, on arrival. The question is how much uncertainty you can live with. We could live with a fair amount as just a couple. With a parent in tow, too risky. Pay what you have to pay.
I had not thought it possible to get P+C but a couple of months back, inside of two weeks before stay, I called and -- voila -- there they were. Excellent value for money in my view; with the current 20% rebate on points, I figured we were getting 3.5 cents/point in purchasing power. Keep calling. You never know. And, if you do hit, that puts the DSU in play. Worked for us.
May 6, 2015, 7:43 pm
#2477
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
Definitely keep calling as the stay date gets closer. I was facing "sorry, sold out solid" in London, on the weekend on the London Marathon. About 4 days before arrival, space suddenly opened up.
May 7, 2015, 5:53 am
#2478
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Minnesota
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,101
Hi everyone!
(I am a diamond member if that helps.) I used 30k points a night for 3 nights (total 90k) for a standard room, since I'm bringing my elderly mother with my husband, she wanted to stay in the same room with us because she didn't want to be alone. rather than chance it and risk not getting a complimentary upgrade, I emailed the hotel and was given the option to pay 90 Euros to guarentee an upgrade to the Park Deluxe room and pay 100 euros for a rollaway bed a night.
For those who have stayed at Park Hyatt Vendome, what did everyone else pay?
Should I just chance it and see if they will upgrade me upon arrival?
Thank you!
(I am a diamond member if that helps.) I used 30k points a night for 3 nights (total 90k) for a standard room, since I'm bringing my elderly mother with my husband, she wanted to stay in the same room with us because she didn't want to be alone. rather than chance it and risk not getting a complimentary upgrade, I emailed the hotel and was given the option to pay 90 Euros to guarentee an upgrade to the Park Deluxe room and pay 100 euros for a rollaway bed a night.
For those who have stayed at Park Hyatt Vendome, what did everyone else pay?
Should I just chance it and see if they will upgrade me upon arrival?
Thank you!
May 7, 2015, 6:03 am
#2479
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
Just to add some anecdotal evidence: I showed up without status on 2 free award nights w/ Chase. Emailed hotel prior to say it was a special occasion - without specifying what the occasion was. They gave us a pretty substantial upgrade, as we ended up with a balcony & outdoor sitting area!
May 7, 2015, 8:17 am
#2480
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
Just to add some anecdotal evidence: I showed up without status on 2 free award nights w/ Chase. Emailed hotel prior to say it was a special occasion - without specifying what the occasion was. They gave us a pretty substantial upgrade, as we ended up with a balcony & outdoor sitting area!
May 7, 2015, 6:10 pm
#2481
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
So, yes, I had Plat status - but I'm thinking the upgrade was due to the email.
May 7, 2015, 8:44 pm
#2482
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
May 8, 2015, 12:03 pm
#2484
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 47
Hello everyone,
I have a reservation for 5 nights at the property in August.
We have stayed at the PHV in October 2013. We loved it. I had no status at that time and used points.
This time I have used cash+points to try to secure the reservation and possibly apply my Diamond Suite Upgrade cert.
It looks like it will not work. The Diamond Desk is telling me that the Certificate can not be applied to C+P stay. If that is the case it really does not make sense for me to keep the C+P reservation. It's more cost effective to use a full point reservation.
Does anyone have any input on the Diamond Suite Certificates and Cash+Points bookings at this property?
Best Regards
I have a reservation for 5 nights at the property in August.
We have stayed at the PHV in October 2013. We loved it. I had no status at that time and used points.
This time I have used cash+points to try to secure the reservation and possibly apply my Diamond Suite Upgrade cert.
It looks like it will not work. The Diamond Desk is telling me that the Certificate can not be applied to C+P stay. If that is the case it really does not make sense for me to keep the C+P reservation. It's more cost effective to use a full point reservation.
Does anyone have any input on the Diamond Suite Certificates and Cash+Points bookings at this property?
Best Regards
May 8, 2015, 4:10 pm
#2485
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
May 8, 2015, 5:06 pm
#2486
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Sweet Home Chicago
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 646
Hello everyone,
I have a reservation for 5 nights at the property in August.
We have stayed at the PHV in October 2013. We loved it. I had no status at that time and used points.
This time I have used cash+points to try to secure the reservation and possibly apply my Diamond Suite Upgrade cert.
It looks like it will not work. The Diamond Desk is telling me that the Certificate can not be applied to C+P stay. If that is the case it really does not make sense for me to keep the C+P reservation. It's more cost effective to use a full point reservation.
Does anyone have any input on the Diamond Suite Certificates and Cash+Points bookings at this property?
Best Regards
I have a reservation for 5 nights at the property in August.
We have stayed at the PHV in October 2013. We loved it. I had no status at that time and used points.
This time I have used cash+points to try to secure the reservation and possibly apply my Diamond Suite Upgrade cert.
It looks like it will not work. The Diamond Desk is telling me that the Certificate can not be applied to C+P stay. If that is the case it really does not make sense for me to keep the C+P reservation. It's more cost effective to use a full point reservation.
Does anyone have any input on the Diamond Suite Certificates and Cash+Points bookings at this property?
Best Regards
May 8, 2015, 6:27 pm
#2487
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: LAS
Posts: 133
Planning way ahead, but will be going to Paris over Valentine's Day next year. Just the wife and me.
Was planning to book just an award room with full points and take whatever Diamond upgrade is available, but would love to hear some opinions on if P+C and DSU might be worthwhile for 2 people.
Thanks!
Was planning to book just an award room with full points and take whatever Diamond upgrade is available, but would love to hear some opinions on if P+C and DSU might be worthwhile for 2 people.
Thanks!
May 8, 2015, 7:42 pm
#2488
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Hello everyone,
I have a reservation for 5 nights at the property in August.
We have stayed at the PHV in October 2013. We loved it. I had no status at that time and used points.
This time I have used cash+points to try to secure the reservation and possibly apply my Diamond Suite Upgrade cert.
It looks like it will not work. The Diamond Desk is telling me that the Certificate can not be applied to C+P stay. If that is the case it really does not make sense for me to keep the C+P reservation. It's more cost effective to use a full point reservation.
Does anyone have any input on the Diamond Suite Certificates and Cash+Points bookings at this property?
Best Regards
I have a reservation for 5 nights at the property in August.
We have stayed at the PHV in October 2013. We loved it. I had no status at that time and used points.
This time I have used cash+points to try to secure the reservation and possibly apply my Diamond Suite Upgrade cert.
It looks like it will not work. The Diamond Desk is telling me that the Certificate can not be applied to C+P stay. If that is the case it really does not make sense for me to keep the C+P reservation. It's more cost effective to use a full point reservation.
Does anyone have any input on the Diamond Suite Certificates and Cash+Points bookings at this property?
Best Regards
Also, check your math. Say the room is $750 a night. Pay with 30,000 points and you are getting 2.5 cents/point. Now give them $300 and 15,000 points. You are now getting 3.0 cents/point. I try to maximize cents/point.
Planning way ahead, but will be going to Paris over Valentine's Day next year. Just the wife and me.
Was planning to book just an award room with full points and take whatever Diamond upgrade is available, but would love to hear some opinions on if P+C and DSU might be worthwhile for 2 people.
Thanks!
Was planning to book just an award room with full points and take whatever Diamond upgrade is available, but would love to hear some opinions on if P+C and DSU might be worthwhile for 2 people.
Thanks!
May 8, 2015, 8:37 pm
#2489
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Midwest
Programs: Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 757
DSU gets a Park Suite, not executive suite.
May 8, 2015, 9:12 pm
#2490
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Sweet Home Chicago
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 646
Quite right. I converted my booking from a suite on all points to C+P+DSU when I realized this. Plus I'm getting a stay credit with six nights to boot. Well worth it.