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)
Apr 25, 2017, 6:55 pm
#3451
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM
Posts: 85,568
Just completed a 3-night stay here on all points w/ TSU.
While the hotel itself is nice, as a Hyatt loyalist this was a one-time 'glad I got to experience it and see what they hype was all about' property to me.
While I did not have a bad experience like those most recently mentioned above (power outages, noise, etc.) I also can't think of one positive thing that would sway me to spend the money or points (or both) to stay at this property again.
For those who ask about using the free night awards I would say:
If you do not travel often and Paris is going to be your 'big trip' or only vacation for the year, then yes, maybe I would consider using them as you can definitely do a lot worse than a few free nights at the PHV. However, if you travel often, I would 100% stay somewhere else and save the free nights for another property.
just my $0.02
While the hotel itself is nice, as a Hyatt loyalist this was a one-time 'glad I got to experience it and see what they hype was all about' property to me.
While I did not have a bad experience like those most recently mentioned above (power outages, noise, etc.) I also can't think of one positive thing that would sway me to spend the money or points (or both) to stay at this property again.
For those who ask about using the free night awards I would say:
If you do not travel often and Paris is going to be your 'big trip' or only vacation for the year, then yes, maybe I would consider using them as you can definitely do a lot worse than a few free nights at the PHV. However, if you travel often, I would 100% stay somewhere else and save the free nights for another property.
just my $0.02
Apr 26, 2017, 5:50 am
#3452
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
Just listing a real person with the front desk works just fine. I sometimes order breakfast for two at this property in anticipation of another guest arriving. Never had a problem because of this, even when the breakfast went "bad" before the other guest arrived or didn't.
Apr 26, 2017, 11:16 am
#3453
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: Jeff is Deaf
Posts: 541
Just listing a real person with the front desk works just fine. I sometimes order breakfast for two at this property in anticipation of another guest arriving. Never had a problem because of this, even when the breakfast went "bad" before the other guest arrived or didn't.
Considering also I travel to Japan quite a bit, double occupancy has always been much more expensive then single occupancy. Also found this in various non-chain hotels in Europe.
Apr 26, 2017, 1:20 pm
#3454
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 286
For what its worth, the breakfast in the restaurant includes everything on the room service menu (The American Breakfast) + the buffet. So you'd be able to actually just eat as much as you wanted minus ordering two egg dishes.
May 2, 2017, 3:25 am
#3455
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, SQ PPS Solitaire
Posts: 3,599
Stayed at PHV over the weekend and got a private tour of the rooms under renovation by the GM. Currently all rooms facing Rue de la Paix are closed for renovation.
Key changes: All rooms will get sofas that are featured in the current Diplomat Suite. TVs will all disappear behind mirrors and rooms will get additional smoked mirrors to give a more spacious feeling. Desk and the wardrobes will get black marble surfaces. The shower will get a new graphite flooring. Carpets will be in a brighter gold tone. Suites will get textile wallpapers. They will create a new suite category that will use the space of the current Executive Suites differently (bigger living room and smaller second bathroom). The result is a welcome and much needed refresh without changing the character of PHV too much.
Key changes: All rooms will get sofas that are featured in the current Diplomat Suite. TVs will all disappear behind mirrors and rooms will get additional smoked mirrors to give a more spacious feeling. Desk and the wardrobes will get black marble surfaces. The shower will get a new graphite flooring. Carpets will be in a brighter gold tone. Suites will get textile wallpapers. They will create a new suite category that will use the space of the current Executive Suites differently (bigger living room and smaller second bathroom). The result is a welcome and much needed refresh without changing the character of PHV too much.
May 2, 2017, 4:34 am
#3456
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
Stayed at PHV over the weekend and got a private tour of the rooms under renovation by the GM. Currently all rooms facing Rue de la Paix are closed for renovation.
Key changes: All rooms will get sofas that are featured in the current Diplomat Suite. TVs will all disappear behind mirrors and rooms will get additional smoked mirrors to give a more spacious feeling. Desk and the wardrobes will get black marble surfaces. The shower will get a new graphite flooring. Carpets will be in a brighter gold tone. Suites will get textile wallpapers. They will create a new suite category that will use the space of the current Executive Suites differently (bigger living room and smaller second bathroom). The result is a welcome and much needed refresh without changing the character of PHV too much.
Key changes: All rooms will get sofas that are featured in the current Diplomat Suite. TVs will all disappear behind mirrors and rooms will get additional smoked mirrors to give a more spacious feeling. Desk and the wardrobes will get black marble surfaces. The shower will get a new graphite flooring. Carpets will be in a brighter gold tone. Suites will get textile wallpapers. They will create a new suite category that will use the space of the current Executive Suites differently (bigger living room and smaller second bathroom). The result is a welcome and much needed refresh without changing the character of PHV too much.
fdw
May 2, 2017, 11:16 am
#3457
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 849
May 2, 2017, 5:40 pm
#3458
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, SQ PPS Solitaire
Posts: 3,599
May 3, 2017, 8:33 am
#3461
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 220
So I booked Park queen on award night and it obviously was not fit for two adults and one child. Emailed hotel and was given offer of upgrading to Park King for 100 Euro a night (staying 2 nights). I did it. Was that a good offer? or rather standard upgrade offer? so at the end I spend 60k points and 200 euros for 2 night stay.
Also, new upgraded reservation doesn't reflect a Kid in itinerary, but reflects correct room. Should I tell them to add the kid, just incase if kid is eligible for something nice at check in?
Also, new upgraded reservation doesn't reflect a Kid in itinerary, but reflects correct room. Should I tell them to add the kid, just incase if kid is eligible for something nice at check in?
May 3, 2017, 11:41 am
#3463
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,991
May 4, 2017, 10:00 pm
#3465
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 220
Its going to be couple days when french open is being played, so occupancy will be tight and that's why I am not hoping for any room upgrades. Maybe I could ask for breakfast, but not sure how "asking" will look?