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)
#4171
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,991
Ok let's ask that someone who is staying or has a stay coming up take a picture of "the" bar. My contention is walking into say a Courtyard where they are interconnected I will guess that the configuration and optic's look pretty damn close.
#4172
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
Have you been to this new "bar" ? It's a totally different environment - bright, airy, lots of mirrors - compared to Le Bar. The most distressing change for me is the "bartender" was pouring pre-made cocktails. For example, the menu lists maybe 5 or 6 different versions of a Negroni, with different gins, vermouths, and flavorings. All are made elsewhere and the person behind the bar simply pours the pre-mixed drinks from a 1 liter bottle into the pitcher full of ice, gives it a quick stir, and then strains it into the serving glass. The mirrors give one an excellent view behind the bar and there were several shelves of these 1 liter bottles, maybe 20 in all. I'm sure if you order something unusual or off-menu the bartender will attempt to assemble it themselves but we didn't see one example of that in the hour we were sitting at the bar.
#4173
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,600
No respectable bar anywhere would pour premixed cocktails from a bottle, let alone a luxury hotel. I was told by a bartender in a cocktail course to always make sure you can see the bartender mix the cocktail including a clear glass with a shaker. If not, decline the drink and ask for another one.
#4174
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No respectable bar anywhere would pour premixed cocktails from a bottle, let alone a luxury hotel. I was told by a bartender in a cocktail course to always make sure you can see the bartender mix the cocktail including a clear glass with a shaker. If not, decline the drink and ask for another one.
Maybe they couldn’t staff up a customer-facing bartender with “the look” they desire and the knowledge/skill they desire, and so they have someone capable in the back to do the mixing and someone in front with “the look” and “character” to do the drink selling and customer engagement. Specialization and sub-specialization seems to have a market in other fields, so why not with bar service too?
Last edited by GUWonder; Oct 6, 2021 at 2:03 am
#4175
No respectable bar anywhere would pour premixed cocktails from a bottle, let alone a luxury hotel. I was told by a bartender in a cocktail course to always make sure you can see the bartender mix the cocktail including a clear glass with a shaker. If not, decline the drink and ask for another one.
#4177
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,991
No respectable bar anywhere would pour premixed cocktails from a bottle, let alone a luxury hotel. I was told by a bartender in a cocktail course to always make sure you can see the bartender mix the cocktail including a clear glass with a shaker. If not, decline the drink and ask for another one.
#4179
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 2MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,164
#4180
Join Date: Sep 2020
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#4181
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
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Posts: 5,991
#4183
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,991
Actually I am referring to Bombay Sapphire Gin there is Star of Bombay Gin interesting enough same family! While I have not had the pleasure of sipping Star make no doubt it's on my list Covid or not !!
Thank you for bringing that to my attention
#4184
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 58
Hi,
Does anyone know which restaurant is serving the Globalist breakfast? And what time does the breakfast serve until? I see some people were able to get "bonus breakfast" when check-in early (I assume it is complimentary?). Is it something the hotel would kindly offer? Or do we have to ask politely?
Also when we do Guest of Honor reservation, can we apply suite upgrade certificate on the reservation?
Thanks!
Does anyone know which restaurant is serving the Globalist breakfast? And what time does the breakfast serve until? I see some people were able to get "bonus breakfast" when check-in early (I assume it is complimentary?). Is it something the hotel would kindly offer? Or do we have to ask politely?
Also when we do Guest of Honor reservation, can we apply suite upgrade certificate on the reservation?
Thanks!
#4185
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 2MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,164
Hi,
Does anyone know which restaurant is serving the Globalist breakfast? And what time does the breakfast serve until? I see some people were able to get "bonus breakfast" when check-in early (I assume it is complimentary?). Is it something the hotel would kindly offer? Or do we have to ask politely?
Also when we do Guest of Honor reservation, can we apply suite upgrade certificate on the reservation?
Thanks!
Does anyone know which restaurant is serving the Globalist breakfast? And what time does the breakfast serve until? I see some people were able to get "bonus breakfast" when check-in early (I assume it is complimentary?). Is it something the hotel would kindly offer? Or do we have to ask politely?
Also when we do Guest of Honor reservation, can we apply suite upgrade certificate on the reservation?
Thanks!
According to the T&Cs, Complementary Suite Upgrade awards may not be "gifted" to another person.