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)
Nov 28, 2021, 2:54 pm
#4231
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Sonoma
Programs: Several here and there, but not as many during my road warrior days!
Posts: 715
My guess is that some previous hotel guest brought their own pillow and left it behind by mistake, perhaps taking one of the hotel's pillows upon departure. [One could cynically wonder whether it was premeditated or whether the guest bought the IKEA pillow in Paris when they decided that they really liked the PHV pillows.] Unfortunately the housekeepers didn't notice that it wasn't a hotel pillow.
Recently I had something similar in a HR in the USA. My room was supposed to be defeathered and when I investigated, I found some horrible feather pillow with a beige cover under all the layers of white linens. It clearly wasn't a pillow that would have been part of the hotel's stock.
Things happen.
Recently I had something similar in a HR in the USA. My room was supposed to be defeathered and when I investigated, I found some horrible feather pillow with a beige cover under all the layers of white linens. It clearly wasn't a pillow that would have been part of the hotel's stock.
Things happen.
Nov 28, 2021, 2:55 pm
#4232
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Sonoma
Programs: Several here and there, but not as many during my road warrior days!
Posts: 715
Nov 28, 2021, 5:37 pm
#4233
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,992
I sincerely hope the Hyatt Lurker reads this set of post!! And then has the respect for all of us to reply to this? I mean really Ikea pillows in a Palace? Oh where have you gone Paris?
I know what I would call this but with respect to all the regulars here will not
Nov 30, 2021, 11:06 am
#4234
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,347
Can we add to the wiki the cost of the PCR tests? It's hundred eu for onsite. Compare that to fifty eu onsite at the HR Etoile. Guess there's a luxury tax. Antigen not offered on site. At least the PH Vienna was reasonable with their pricing and offered comp antigen tests.
Dec 2, 2021, 11:40 am
#4235
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Plat, IHG Diamond
Posts: 23
Can we add to the wiki the cost of the PCR tests? It's hundred eu for onsite. Compare that to fifty eu onsite at the HR Etoile. Guess there's a luxury tax. Antigen not offered on site. At least the PH Vienna was reasonable with their pricing and offered comp antigen tests.
Dec 2, 2021, 3:47 pm
#4237
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,917
Dec 3, 2021, 8:09 am
#4240
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,992
Dec 3, 2021, 2:29 pm
#4241
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
If you want to do the test in your room and can plan ahead, there are monitored self tests (eMed for example IIRC) for about the pharmacy price that the USA accepts.
Dec 4, 2021, 1:01 pm
#4242
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Dec 6, 2021, 4:12 pm
#4243
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 192
Stayed here for the Thanksgiving week. As with other posters, I am in full agreement with the general direction of the PH brand.
Nothing stood out bad, but nothing stood out as GOOD either.
Building and rooms are dated. Service is stuffy.
Food is just okay....
I mean, aside from the location to St Rue Honore and other shopping venues, there is no big PRO for this hotel.
If I had to pay cash rate, I'd stay elsewhere.
In fact, I'd probably avoid this particular hotel in the future trip to Paris, even on points.
Nothing stood out bad, but nothing stood out as GOOD either.
Building and rooms are dated. Service is stuffy.
Food is just okay....
I mean, aside from the location to St Rue Honore and other shopping venues, there is no big PRO for this hotel.
If I had to pay cash rate, I'd stay elsewhere.
In fact, I'd probably avoid this particular hotel in the future trip to Paris, even on points.
Dec 8, 2021, 6:44 am
#4245
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, Marriott Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 690
Going tonight.
Used a TSU to get upgraded from a King Room to a King Suite and got double upgraded (yesterday) to an Executive Suite nice!
Used a TSU to get upgraded from a King Room to a King Suite and got double upgraded (yesterday) to an Executive Suite nice!
Last edited by Sophoclefr; Dec 8, 2021 at 7:50 am