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)
Jan 3, 2024, 3:39 pm
#4636
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Glob/UA Gold
Posts: 614
I called the general Concierge line, they then called the PH and the PH said there was no availability. I pushed back on that by saying my Corp rate had the suite availability so the concierge went back and asked the PH to block it off and they did, lol. Didn’t really expect that from a corporate owned Hyatt property.
I just don't see my Concierge agreeing to do this, she pretty much sticks to the rules. So maybe the general line is a better option.
Jan 3, 2024, 6:48 pm
#4637
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: PHX and LIH
Programs: AA: 2 MM
Posts: 85,576
Thanks. According to rooms.aero there are no suites available for all of 2024, but available in 2025. There is definitely something going on in Paris. PH Milan, Buenos Aires, and Vienna have lots of suite availability. But several other PH locations have none, so who knows what is going on here. I just know I don't like it.
I just don't see my Concierge agreeing to do this, she pretty much sticks to the rules. So maybe the general line is a better option.
I just don't see my Concierge agreeing to do this, she pretty much sticks to the rules. So maybe the general line is a better option.
Jan 4, 2024, 12:37 am
#4638
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: SFO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Titanium, AA Exec Plat, OZ Diamond Plus
Posts: 358
I think someone mentioned this upthread but another trick for the standard suite to show up at this particular property is to book for 6 days. If the suite truly is available, it will often show up for bookings of 6+ days and then you can cancel whatever days you don’t need.
Thanks. According to rooms.aero there are no suites available for all of 2024, but available in 2025. There is definitely something going on in Paris. PH Milan, Buenos Aires, and Vienna have lots of suite availability. But several other PH locations have none, so who knows what is going on here. I just know I don't like it.
I just don't see my Concierge agreeing to do this, she pretty much sticks to the rules. So maybe the general line is a better option.
I just don't see my Concierge agreeing to do this, she pretty much sticks to the rules. So maybe the general line is a better option.
Jan 13, 2024, 6:01 pm
#4639
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,982
Is this one of the hotels that Hyatt owns (similar to Park Hyatt Chicago)?
Which rooms have 5 de la Paix toiletries and which have Blaise Mautin? Any sign of pump bottles infiltrating the bathrooms yet?
Which rooms have 5 de la Paix toiletries and which have Blaise Mautin? Any sign of pump bottles infiltrating the bathrooms yet?
Jan 14, 2024, 2:56 pm
#4640
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 322
I know rooms across Europe are on the smaller side, but wondering if the Park King Suite is big enough for two adults and a four year old. We're short people so smaller rooms usually aren't an issue, but moving in a rollaway bed definitely changes things.
Jan 15, 2024, 8:41 am
#4641
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,602
I believe all keys now have the big pumps, as per Hyatt's sustainability policy.
Last edited by scented; Jan 15, 2024 at 8:47 am
Jan 15, 2024, 11:20 am
#4642
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 250
I'm here now and there are no big pump bottles in the bath.
Jan 15, 2024, 12:24 pm
#4643
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, Marriott Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 690
Agreed on Bouygues construction and Hyatt ownership but I’ve never seen a big pump including 10 stays in rooms, standard suites and premium suites last year (last 2 in December not yet this year sorry).
Jan 15, 2024, 4:01 pm
#4644
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,318
the one I saw seemed the same size as a standard room plus a huge bathroom. But that was only one.
Jan 19, 2024, 11:06 am
#4646
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
Nope, we had Blaise small bottles 2 weeks ago.
Jan 19, 2024, 1:28 pm
#4647
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist, Marriott Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 690
I love this hotel and will stay 6 times over the next 3 months but unfortunately you’re right…they introduced « rue de la Paix facing » and « balcony » rooms which used to be standard rooms and are not anymore (and only EUR10-20 more so definitely to reduce the award inventory).
Feb 6, 2024, 6:18 pm
#4648
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 135
Adding a recent stay report.
After casually reading reviews of this hotel for the past couple of years, I slightly lowered my expectations for our stay here as the reviews are mixed. We stayed 4 nights last week and had a near-perfect stay. My impressions from reviews and pictures was that I wasn’t a big fan of the style of the hotel, however when we arrived I was quickly won over. Pictures don’t do the hard product justice and it feels pretty high-end. It wouldn’t be the way I’d decorate our home, but it was unique and homey feeling. The location is close to the action but it still feels very quiet and luxurious.
Check-in was quick, they upgraded our Park King Suite (points + TSU) to a Deluxe Suite. The room wasn’t like a suite at all, I wouldn’t even call it a junior suite but it was very nice, large, clean, and quiet. It was on the 5th floor so the ceilings weren’t as high as I’d like, but it featured a huge outdoor terrace with multiple seating options that ran the length of the room with views of Place Vendome. It would be very nice in warmer weather. The electric controls were great and their blackout curtain system is great. They left us a good bottle of champagne, cookies and little cake.
We only ate breakfast at the hotel and it’s legitimately good. It’s a small but high-quality buffet with made-to-order egg dishes. The only miss was the dry and bland avocado toast. Room service arrived on-time and was still hot. Everything was wiped from the bill. I wish I had a chance to check out the bar before they made changes, but there are lots of other great (overpriced) bars in the area. Side note: we went to two high-end bars serving $30+ cocktails that poured pre-mixed cocktails. How is this common at these palace hotel bars??
The spa in the basement is also very nice, although it’s small except for the giant hot tub in the relaxation area. The hammam was a treat; it had stars on the ceiling and eucalyptus scented steam. It was always nice to wrap up the day after walking 10+ miles here.
The thing that surprised me the most was that the service was flawless, one of the best stays we’ve ever had and we’ve stayed at quite a few 5 star properties. During check-in we were greeted by their front desk manager who gave us a tour of the hotel and his card if we need anything. The concierge we worked with (sadly I forgot his name) was incredible - I normally don’t see the point in most concierge services but they managed to get us a difficult restaurant reservation, arrange transportation, remembered our preferences in champagne on the pre-arrival survey and had it delivered to the room, and I once mentioned to him in passing I liked the scent of their toiletries and a bag was delivered to the room with turndown service with a bunch of them to take home with a note. He also helped coordinate my wife to go on a shopping trip that she loved. Once we requested ice and it came maybe 5ish minutes later and they profusely apologized for taking so long. We were always greeted by name when we’d come and go. Room service provided full and thorough service on the room twice a day and always seemed to know exactly when we left. We never saw them once. Service was friendly, efficient and quick at breakfast as well. We had zero complaints on the service the 4 nights we were there.
Overall we loved the property. It was our 8th Park Hyatt and definitely one of our favorites. We also stayed at the SLH Le Narcisse Blanc (book direct, SLH rates seem to always be significantly higher with Hyatt) which was also a great property, but I preferred the PH location.
After casually reading reviews of this hotel for the past couple of years, I slightly lowered my expectations for our stay here as the reviews are mixed. We stayed 4 nights last week and had a near-perfect stay. My impressions from reviews and pictures was that I wasn’t a big fan of the style of the hotel, however when we arrived I was quickly won over. Pictures don’t do the hard product justice and it feels pretty high-end. It wouldn’t be the way I’d decorate our home, but it was unique and homey feeling. The location is close to the action but it still feels very quiet and luxurious.
Check-in was quick, they upgraded our Park King Suite (points + TSU) to a Deluxe Suite. The room wasn’t like a suite at all, I wouldn’t even call it a junior suite but it was very nice, large, clean, and quiet. It was on the 5th floor so the ceilings weren’t as high as I’d like, but it featured a huge outdoor terrace with multiple seating options that ran the length of the room with views of Place Vendome. It would be very nice in warmer weather. The electric controls were great and their blackout curtain system is great. They left us a good bottle of champagne, cookies and little cake.
We only ate breakfast at the hotel and it’s legitimately good. It’s a small but high-quality buffet with made-to-order egg dishes. The only miss was the dry and bland avocado toast. Room service arrived on-time and was still hot. Everything was wiped from the bill. I wish I had a chance to check out the bar before they made changes, but there are lots of other great (overpriced) bars in the area. Side note: we went to two high-end bars serving $30+ cocktails that poured pre-mixed cocktails. How is this common at these palace hotel bars??
The spa in the basement is also very nice, although it’s small except for the giant hot tub in the relaxation area. The hammam was a treat; it had stars on the ceiling and eucalyptus scented steam. It was always nice to wrap up the day after walking 10+ miles here.
The thing that surprised me the most was that the service was flawless, one of the best stays we’ve ever had and we’ve stayed at quite a few 5 star properties. During check-in we were greeted by their front desk manager who gave us a tour of the hotel and his card if we need anything. The concierge we worked with (sadly I forgot his name) was incredible - I normally don’t see the point in most concierge services but they managed to get us a difficult restaurant reservation, arrange transportation, remembered our preferences in champagne on the pre-arrival survey and had it delivered to the room, and I once mentioned to him in passing I liked the scent of their toiletries and a bag was delivered to the room with turndown service with a bunch of them to take home with a note. He also helped coordinate my wife to go on a shopping trip that she loved. Once we requested ice and it came maybe 5ish minutes later and they profusely apologized for taking so long. We were always greeted by name when we’d come and go. Room service provided full and thorough service on the room twice a day and always seemed to know exactly when we left. We never saw them once. Service was friendly, efficient and quick at breakfast as well. We had zero complaints on the service the 4 nights we were there.
Overall we loved the property. It was our 8th Park Hyatt and definitely one of our favorites. We also stayed at the SLH Le Narcisse Blanc (book direct, SLH rates seem to always be significantly higher with Hyatt) which was also a great property, but I preferred the PH location.
Feb 6, 2024, 6:33 pm
#4649
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Philadelphia, LAX, Paris
Programs: UA 1K/2MM, SPG/Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Lifetime HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 3,331
Adding a recent stay report.
After casually reading reviews of this hotel for the past couple of years, I slightly lowered my expectations for our stay here as the reviews are mixed. We stayed 4 nights last week and had a near-perfect stay. My impressions from reviews and pictures was that I wasn’t a big fan of the style of the hotel, however when we arrived I was quickly won over. Pictures don’t do the hard product justice and it feels pretty high-end. It wouldn’t be the way I’d decorate our home, but it was unique and homey feeling. The location is close to the action but it still feels very quiet and luxurious.
Check-in was quick, they upgraded our Park King Suite (points + TSU) to a Deluxe Suite. The room wasn’t like a suite at all, I wouldn’t even call it a junior suite but it was very nice, large, clean, and quiet. It was on the 5th floor so the ceilings weren’t as high as I’d like, but it featured a huge outdoor terrace with multiple seating options that ran the length of the room with views of Place Vendome. It would be very nice in warmer weather. The electric controls were great and their blackout curtain system is great. They left us a good bottle of champagne, cookies and little cake.
We only ate breakfast at the hotel and it’s legitimately good. It’s a small but high-quality buffet with made-to-order egg dishes. The only miss was the dry and bland avocado toast. Room service arrived on-time and was still hot. Everything was wiped from the bill. I wish I had a chance to check out the bar before they made changes, but there are lots of other great (overpriced) bars in the area. Side note: we went to two high-end bars serving $30+ cocktails that poured pre-mixed cocktails. How is this common at these palace hotel bars??
The spa in the basement is also very nice, although it’s small except for the giant hot tub in the relaxation area. The hammam was a treat; it had stars on the ceiling and eucalyptus scented steam. It was always nice to wrap up the day after walking 10+ miles here.
The thing that surprised me the most was that the service was flawless, one of the best stays we’ve ever had and we’ve stayed at quite a few 5 star properties. During check-in we were greeted by their front desk manager who gave us a tour of the hotel and his card if we need anything. The concierge we worked with (sadly I forgot his name) was incredible - I normally don’t see the point in most concierge services but they managed to get us a difficult restaurant reservation, arrange transportation, remembered our preferences in champagne on the pre-arrival survey and had it delivered to the room, and I once mentioned to him in passing I liked the scent of their toiletries and a bag was delivered to the room with turndown service with a bunch of them to take home with a note. He also helped coordinate my wife to go on a shopping trip that she loved. Once we requested ice and it came maybe 5ish minutes later and they profusely apologized for taking so long. We were always greeted by name when we’d come and go. Room service provided full and thorough service on the room twice a day and always seemed to know exactly when we left. We never saw them once. Service was friendly, efficient and quick at breakfast as well. We had zero complaints on the service the 4 nights we were there.
Overall we loved the property. It was our 8th Park Hyatt and definitely one of our favorites. We also stayed at the SLH Le Narcisse Blanc (book direct, SLH rates seem to always be significantly higher with Hyatt) which was also a great property, but I preferred the PH location.
After casually reading reviews of this hotel for the past couple of years, I slightly lowered my expectations for our stay here as the reviews are mixed. We stayed 4 nights last week and had a near-perfect stay. My impressions from reviews and pictures was that I wasn’t a big fan of the style of the hotel, however when we arrived I was quickly won over. Pictures don’t do the hard product justice and it feels pretty high-end. It wouldn’t be the way I’d decorate our home, but it was unique and homey feeling. The location is close to the action but it still feels very quiet and luxurious.
Check-in was quick, they upgraded our Park King Suite (points + TSU) to a Deluxe Suite. The room wasn’t like a suite at all, I wouldn’t even call it a junior suite but it was very nice, large, clean, and quiet. It was on the 5th floor so the ceilings weren’t as high as I’d like, but it featured a huge outdoor terrace with multiple seating options that ran the length of the room with views of Place Vendome. It would be very nice in warmer weather. The electric controls were great and their blackout curtain system is great. They left us a good bottle of champagne, cookies and little cake.
We only ate breakfast at the hotel and it’s legitimately good. It’s a small but high-quality buffet with made-to-order egg dishes. The only miss was the dry and bland avocado toast. Room service arrived on-time and was still hot. Everything was wiped from the bill. I wish I had a chance to check out the bar before they made changes, but there are lots of other great (overpriced) bars in the area. Side note: we went to two high-end bars serving $30+ cocktails that poured pre-mixed cocktails. How is this common at these palace hotel bars??
The spa in the basement is also very nice, although it’s small except for the giant hot tub in the relaxation area. The hammam was a treat; it had stars on the ceiling and eucalyptus scented steam. It was always nice to wrap up the day after walking 10+ miles here.
The thing that surprised me the most was that the service was flawless, one of the best stays we’ve ever had and we’ve stayed at quite a few 5 star properties. During check-in we were greeted by their front desk manager who gave us a tour of the hotel and his card if we need anything. The concierge we worked with (sadly I forgot his name) was incredible - I normally don’t see the point in most concierge services but they managed to get us a difficult restaurant reservation, arrange transportation, remembered our preferences in champagne on the pre-arrival survey and had it delivered to the room, and I once mentioned to him in passing I liked the scent of their toiletries and a bag was delivered to the room with turndown service with a bunch of them to take home with a note. He also helped coordinate my wife to go on a shopping trip that she loved. Once we requested ice and it came maybe 5ish minutes later and they profusely apologized for taking so long. We were always greeted by name when we’d come and go. Room service provided full and thorough service on the room twice a day and always seemed to know exactly when we left. We never saw them once. Service was friendly, efficient and quick at breakfast as well. We had zero complaints on the service the 4 nights we were there.
Overall we loved the property. It was our 8th Park Hyatt and definitely one of our favorites. We also stayed at the SLH Le Narcisse Blanc (book direct, SLH rates seem to always be significantly higher with Hyatt) which was also a great property, but I preferred the PH location.
If you like the experience here, then you should try the Park Hyatt Bangkok as it offer as very similar wonderful experience at the other side of the world! I will be there in a few weeks and I can’t wait!
Feb 7, 2024, 2:23 am
#4650
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
Great the hotel looks to still be able to perform - even if irregularly.
And Americans, please stop ordering avocado toast in Paris. It is just almost never going to work out well for you.
And Americans, please stop ordering avocado toast in Paris. It is just almost never going to work out well for you.