December at the PH
 

Was at the PH Paris for 5 days in May. Loved it !

Little off topic but has anyone ever been there December.

Booked 4 days in Dec and I am wondering if not a good time of year to be there
The hotel is enough To make the stay enjoyable ,but am I wasting
my points 88 K

Paris in the winter can be beautiful but also can be grey and dreary. The Xmas markets will be up to some extent and the department store decorations will be extremely elaborate as always. If you have time I would suggest taking an overnight trip to Strasbourg to experience a much more extensive French holiday scene with the markets and the town lit up.

I've stayed there in the winter. It's really cold, and the cafes that keep their outdoor areas open enclose them with the thick clear plastic curtains. You can't really do the upper deck of the l'OpenTour buses, unless it's half to brag. There are very limited flowers - flowering cabbages if that - in the gardens. I don't remember the open markets being open, but may be wrong. Not a good time to visit Versailles, St-Denis (cooold!), Giverny, Fontainebleau or Chantilly. A walk over, or the bateau mouche the way it should be done along the Seine can be quite brisk. And the days are really short - Paris is pretty far north.

On the other hand, all the museums are open and light and warm, and there's a lot less waiting. I actually think it's the best time of year to visit Ste-Chapelle because the sunlight comes in sideways. Likewise the rose window in the transept of Notre Dame. It's a nice time for the outdoor arcades on the other side of place Vendome and along rue Rivoli, and the indoor ones beside the Louvre. The metro is warm enough. And one appreciates the fireplace in the PH's lounge a lot, after all.

What would you do?

I'm a Hyatt Platinum and just booked a single award night in a Park Queen (base) room for 22k. We will be travelling with our son who will have just turned 2 by the time we take our trip, but I am quite confident he will still be sleeping in a crib. I tried to select a room for 2 adults + 1 child but it wouldn't let me book an award night that way b/c the Park Queens are only set up for 2 people max. It did, however, let me add the crib request in. To be safe, I emailed the PH (in French!) to explain the situation and ask if there would be enough room in the Park Queen for a crib. I suppose I was hoping, given their stellar reputation for service, that they'd either say "yes" or "no, but I'll make a note to give you a room that does" (nothing special, just a Park Deluxe which has higher capacity of 3 people allowed) Instead, they offered to switch me to a Park Deluxe for an added 120E because "for security reasons" you can't have 3 people in a Park Queen. :( I should have kept my mouth shut. I'm guessing if we'd shown up there, with me having Platinum status, they would have simply taken care of it without asking for the upcharge. But now I have to either accept or decline the offer and cancel the res. Would you pay the 120E or would you be sneaky and get your husband Plat status himself, transfer 22k UR over to him and let him book exactly the same as I did to begin with (2 adults, 0 children, Park Queen, add crib) and just cross our fingers and hope they DO sort it out when we arrive with no added fee?

If I really wanted to stay there, I would do this. ^

FYI, there is no problem having a crib in a Park Queen; my wife and I did this a few months ago. But, I think they are reluctant to put three people in a Park Queen. (Three adults I can see, but why they fuss about the baby, I don't know). Anyway, I had reserved for two adults + crib, and at check in they actually did say that they don't allow 2+baby but they'd do it because "she really is quite a baby". (I think she meant "she really is quite small" -- our daughter was about 7 months at the time.)

So, I'd go what what you describe as the 'sneaky' route. If your child is really sleeping in a crib, it isn't a serious issue. I think they are trying to guard against 5 and 6 year olds trying to 'sneak' into one room.

(FWIW I was also Plat at the time I was at PHV)

Excellent handling of the property. ^

Pay the upcharge and make sure to comply with local regulations to avoid any problems.

Sorry, but platinum status is worthless
 

Everyone who has the Hyatt Visa Card is now platinum. PH Vendome is becoming a real joke for those us having to pay 720 euros...and still charged all those extras as well.

How do you know it's a local regulation? If it's unsafe to have 3 people in a given room, it should be unsafe whether you pay €120 or not. I suspect this is just a moneymaker for the hotel, which doesn't want one or two "full grown" children sleeping in the same bed as the parents to avoid having to get a second room.

By the way, if you ask for a "crib", you will get not only a crib, but some baby bath products, a bottle warmer, a bath seat for the baby, and a training toilet. Nice touches! (Got similar nice baby stuff at the Park Hyatt in Washington DC last month.)

The hotel had offered to upgrade the OP to a Park Deluxe for €120. The Park Deluxe is enough larger that it can accommodate three people.

'tis unfortunate that the OP can't upgrade to a suite for 11K more points, but they only allow suites on points for at least three nights.

Usually though, they don't allow upgrades on points reservations at all.

I kind of wonder what % of the hotel is occupied on points/CC certs. It's obviously an attractive destination for that purpose, and especially now that they have the Hyatt card deal that is based on nights and not points.

I am new to flyertalk and wouldn't normally post on a six month old visit, but I wanted to respond to the question of coming in the winter. I was there on my birthday this year in January and had the most incredible visit. The weather was hovering in the upper 30's but clear skies. Crowds were relatively low and people were happy we were there. We wore black knee length coats, which seemed to be what most Parisians were wearing, because we thought it quite amusing to be asked several times for directions, in French, by people who looked horribly embarrassed when we replied in English!

We had booked a suite using points and were upgraded to the full two room suite overlooking the street. The showers were amazing and I couldn't believe how wonderful they felt after walking for hours around the city. The most amazing experience was their food and wine weekend event of chocolate and wine tasting. It was so much fun and we were given a 5" votive of the signature fragrance as a gift for participating. I burn the candle a few times a week and the scent takes me back immediately.

I read in earlier post that platinum members got breakfast free. Is this true or was a one off exception. Also, will platinums on award stays get any free breakfast benefit?

There is no breakfast benefit for platinums at this Hyatt or any other. A few people got it as an extra favor by the hotel, but it is not anything they are obliged to do, nor should you book assuming that it will happen for you.

Can I upgrade to regency/club room which should provide for complimentary breakfast and evening snack/drinks? Can someone confirm if this is possible at vendome.

No - because this property (like most Park Hyatts) do not have a club lounge.