Mm2862

I am taking my family to London and Paris this summer. This is my 22 year old daughter’s college graduation present 35th anniversary for my wife and me. Our 16 year old son is also along. Questions:

1. Best luxury hotel choice for us? Our TA suggested Taj at 51 Buckingham Gate, but I think we might want a hotel with more activity and a cool hotel bar. I have stayed at the Dorchester and loved it, but am curious about other choices in the top tier. Suggestions, please. The Connaught and Rosewood intrigue me.
2. As to Paris, my wife and I stayed at the Plaza Athenee ten years ago for our 25th anniversary, and they upgraded us from a deluxe double to the Sex and the City Suite. It was just insane! My TA is a heavy hitter in the Virtuoso world and she told them we were her special clients, but wow! The entire stay was just perfect. Having said this, should we go back to Plaza Athenee for our 35th? Will they remember us?

Otherwise, I am wondering about the Crillon and the Ritz, since they have renovated since we last saw Paris. I have always wanted to spend some quality time with Colin Field and sit where Papa Hemingway held court.

in short, looking for memorable hotels which ooze history without stuffiness, have great hotel bars and have energy and activity.

SojournsOf

I'm surprised your TA suggested the Taj in London. I would never and Victoria is an odd location IMO. I love the Connaught. The Beaumont is also great and they look after guests very well.

Crillon or Ritz would be right in Paris. You could also look at La Reserve, the hotel bar may not have much of a vibe - a bit more residential here. For something different, I like Hotel Lutetia - it would tick all your boxes (the bar is amazing) if you were open to the Left Bank. I had a client say it was one of his favorite hotel stays ever. I don't love the Golden Triangle as a location, so that would rule out Plaza Athenee for me.

Jerkstore

The Lanesborough in London is the only place my family and I will stay. The service is exceptional and everyone is ridiculously nice. I cannot find a reason to go anywhere else. Location is great, too. I will die on the "Lanesborough is The Best" hill.

For Paris, I have never stated at the Ritz, but I drink there every time I go and they always treat me very nicely and not as an outsider. They even offered me the house RR to get a ride to Epicure (so I was not even a guest, and they were bringing me to another hotel) The Crillon did not give me the same vibes (and basically asked me to leave when I was walking around). I bet it would be different if I stayed there. But I would do the Ritz if it were me. And the Ritz hotel bars are really neat. Side note - I am staying 6 nights at the Crillon in August so my opinion may change.

sophialite

I would honestly never consider the Ritz for Paris. The restaurants and bars (like Bar Hemingway) are tourist traps, and the rooms are whatever.

If I was to stay somewhere other than the Crillon, I’d do the George Cinq.

edit: just to be clear, that’s my situation. Don’t know about the Pen or La Reserve or MO. Have heard good things but never really considered them.

KatW

In Paris, of the grand palaces, I prefer Le Bristol. It’s well situated, elegant and tasteful, fab bar, central courtyard and tip-top service and extraordinary concierges. Concur on the Lanesborough which is part of the Oetker Collection as is Le Bristol.

https://www.oetkercollection.com/hot...bristol-paris/

EuropeanPete

At the end of the market you’re looking for, the modernity/ styling and aesthetics of the hotel is IMO a big deciding factor. As per comments here some people love the Lanesborough, but to me the rooms look like the house of someone’s grandmother who hasn’t redecorated since the 1950s.

I’d take a view on that and use it to inform which hotel you go with (I’d say the appropriate hotels will pretty much present themselves). Personally, I’d do a modern room in the Connaught and with the right budget a nice room at the Crillon.

Pausanias

Due to the wide range of responses I'd guess the OP might regret asking the question. However, I will chip in with a London recommendation and that's the Corinthian. It has a fab location, a buzzy ambience, on-trend restaurants and a superb pool and spa which might make it more appealing to the OP's kids than something like the Connaught. Walk out of the Corinthian and you are right by the river and also Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery.

RichardInSF

Half of the rooms at the Corinthian face inwards and not only have no view, they have no mobile signal either. Also the difference between all the grades of room from entry level to junior suite is just that the room gets a little larger. You have to go to deluxe junior suite to get something different, but all deluxe junior suites, yes, all of them, face inwards.

sophialite

Absolutely depends on vibe and location IMO. Generally, I like the Connaught (in the modern wing) and Cafe Royale.

Taj51 can be decent because it has an internal courtyard that's safer for kids to run around in. But the rooms there only get good if you take one of the serviced apartments (and that too each one is different). Unless you have experience with the property I would recommend against it.

Stgermainparis

We absolutely loved The Goring in London. More boutique style hotel but so elegant. It’s where Kate Middleton stayed before her wedding. Fantastic location, too. They have a garden gin bar outside. Nice bar inside also. And fantastic Michelin restaurant.

For Paris, I like the Ritz, esp for location. Our last trip we stayed at Le Meurice and it was nice but not the level of the others (Crillon, George V, Ritz).

erik123

With a 22 and 16 yr old I'd also look into some of the private clubs - e.g. for London, Soho house has many options. Might be a trendier vibe and better people watching.

Pausanias

That didn't bother me as inward facing rooms are quiet and I doubt if many luxury London hotels have great views anyway, seeing how narrow the streets are. A river suite at the Savoy, park view at the MO or Dorchester would be exceptions but if you really want a proper view go to the Hilton on Park Lane. And as I might be the only person in the UK without a mobile phone the lack of a signal wouldn't bother me but I can see that might be a problem for some people.

I can't imagine many teenagers being exactly happy at a place like the Connaught or the Goring.

Mm2862

I feel like we are narrowed down to the Connaught and the Rosewood in London, Ritz versus Crillon in Paris. I’m a bit concerned my 16 year old son is going to react adversely to the foo foo factory at the Paris Hotels. Maybe the Park Hyatt or Bristol would suit him better?

obscure2k

The PH does have a little more youthful vibe than the Ritz or Crillon. The Bristol has a pool, so that might be another factor to consider.

erik123

I'd ask your wife and kids what they like as those hotels all sound very stuffy to me.