bhrubin

For Hyatt Diamonds, as I am, using points to stay at the PH Vendome, I agree that the PH Vendome is the best value proposition in Paris. Without question! But I also think it may be the best value proposition for anyone using points, since it's the most pricey of the options giving award redemptions. For anyone using the Hyatt Visa's 2 free nights, the PH is the best value of them all.

For SPG Platinums, as I am, I'd say the Westin Vendome is the best value proposition in Paris, though some will argue for the Prince de Galles and the W Opera. The Westin is just a few blocks from the Park Hyatt. The redemption is lower in points (though SPG points are harder to come by). For SPG Plat, you can redeem points or pay for a standard room and, in lower season, expect to get upgraded, often to a junior suite which costs far more.

Marriott sucks in Paris, IMO. No Ritz, even.

MikeFromTokyo

I no longer am Diamond with Hyatt, but still think PH Vendome is a great value. I get the same benefits through Virtuoso or FHR on paid nights anyway.

Marriott is certainly unappealing in Paris. The Ritz should be very nice after renovation, but of course there will be no affiliation with Marriott/Ritz-Carlton.

jarta

My wife and I just returned from 6 nights at the Prince de Galles. I am SPG Platinum. I used Starpoints for the stay.

Upgraded without asking to a large ( around 600 sq. ft.) room on the internal courtyard. 7th floor; there are only 8. It had a balcony almost the same size as the entire room. Free Wi-Fi worked well. Breakfast was Continental only (or credit against menu), but the 5 varieties of pastries were very tasty.

High cost in Starpoints. Worth it for many, many little reasons. Beautiful renovation. Accommodating front desk staff. Competent and friendly concierge staff. Great location. Elegant without being too stuffy. Great stay at a great hotel.

ninjatim

I'm planning on a 5 days (points+cash) stay here in oct/nov. I'm only gold, so hoping/wishing for an upgrade, fingers crossed.

Just wondering whats the best way to get to his hotel from CDG? I'll be landing at 7.40am.

dingo

Read the mixed reviews in the thread, after similar mixed reviews of the next best Starwood (Westin).

Curious if anyone who has received an upgrade had a two room bed, sofa bed (gasp), or has travelled with a kiddo. Always tough to figure out accommodations for children.

owner1

We had a wonderful stay for our anniversary. I am SPG Plat and used an SNA more a suite upgrade so glad we did. Hotel outstanding and the staff and service was wonderful...

superangrypenguin

Stayed here for my honeymoon last year. Redeemed two nights on points and the rest in cash. Got a suite upgrade as a Plat but had to keep on asking and asking and asking. Once I got there, they offered us a drink and said that I would be in a suite for only two nights. Thankfully, I had screenshots printed that showed me in a suite for both separate reservations (two different managers upgraded the two separately), but when I checked in, my 5 night in cash was bumped down to a regular room. Thankfully the DM honored what was printed and I was in a suite for the week.

Rooms facing the courtyard can get noisy at this property (French love to party?). Breakfast was free as a Plat, and when I had something hot (not cont'l) I wasn't charged.

All in all, getting into a suite is tough, but the service/rooms were awesome! PS we stayed basically when they reopened, and the dust was terrible!!

almostfrench0612

We stayed at the Prince de Galles last summer with our 2 small children and received a complimentary upgrade to a suite. It was amazing and very much appreciated given it rained pretty much the entire time. There is a sofa bed in the living room which they made every evening for the kids. They will also deliver your breakfast to the room (we just chose the platinum complimentary breakfast but for EUR 10 more or so you can get eggs etc) which is really nice. Highly recommend it if you are staying with kids and we will definitely be back (would probably use an SNA next time just to give better chance of an upgrade). We have stayed at both the Westin and W and they are not nearly as nice.

sscott77

Stayed here in November and was upgraded to a 2 room suite. There was a sofa in the sitting room, but I do not think it was a sofa bed.

the room was quite nice. The shower smelled of mildew. the platinum breakfast was weak. Location was great.

dingo

Thanks; love the info and the honesty all around.

ninjatim

Stayed at end of Nov '14 for 5 days. Checked in via Spg counter, I'm only gold and had booked with points+cash so got the basic room. So I was just hoping for upgrade but was told it was full, however I was offered a balcony room, which I guess is better than nothing. Told me my room won't be ready for another hr and offered drink card to use at the bar in the mean time. Told them I'll just wait in the lobby as it was too early to be in the bar, so they played around for few mins and found me a room. Seemed like they just wanted me to spend more money in the bar while waiting for a room which was already done. This was prob the only negative about the hotel, otherwise the rest of the stay was perfect.

The concierge approached us while checking in and introduced himself and gave us a tour of the hotel, which I thought was a very nice touch. He explained the remodel and the art deco style, took us to the restaurant, courtyard, etc, then took us to our room. Very nice touch. Saw another couple getting a tour so I assume they do this with all guess or only SPG members?

Try to get a high level room because I heard a customer complaining on check out that he heard the rubbish trucks each morning or something which kept waking him up as he was on the 1st/2nd floor.

Stayed in Sharton Park Tower (LCH), Knightsbridge, London after Paris and the service was nothing compared to Prince de Galles.

Kagehitokiri

PDG virtuoso promo >
http://www.virtuoso.com/promotions/1...4th-night-free
http://www.virtuoso.com/hotels/12293...property-rates
this is NOT a link to a travel agency. it is a link to virtuoso site, which is a program which travel agents can belong to. clients booking with those agents receive benefits.

always >
i see this, others have to be asked about >

trickless

We recently returned from the PdG and it was a good stay. We had a Mosaic suite, as booked (no Gold upgrade) and were facing the interior courtyard on the 2nd floor. Music was very loud each night until about midnight, but we travel with a white noise generator and it didn't disturb us much. Not that I was thrilled about it.

The hotel is beautiful and accessible. I never felt out of place there, and the staff was truly accommodating.

We had dinner next door at Le Cinq - the George V is a gorgeous hotel but definitely has a different vibe. Dinner was fabulous, FYI.

thenumblehigwoo

I'll be staying in Paris (my first time!) towards the end of March with my wife and I'm trying to decide between the PH Vendome and PDG for 3 nights. I only have base status with both Hyatt and Starwood, unfortunately, so I think my odds of being upgraded to anything beyond the standard room is basically nil. Interestingly, the cost of the nights that I am there is only $759 per night for the PH Vendome (I was under the impression it was much more) and $1089 per night for PDG. However, I will be using points for the stay regardless of which hotel I am at (170k Starwood and 200k Hyatt).

A few questions I had -
1) for the base rooms, is there an appreciable difference in the room sizes? Not just the square footage but the layouts? Or is this an unanswerable question because each room is different? I'm also not going to Paris with the expectation that we are going to have huge rooms - I know the rooms in general are smaller compared to other places.

2) Which location is "better" for a first time tourist who, on this short trip, really only has time to hit the highlights?

3) How does the PH Vendome compare to Park Hyatt Istanbul (we loved our stay in Istanbul but I get the sense that the PH Vendome style is a bit more classic?)

4) What is the style of PDG? My wife and I loved our stays at Royal Hawaiian and Westin Palace, not necessarily because the hotels/rooms were the greatest but because both hotels have a classy/historical air about them. I have the sense that PDG is probably a much better property than either of these, but any frame of reference comparison would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance!!

trickless

I stayed at the PDG in April. The location is excellent - walking distance to many sights and easy enough Metro access. The style is Art Deco, and it's very well done. Concierge was comfortably relaxed and very useful.

I cannot draw comparisons to the PH Vendome as I haven't stayed there, but hope this is helpful.