libertyjake

I'm in town for 5 days with family and friends, spread between 3 rooms. We just checked in today. The check-in was simple, although I expected an upgraded room as a Platinum member over the "executive room" I booked (it would have also been nice to have been directed up to the Club President level to check-in), but that didn't happen. The decor is very chic and the property appears to be mostly renovated throughout (I believe they are finishing the final two floors up in the next month or so).

We found the room to have a really cool recessed flat screen TV, modern furnishings, high end bath fixtures, etc...the new Le Meridien bed isn't as comfortable (it is firmer and sheets are a little scratchier) as the many Westin Heavenly beds I have stayed in, but it is still very nice. They have a large 24 hour room service menu and a nicely stocked mini-bar which are always handy for the late night munchies...my partner and I were frustrated because the temperature control in the room is very limited, thankfully our window could be opened a little, otherwise we would have burnt up!

One other small thing...they don't offer a super express laundry option after 9am...we checked in after 4pm on the 3rd leg of a 12 day trip with a bunch of dirty clothes...we have found many hotels (even the Hilton Prague) that offer 3-4 hour express service, but we were told the soonest we could get our clothes back was the next afternoon.

The Club President lounge wasn't at all inspiring when we checked it out after getting settled into our room, especially coming from our last hotel -- the Hilton Prague. The Hilton Prague Executive Lounge had probably the most professional & well stocked club lounge I have ever seen -- it rivaled the amenities of the American/British Airways first class lounges! The Etoile President lounge didn't have free booze, but did have what appeared to be tea and a couple of appetizers that looked as if they had been left out an hour or two too long.

The Le Meridien staff has been friendly so far, and as I said, the renovated rooms are quite nice, even though they are a tad smaller than what we are used to...the Le Meridien Etoile is about 120 Euro cheaper per night than the Westin Paris that I was also considering. For 360 Euro per day (over the 3 rooms), we can take taxis down to the Louvre and the other touristy places we want to see.

Land-of-Miles

I agree that the Etoile as a property has its faults and that the Presidents club is not necessarily a strongpoint but there is no way that the Exec Lounge at the Hilton Prague in any way shape or form resembles one of the BA F Lounges at LHR. More like a distant outstation. We stayed at the Hilton last weekend (my 5th stay in total) and aside from a nice line in gin (Tanqueray and Bombay Sapphire) I was rather underwhelmed. Many SPG properties have better lounge propositions IMHO.

libertyjake

LOL! Your correct the Hilton Prague Executive Lounge didn't have the sleek leather furniture & high ceilings of the nicest BA lounge you could have picked to compare it to...but their furniture was comfortable cloth that made the lounge a more welcoming place to rest up versus a place for all the pretty people to gather and look at one another. It had an extensive breakfast buffet, a larger free hot meal menu than the BA first lounge. The non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverage options were very much on par (40+ liquor options plus appropriate mixers)...each evening they had a few wine selections & 2 champagne selections, and hot & cold menu items & several desserts. The people staffing the lounge were infinitely more polite, friendly, and helpful than the BA first lounge that I enjoyed for about 6 hours at the start of this same strip. Their free breakfast service included tables with silverware, cloth napkins, and the staff kept the coffee & juice cups full...something I did NOT experience at the BA first lounge where me and my friends had to find a leather adorned stool to squat on and eat because they didn't have enough tables. They had a dozen newspapers, a separate smoking lounge (good luck finding that in the BA first lounge -- our smoking friends had to pull some strings to get airport employees to take them out the back way for a smoke), and the Hilton Exec bathrooms didn't stink like the BA lounges. All that for a HOTEL lounge at a chain that is renowned for being business class properties (at least in the US) in a 2nd tier European city versus the flagship first class lounge at one of the busiest airports in the world. It was a pleasant surprise for the 7 of us in our party, as it was for 10 or so other posters in the Hilton Prague thread.

And yes, I agree Starwood properties are generally nicer (and if they had one in Prague, that is where I would have stayed), however I have yet to find a club level lounge even at one of the many, many Starwood properties I have stayed at that essentially functions as a comfortable & welcoming free restaurant & bar like the Hilton Prague Exec Lounge does. And if I wanted the extra glitz, I could have stepped upstairs to their brand new Cloud 9 club addiition.

ben1040

Stayed here twice in the last week and a half or so -- for our honeymoon my wife and I went out to Paris, took a night in Versailles, and then came back for four more nights.

For the first stay we were upgraded to a suite on the 6th floor. This "suite" was an adjoining room which had a couch (with pull out sofa inside) and second bathroom. As the standard rooms are small it was nice to have a place other than the bed to sit and watch TV or eat.

The 6th floor room, we were told, had just been renovated two months ago. The furniture was very sleek and modern. I'm assuming these are the "executive" rooms.

For the second we were moved up to a club level room on the 9th floor. The 9th floor, or at least this particular room, hasn't been renovated yet. The decor looked very 1980s -- leopard print carpet! The decor was tired but the room was in good shape otherwise.

The special check-in desk at the club lounge was a convenient (especially for checking out), but I wish there was a way to know ahead of time that you could use it if you hadn't booked a club room. We went to the main reception area to check in, and after waiting in line, the agent looked at the reservation and sent us upstairs to get our keys.

My only caution about this place would be that if you're a light sleeper, ask for a room that does not look out over the front of the hotel. The room for the first stay was on the front, and when fire engines and motorcycles came barreling down the street, it sounded like they were right in the room. Our next room was in the back, and it was significantly quieter. Since the front of the hotel looks westward away from the central city, the view out the front isn't anything special anyway.

stimpy

At this hotel, I don't bother with getting directed. I just head straight up to the Club check in. It sometimes confuses them, but if you are Platinum you have the right to do so.

sc flier

I have a 3-night stay coming up here. I'm pleased that they've finished renovations, but I am disappointed about the last part mentioned on the hotel's Announcements page.
I might be willing to take advantage of this next benefit, though, if I'm upgraded to an Executive room. From the Guest Rooms page:Webpage showing the new Executive Room. The Open Studio on the 7th floor sounds much like the setup for the Link@Sheraton.

JonathanIT

Wow, that is a disappointment... no lounge?!

I'm booked there for four nights in a few weeks. I think I will keep trying to see if I can extend my stay at the Hyatt Madeleine at the beginning of my stay (I would like to burn my FFN's anyway).

Will they offer breakfast for Platinum members somewhere else since there is no lounge?

CIT85

You mean Platinum members for SPG.

The lack of a lounge would be a major setback for this hotel for consideration. I've selected this hotel over the LM Montparnasse in the past because of the lounge, especially since LM Pontparnasse has larger suites while JM Etoile does not have suites for upgrades. I wouldn't be surprised if there is no free breakfast for Plat members once the lounge is gone, since free breakfast is not a standard Plat benefit at Le Meridien hotels.

vindesante

"Le Méridien's flagship hotel in Paris is offering stays for only Ł107 (€119) per room, per night (inc tax) for Travelzoo subscribers. This is a saving of up to 70% on regular rates at Le Méridien Etoile, located near the Champs Elysées in Paris.

Not only is this the best price we found for a Parisian hotel of this calibre, you'll also receive a FREE upgrade to an impressive Deluxe Room, FREE access to Le Palais de Tokyo (a contemporary art gallery) and a Paris kit including a Paris map and a 10% discount at the famous Galeries Lafayette department store, where you could see a fashion show*.

What we especially like about this offer is its wide availability until the end of summer - 28 August.

Blackout dates: 2-4, 18-20, 27 March; 20-24 April; weekdays in June (the offer is available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in June); 1, 28-30 July; 1-2 August.

How to book: Click here to make an online booking with Le Méridien Etoile, or call
00 33 1 40 55 67 89 and mention the promotional code TVLZOO. Note: When booking, the price will appear in euros, including taxes, at €119."

sc flier

LM Etoile Instant Awards offer:Prices shown after clicking on the "Reserve" buttons are all less. For example:

Forstbetrieb

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JonathanIT

I had a two night stay (free weekend promo nights) there a week ago (Valentine's Day weekend). I was upgraded to one of the new Executive Rooms (after my request for a Junior Suite was denied). The room is just as it appears in the photos, with new decor and VERY small. I guess I was just spoiled after our huge room at the Hyatt Regency Madeleine! lol. Maybe it is typical size for Paris, but it was very tight. Our luggage barely fit in the room.

Another thing I don't like about the "new" decor: the TV is behind some tinted glass (I guess to look "cool" when it's not being used?). It has the look of being hidden behind mirrored glass. The problem is it makes the picture very dim and hard to see! Not such a great idea.

The Open Studio was somewhat of a joke, it is an area on the 7th floor of the hotel that has some tables and chairs, with just two computers... only one of which was working!

The "express laundry services at no extra cost" was also a disappointment: the laundry service is not free; the "no extra cost" refers to the "express" upcharge on the regular laundry service that is apparently 10€, and waived for Executive Room level guests. Very misleading if you ask me.

Of course, no breakfast offered with no lounge. I dunno, I really get used to the free breakfast at Hyatt and Hilton when traveling in Europe. It really is a valuable benefit. When upgrades aren't that impressive, I don't know how SPG Platinum expects to compete.

cooperhs

We recently stayed there on a PL rate. We took the Executive Room upgrade ( I forgot what they were going to charge), and immediately came back down to go to the (larger) regular room, with a better view. The regular room was very nice--more than adequate.

BobbySteel

I stayed here this past week and was really pleasantly surprised after reading some of the earlier comments.

I was upgraded to a 4th floor suite (two rooms adjoining). The furniture and room seemed fairly new and the bed was comfortable. I think these rooms seem small since they cram a queen size bed into European-style rooms, which really were built for twin sized beds. The room felt a bit tight but it was fine for me.

The staff however was really exceptional. I have found management to be pretty hit-or-miss across Europe SPG properties but this one was exceptional. The night manager came out to greet me personally and the staff was extremely helpful and courteous during check out as well. It was really a differentiator and something that will make me come here again next time I'm in town. I like the Prince de Galles for personal stays but for business this one works well (and is right off Subway Line #1).

TheBrownGuy

Just spent Friday night there and it was muuuuch better than my night a the Meridien Montparnase the last time I was in Paris.

- Location is great... 10 minute walk to the Champs Elysee.
- The manager came out to say hello (as I'm Platinum), and was able to get a room for my colleague at a great rate (better than mine, actually).
- Terminals available for free internet use on the SPG Floors.

Very pleased with my stay.

TBG