cooperhs

I am staying there on C/P. As SPG Gold, can I get the bfast included, or is there an upgrade that I can pay for with points that includes breakfast?

emuyshondt

I would call SPG and ask. Perhaps there's a room category you can reserve for more points/money that has lounge access. I'm SPG Platinum so I have access to the lounge regardless.

My understanding is that at the Westin you only get a continental breakfast in the morning and coffee/tea the rest of the day. It's something nice to have but not a huge benefit.

frontenac551

I'm planning to book a room at the Paris Westin. However, I cannot seem to find any "view" rooms that are non-smoking. I guess that I am so used to N. American hotels that are often entirely non-smoking, so forgot about the smoking/non-smoking distinction.

Does anyone know if there are any non-smoking "view" rooms (I did try many dates, in case it was just timing). How smelly are the smoking rooms? I know that they were recently renovated, so I'm wondering if they aren't too bad (I remember years ago being in hotel rooms with ashtrays, so they must have been smoking rooms, and most were fine).

Thanks

aussieinsf

We just spent five nights in a non-smoking "view" room so yes, they exist. This was a newly renovated room type and seemed to be the third level of room type on their rate card (standard or similar, deluxe and then view and then junior suite). I had written to the hotel in advance to ask for this room type and although they did not guarantee it, was got it on arrival.

The view was sensational over the tuileries and despite the small size of the room we enjoyed our stay, however, that was primarily due to the view and location as the other aspects of the hotel failed to really live up to the standard of a true 5-star Parisian hotel. The shortcomings were similar to those experienced by others (unreasonable noise from the corridor, a general lack of warmth or personality in the service and finally - an in my books pretty unforgivably at 29 Euro for breakfast - average coffee from room service).

I guess my impressions of the hotel were really summed up by one aspect of our breakfast on the first day. Room service had placed a Clementine on our breakfast tray, obviously upside down. When we turned it over we found out why - it was blemished on the upper side to the extent that it was not likely to be edible. We wrote a note on the tray returning and thanking them for the fruit but asking politely for them not to send us blemished fruit - no response from the hotel. It was not a big deal, but obviously someone in catering thought it was an appropriate thing to do (strange since in Paris a fruit store would not even pick out blemished fruit for you, you'd have to go to a supermarket to be able to purchase any). That experience really summed up the feel of the hotel for us and was a disappointment just coming from the Sheraton Brussels which went the extra mile in every aspect to make the stay comfortable and demonstrate warm hospitality.

racehorse1

i'm a newbie here, 1st trip to paris and 1st time using points to upgrade. i booked the westin in paris, got a senior rate as my mom is travelling with me, with a fully prepaid unrefundable deal. my ? is, i am going to try and upgrade to a jr suite 5 days out, because i am only a lowly base SPG member, no gold etc, are they going to relegate me to one of the teeny back jr suites i have read about on TA, or do i actually have a shot at a nice suite with a view? i do understand that all upgrades are on availability only.

thanks for any info on this subject. you guys are awesome, and i have learned tons on this site.

robyng

We'll be staying in Paris the first week in October (Fashion Week). I had made a reservation at the George V - but it costs a ton for a standard room. So I started looking at hotels again. Ran across the Westin - which quite surprisingly - offers senior (AARP) discount rates (same as a lot of Westins in the US). 395 euros for a newly renovated "Large City View Room". Seemed like a relative bargain to me (our rate at the George V is 865 euros - we can have a *lot* of nice meals for those 470 euros a day).

I've read about the hotel in the past (a lot of comments aren't too favorable) - but the renovations - which seem to have been planned by a designer I like - Jacques Garcia - will be finished by October (they're supposed to be finished by the summer). So I'd appreciate any comments about how the hotel renovations are going? How do they look? I haven't stayed at a Westin in the US for a long time (I smoke) - but I do know that I always enjoyed the "Heavenly Beds".

Also - do any of you know what a "Large City View" room is like? Like the Westins in North America - this property doesn't offer suites when it comes to senior discount rates. Robyn

fduvall

I have stayed their twice. 2 yrs ago, I had a junior suite that had not been renovated, but had been changed over from Intercontinental decor to Westin. Very large room with large bathroom and walk-in closet. Room decor was ok...in old French style.

Stayed in unrenovated room in December for Christmas (moved from renovated room). It was bigger and furnishings were older, but still very nice. Renovated room had newer furnishings and modern color scheme, but just felt small. Both had Heavenly Beds.

I like this hotel a lot for the location and would prefer to be near Tuilleries/Concorde than the Champs-Elysees.

Another hotel I use for business is the Sofitel Bercy. You can often get it on Priceline for <US$150.00/night. It is a little further from downtown areas, but in a gentrified neighborhood with a bunch of restaurants. Newly built hotel and geared for business, so not as posh as Westin.

Jump on a hotel now, as during Fashion Week everything will sell out. Probably some celebs in the Westin!

Good luck.

robyng

I already made the reservation. It is better to have 2 and cancel 1 in a couple of days than miss this rate.

I've stayed at the George V before (a long time ago) - and wasn't thrilled with the location then. I like this location better. Also stayed at the PDG before it was a Westin - and didn't like it very much.

Do you happen to know whether the rooms have coffee makers (or whether it is possible to have one put in the room)? I never know when I'm going to wake up when I am jet-lagged - and need my morning cup of coffee about 30 seconds after I wake up. Don't like to rely on room service. If worse comes to worse - I can go to a department store and buy a small coffee maker. Robyn

robyng

BTW - looked at the hotel website - and wound up upgrading the room to a junior suite for a modest price. The suite is the same size as the room I had reserved at the George V - at less than half the price. Robyn

dingo

Coffee...when I stayed there in November of 2006 they did not have coffee in the room but did have free coffee in the lobby.

iwc

If PDG is the Hotel Prince de Gaulle, it is not the Westin, it is still Luxury Collection. The Westin is the former Intercontinental on Rue De Castiglione.

LAXjoe

I stayed in a renovated room at the Westin last June:

1. Room was huge, especially considering Paris and this was not a suite
2. Renovation is successful--great bathroom, nice carpet, overall a very nice renovation (the only drawback here is the 'style' of the renovation is rather contemporary, the feel is the furthest from "Paris" from a tourist perspective--something the George V delivers in spades). You will know you are in a renovated room as the hallways shift from old frumpy decor to new hip decor abruptly.
3. Overall the feeling was it was an excellent value for Paris
4. Great location, and if you want the feel of the George V, just pop into the Maurice next door, fabulous bar!
5. Skip the hotel breakfast--nothing special and the room feels very Suessical (as in Dr. Suess).
6. Conceirge is spotty--this became an ongoing joke by the 4th day. While we were there 4 different gentlemen worked the desk, all somehow, suspiciously, named "Bruno" when asked--some of the Brunos were efficient and responsive, others just rolled their eyes, said no before you finished the question and were beyond the bad French sterotype (this is one are where I think the hotel could never compare to the George V).
7. The lobby is indeed nice, though nothing extraordinary. A touch on the dated side.

Overall if your decision is based mostly on the room for the rate, then I can say that you should be somewhat pleased with the Westin Paris.

From NYC

I usually send a note to any hotel shortly before I arrive asking for a coffee/tea maker to be put in the room. It’s never not been there with a sampler of teas and coffees, even in hotels where they don’t usually have one there.

Regardless of what you want, it never hurts to ask.

abk

any more recent rip reports? i am staying here next week and i just read some of the reviews on trip advisor and some are frightening.

Flyaway33

We will be staying here in May and have a Executive Club Level Jr Suite. I am confused though as some express the Lounge is a joke, while others express they had a wonderful full breakfast. Has anyone used the Executive Lounge lately and if so, what do they provide throughout the day?