bluskey

First, I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread. I've been obsessing over my Paris hotel decision and the posts in this forum have been immensely valuable. Thank you!

My wife and I are planning 3 nights in Paris as part of our 10-year anniversary trip in August and I would love some help determining the best hotel for our purposes. While we will certainly do some amount of sightseeing, touring, and shopping, we are major foodies and I expect that we'll try and spend most of our time finding gems in vibrant areas like Saint Germain, Le Marais, Montmarte, and the Latin Quarter.

A couple of things to note about the criteria I've used:

• We are SPG/Marriott Gold. I've read that gold benefits go further at Marriott properties (free breakfast, for example). I would love to take advantage of any available benefits, but that's less of a priority than the location and quality of the hotel.
• I am only considering properties where I can reserve a room with a King size bed. I'm a big guy and though I don't expect we'll spend a ton of time at the hotel, I do intend to sleep there!

I've narrowed our list of likely hotels down to three:

1. Westin Vendome: 60k SPG points for three nights. The central location of the Vendome seems perfect. My only real hesitancy is that the reviews seem somewhat mixed and I don't get the vibe that it's terribly romantic.
2. Renaissance Republique: 40k SPG points for three nights, but I'd end up spending an additional $330 to secure a junior suite with a king bed. The flyertalk reviews on this property are consistently positive and we'd score free breakfast as gold. There have been a couple of posts alluding to the neighborhood being somewhat seedy, which is mildly concerning. Plus, this seems a little off the beaten path relative to most of the points of interest around Paris.
3. W Opera: 60k SPG points for three nights. I don't have a great read on this hotel, but it seems to meet the general criteria as far as being centrally located, with King bed rooms available in my points range.

Given the information I've provided, can any of the Paris experts here offer some advice on which of those stands out?

hockeyinsider

The Renaissance Republique is a Marriott Rewards category-8 property, meaning 40,000 points per night. 40,000 Marriott points is like like 14,000 SPG points if my math and conversion of Marriott to SPG points is correct. It is your best choice, despite having queen-sized beds. I can't speak for legacy Starwood properties, but many Marriott properties in Europe have queen-sized beds because of smaller rooms.

It is a 20-minute walk from most everything in Paris, including Montmartre and St. Germain. It isn't seedy. It's a gentrifying neighborhood, as in a real neighborhood unlike say the the Place Vendôme. I made a passing comment about prostitutes and sex shops along Rue Saint-Denis, which is a major street about 5 minutes from the hotel. I never felt unsafe -- the prostitutes have been working that street since the medieval-era -- and it's easy enough to walk another direction from the hotel.

Also, if you're a foodie, then the Renaissance actually has a foodie restaurant. They're trying to get a Michelin star so they really try, if you decide to do dinner there one night. The concierge desk is great and will have no problem helping with recommendations and reservations. Just be warned that August is super busy in Paris with all the tourists there. Some Parisian restaurants and shops, especially those geared toward locals, will be closed in August because the French are on vacation then.

whimsey21

On the foodie front, I have to note that on my last trip to Paris I was really surprised to note how many of the restaurants I wanted to visit were within a 10 minute walk of the Republique. I tend to look for the new "hot" places with very creative/edgy cooking , and it seems like those places do fit in with the nature of this area.

MrM2016

Completely agree with all of this. Stayed last October and was delighted by my decision. Before staying I, too, had reservations about the surrounding area but my perceptions were completely wrong.

Was also treated well as a Plat with a double upgrade (once for my status and once for the reason we were staying) had a wonderful view of the Sacre Coeur from our window.

The only thing that irritated me was the sink, which was well documented in the Tripadvisor reviews. Almost impossible to use the design without splashing the surrounding areas. However, when that's my biggest issue with a hotel - I know I've made the right choice!

ysolde

The Renaissance République will forever have a special place in my heart. If you are asking about food, I will say that breakfast at this place is very, very good. We had dinner there and found it excellent. My husband and I are not food critics, but the food quality was excellent, the service was perfect and all in all (it was our first night in Paris), it set a good tone for the trip. The restaurant is open late and seems quite popular with the local set.

Now here is where they stole my heart. If you read above, I got sick while in Paris. A nasty case of bronchitis. The hotel went above and beyond. Sent my breakfast up to the room when they saw my husband alone. Really, all I could eat was a soft-boiled egg and weak tea. But it was good to know they were worried about me. Called in a doctor that evening when I was not getting better and my husband asked if a house call was possible. When my husband came back with my my prescriptions (after the doctor looked me over), they sent up the most divine bowl of chestnut soup and insisted I eat. This bowl of chestnut soup was the most delicious thing ever. We're talking perfection here. It woke the mostly dead (you get FF points if you catch the reference), and made it possible for me to travel the next day.

Great hotel, great service, and yes, great food.

bluskey

Thanks so much for the definitive responses, everyone.

I converted 40k SPG to 120k Marriott, plus paid the additional cash to upgrade to a junior suite at the Republique.

will post my review in September. Thank you!

hockeyinsider

Take advantage of the concierge:

Concierge Navigator Renaissance Paris Republique <[email protected]>

Kacee

Yes this is a much more interesting and "local" area than any of those on OP's list (St. Germain, Marais, latin quarter, or Montmartre), the last three of which especially are mostly frequented by tourists these days.

bluskey

Thanks for the pro tip. What's the best way to leverage the concierge? Are they primarily helpful in planning itinerary for touring, dining, etc. or would they also be the one I reach out to with details about it being our anniversary and asking them to please ensure a nice room, for example?

What are reasonable asks that would improve our visit? Thank you!

hockeyinsider

All of the above. As I said earlier, they put a real, decorated Christmas tree in my room. For my boss, they arranged a surprise picnic lunch for him and his wife when they were out bicycling with the complimentary hotel bicycles.

It should go without saying that two Andrew Jacksons would be an appropriate tip for something crazy.

TheCount2

CJKatl

No comment on the pool from me, but you made a good choice. Here's the deal... There are so many good choices for Marriott properties in Paris that you really cannot go wrong. We each agonize over the choice, wind up a whichever hotel, have a great stay and cannot fathom that anyone could have possibly had as good a stay anywhere else. Even those of us who have stayed at more than one property may have a personal preference but will likely agree that each of the Paris hotels is among the best in the Marriott chain. Stop agonizing over your choice. You are going to have an outstanding trip and a fantastic stay.

TheCount2

Thanks, no agonizing here, only giving some context to my post. I have stayed nearby at the Hotel de Vendome and know the area. I want to feel sure that the extra 30k points per room I spending to have the pool is worth it. I do not believe I have seen the pool mentioned in this thread.

hockeyinsider

You're really going to use a pool in Paris? I mean, come on. If you're going somewhere in the summer and want to swim then go to a beach.

SkiAdcock

If a pool is important to TheCount2 & folk have experience with the pool, please post. There's no need for snarky comments. Just because a pool isn't important to one person doesn't mean it's not important to another, regardless of city.

Cheers.