thank you, Ritz Paris

hardworking concierge at the Ritz Paris

Travel plans don't always go smoothly... and when the travel gods throw wrinkles into our journeys, this is when truly great hotels shine. Ritz Paris offered us gracious hospitality and incredible service during such a time (just yesterday).

I had flown to Paris after my Baltic cruise to meet my daughter. She was arriving the next morning to begin a Masters program at Parsons Paris and to move into an apartment for the duration. After a month of jumping through French bureaucratic hoops, she, her boyfriend, and their two dogs enjoyed the flight over on La Compagnie. They made their way, luggage in tow, to her new apartment. On arrival, the door to the building was locked, and the building manager was nowhere to be seen.

What to do in the early morning, on a Sunday, in August, in Paris? You will not be surprised that the only response to our repeated phone calls was voice mail. We left messages. We left more messages. None were not returned. What to do? Where to turn?

Ritz Paris was a true angel in a time of near panic. I approached guest reception. Would my daughter and her two dogs be welcome to hang out in our room? Mais oui, but of course was the immediate response, without a moment of hesitation.

They left a massive amount of luggage with the bell captain, made their way up to our Junior Suite, and camped out for the day. They enjoyed showers and got some much needed sleep.

But how to get her into her own apartment? My phone calls were getting no response, so I turned to Didier, the hardworking concierge pictured above. Explaining the problem, Didier got to work. I don't know how he did it ... but after hours of perseverance, he eventually got the manager of the leasing company on the phone. Ultimately he got through to the building manager. Bottom line: my daughter received her key late last night ... and she'll be able to move in today.

This story of great service doesn't end there. Remember the ton of luggage that was checked at the front door of the Ritz? I got them a room at the Castille, directly behind the Ritz on Rue Cambon. The Ritz bell captain rolled the trolly of luggage through a subbasement of the Ritz to the back of the hotel and across the street to the front door of the Castille.

No one could expect better service, and I am deeply grateful. I showed it to my wonderful hosts at Ritz Paris as best I could (will need to get some more euro notes this morning). So a story with a happy ending!

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