Paris hotel site inspections

art deco entrance to the Plaza Athenee Paris, (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

It was only six weeks ago when I began my seven night stay in Paris. I have previously written about some of the great experiences we enjoyed — the Marmatton Monet Museum, Giverny, and a walking tour of the Street Art of the 13th and 20th arrondissements.

I also saw a lot of hotels, eleven in total. I've just posted reviews of those hotels on FlyerTalk, complete with a picture of each of the eleven properties. Here's the list of hotels that I visited:

Le Meurice
Le Bristol
Four Seasons George V
Ritz Paris
La Reserve
Plaza Athenee
Peninsula
St. James
Grand Hotel du Palais Royal
Relais Christine
d'Aubusson

Check out the FlyerTalk link for much more information, or feel free to contact me directly to talk about the luxury hotels of Paris. As a Virtuoso travel advisor, I can share with you my first-hand impressions and also provide value-added amenities that will save you hundreds of euros during your stay.

Paris is my favorite city in the world, and it has so many wonderful hotels. In my opinion, the first criterion is always location. As they say in real estate, the three most important things about any property are location, location, and location. Are you going to shop? Are you going to visit museums? Visit Notre Dame? Is your heart set on seeing the Eiffel Tower outside your window? Do you like Parisian glitz and style? What's your budget? Consider your answer to these questions, and I can help you find the perfect place for your dream vacation.

The picture at the top of this column is one of my favorites from Paris. It was taken outside the front door of the Plaza Athenee Paris. I was standing under the hotel's art deco entrance, aiming my camera up the front façade of the building. The "Plaza Red" awnings above each window helped create this memorable image.

copyright (c) 2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

my best of Paris awards

St. James Paris, boutique hotel in the 16th arr (c) 2016 by David Ourisman

A city of superlatives, Paris has something for every visitor — whether you're a traveler who desires the highest standards of luxury or whether you'd be happy with a simple pied-à-terre as a base for your explorations of all that the City of Light has to offer. We have experienced so much on this trip, I wanted to express my recommendations and sincere thanks.

getting around Paris

Passe Navigo Découverte. Paris has the most fabulous metro system, and you can go everywhere for just 21.25€ for a week (Monday - Sunday) with a Passe Navigo Découverte. A great value in efficient, reliable public transportation. 

Citymapper. So incredibly useful for finding your way anywhere in the city with directions for walking or taking the metro. Totally free except for any cell phone data charges.

thank you to our gracious hosts

Le Meurice hosted our first two nights in Paris. The smallest of the palace hotels of Paris, Le Meurice is ideally situated right on the Tuileries for walking anywhere in the heart of Paris. Our Premier Suite had a panoramic view from the Louvre (to the left), the d'Orsay (straight ahead), and the Eiffel Tower and Grand Palais (to the right). 

Le Bristol hosted our middle two nights. Located just off the Champs Elysees and in the midst of many high-end fashion shopping opportunities, we enjoyed the warm service, great food, and the two house cats! 

Four Seasons George V was home for our final three evenings. In the Golden Triangle, Le George offers classic French décor with the luxury predictability you would expect from Four Seasons... and wait until you see the new Suite product that I previewed.

a couple of incredible meals

Plaza Athenee reopened two years ago after a renovation and expansion, and this art deco classic on avenue Montaigne is back better than ever. I enjoyed lunch at Le Relais with George-Alexis, Sales Manager ... and if you're a chocoholic, you must order the Chocolate-Caramel Finger for dessert.

Peninsula Paris is a stunningly elegant, contemporary hotel — simple gorgeous rooms — and we were lucky enough to enjoy dinner at its rooftop restaurant, L'Oiseau Blanc. Not only did our view include the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur all lit up for us, but the three course dinner was delicious in every way.

New Discoveries award

I always look forward to discovering new treasures, I can recommend two properties I'd never before visited. La Reserve is a small hotel right around the corner from Le Bristol, and if you prefer to stay somewhere small and hidden away, you'll love this boutique property. St. James Paris (pictured above) is the city's only chateau hotel, a boutique, 49 room treasure in a 16th arrondissement mansion near the Bois du Boulogne. Rooms are decorated in a quirky yet elegant style.

Guided tours

Thanks to Antoinette Azzurro for her walking tour highlighting the Occupation and Liberation of Paris during World War II ... and thanks to W Travel France for organizing a tour of the street art of the 13th and 20th arrondissements. Great tours introduce you to a city in a way you couldn't experience on your own.

copyright  (c)  2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Le Bristol Paris | drinks, dinner, and breakfast

Though 990€ sounds like a lot of money, there's a lot of value in this special. It includes:

• a Deluxe room for the night (upgraded from Superior)
• full breakfast for two in the morning
• two cocktails at the bar
• dinner for two at one of Paris's best restaurants, the Michelin-starred Brasserie 114 Faubourg

Given the normal room rate (950€), you're essentially getting dinner for two at 20€ per person!

One of sixteen Virtuoso five star hotels in Paris (click here), Le Bristol is ideally located if you've come to Paris to shop till you drop! Every room has been lovingly and individually decorated by the hotel's owner and features beautiful French fabrics and exquisite furnishings. Some rooms face the hotel's garden, and some of the rooms in the new addition even have a view of the Eiffel Tower. And don't miss the hotel's indoor pool on the top floor with a commanding view of Paris.

You can even prepay to lock in current exchange rates. This amazing offer is valid until May 15.

copyright (c) 2015 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Le Royal Monceau | Saturday Royal Brunch

Probably the most exquisite brunch I've never had, Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris offers a Saturday Royal Brunch most every weekend of the year. Set in the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant "La Cuisine," the brunch lasts from 12:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. The price 74€ per person.

Here is what one Trip Advisor reviewer had to say about the experience:

The food was diversified (salads, delicatessen, oysters, shrimps, sushis, beef, veal, vegetables, fish, pasta to the order..., large choice of cheese and desserts) and of a high quality standard (pastries and viennoiseries are supplied by Pierre Hermé). Everyone at our table was happy and enjoyed the food.

Want to enjoy the brunch for free? I won a certificate for two (2) Saturday Royal Brunches at Travel Week in Las Vegas. Yes, it was a game of chance - I got lucky with the dice! I have the option of enjoying the brunch myself or gifting it to a client.

So here's the deal. Book a three-night minimum stay through me, inclusive of the Saturday lunch hour, at any of the four palace hotels of Paris listed below. Whoever makes the largest qualifying booking (in terms of total value of the stay) will win the Royal Brunch for two. In the interest of fairness, as they offered the prize, I'll give a 50% bonus to the total value of a booking at Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris. The contest booking period ends at 3 p.m. PDT on Friday, September 20.

Eligible palace hotels for this contest:

Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris

Four Seasons George V

Le Meurice

Le Bristol

Everyone wins when you book through a Virtuoso, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, or Dorchester Diamond Club agency. For the same price you can find online, you get complimentary value-added perks that you can't find online including:

• free breakfast for two every day of your stay
• upgrades if available (guaranteed in some cases)
• spa; food and beverage; or hotel credits

P.S. — There are fifteen Virtuoso hotels in Paris, and while I didn't list them all for this contest, I'd be happy to create a contest around a special perk any of them would like to offer!

Le Royal Monceau (click here to search on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Midnight in Paris

This afternoon I saw Woody Allen's new film Midnight in Paris. If you're a lover of Paris (as I am), that's reason enough to see this film... and if you're a fan of Woody Allen's movies (which I also am), then Midnight in Paris is absolutely a must see.

The movie has a very creative plot twist (which I won't divulge). Gil Pender (the Woody Allen-esque character played by Owen Wilson) has a most imaginative engagement with some of the iconic literary and artistic figures of Paris from the 1920's and 1890's. I thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic narrative. Midnight in Paris is one of the best films I have have seen in a long time. But beyond the plot and characters, you should see this film for the beautiful scenes shot in and around Paris. The cinematography is stunning and is reason enough to spend an afternoon or evening at the movies.

Two Parisian hotels provide the setting for several significant moments in the film. One evening after dinner at the three-star Michelin restaurant at Le Meurice, Owen Wilson's character makes a fateful choice in a scene shot outside the hotel's entrance. The characters actually stay at another Parisian luxury hotel, Le Bristol, with several scenes shot in one of the hotel's beautiful suites. Having spent evenings at both of these properties, it was fun seeing these hotels again, albeit in a different context.

Would you like to stay in one of these hotels? Le Meurice and Le Bristol are both members of Virtuoso, meaning you can enjoy added-value amenities such free breakfast every morning, room upgrades, and other perks that can include a free airport limousine transfer. Contact your Virtuoso travel consultant for a complete list of amenities.


Midnight in Paris (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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