Travel Horizons: Ritz Paris

Showing posts with label Ritz Paris. Show all posts

6.01.2021

Virtuoso Life — the adventure issue

There are many different kinds of luxury, and adventure travel is one of them. We in the 21st century have the capacity to discover the wilds of nature, all in perfect comfort. While you will experience some trade-offs — even the most well equipped tent will never duplicate the elegance perfected by world-class hotels like the George V or Ritz Paris — you can enjoy privileged encounters of a different kind. While there are too many possibilities to list here, but you might start by thinking about...

an all-inclusive excursion cruise to Antartica or to Iceland & Greenland
a tented camp in Tofino (BC), Chiang Rai (Thailand), or Rajasthan (India)
a luxurious safari resort in Africa, a base for discovering the Big Five

It costs nothing to indulge the dream. Click here to browse the May/June issue of Virtuoso Life. Dubbed "the adventure issue," you'll read about possibilities like those mentioned in the bullet points above. Finally, contact your Virtuoso travel advisor to orchestrate your travel dreams and bring them to life.

8.11.2019

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!

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

9.19.2016

the happiest couple in Paris

First report from Paris — We have spent our first two nights at Le Meurice, the hotel with simply the best location in all of Paris for seeing the highlights of the city. Our Prestige Suite on the fourth floor overlooks the Tuilleries, the large formal park in the center of Paris with the Louvre at one end and the Place de la Concorde at the other. From our room, we can see the Musee d'Orsay directly across the park as well as the gold domed roof of Les Invalides (Napoleon's tomb) and the Grand Palais.

Yesterday began with a visit to the Marmatton Monet museum in the 16th, truly a worthwhile stop for lovers of French Impressionism. Boasting the world's largest collection of Monet's works stunningly displayed on a wonderful scale, anyone who has visited the massive Musee d'Orsay will appreciate the jewel-like Marmatton. We also did a walking tour of sites associated with the Occupation and Liberation of Paris during World War II. The tour was led by our favorite Parisian tour guide, Antoinette Azzurro, who has developed a number of theme-based walks.

I have done a site inspection of the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal and today will be visiting the just-opened-after-renovation Ritz Paris as well as a new Virtuoso hotel, La Reserve.

Paris is about people watching, whether sitting at a small table at a café watching the world pass by, seeing young families playing together in the park, or seeing the happiest couple in Paris (pictured above) as they walked together in front of the Cathedral du Notre Dame.

copyright (c) 2016 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.

10.28.2015

Ritz Paris | spend the night starting March 14, 2016

This is the hotel opening that I'm most excited about. After being closed for several years undergoing a thorough (and much needed renovation), the Ritz Paris is now taking reservations beginning as early as March 14, 2016.

I have enjoyed two stays at the Ritz Paris and appreciate its wonderful location right on the Place Vendome as well as the warmth of its service. If you loved the old Ritz, you'll love the new Ritz, as they've tried to keep the traditional ambiance of this iconic hotel. Even the original furniture has been preserved and completely renovated. The only difference will be the new, larger rooms and completely up-to-date systems — including fibre optic internet.

Don't miss out on the best set of Virtuoso amenities I've ever seen — just book through any Virtuoso travel consultant ... and we have absolutely no booking fees.

guaranteed room upgrade at the time of booking
complimentary roundtrip airport transfers
VIP greet at the airplane door
complimentary fiber optic internet access
complimentary daily breakfast for two at L'Espadon

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.

9.02.2015

#VirtuosoWeek top ten | Ritz Paris

This is number nine of my "top ten list" from Virtuoso Week.

Ritz Paris is one of the most fabled hotels in the world, having hosted many, many illustrious guests over the years. It is undergoing the final phases of a complete and much needed renovation. Consisting of four separate buildings joined together, it was often difficult to get around the hotel. I recall once trying to get from my room facing Cambon Street to the Spa — and had to take two separate elevators to complete the journey. The same difficulty used to confront hotel staff delivering room service!

So a completely new Ritz Paris has been built within the traditional exterior that graces the northwest corner of the Place Vendome. But in building something completely new — with new electrical, mechanical, and data systems — the hotel has made every effort to keep things as close as possible to the old hotel that guests love so much. The old furniture has been saved and renovated, and the same traditional Parisian styling will grace your room.

The great news — the best set of Virtuoso amenities I've ever seen. Just by booking through your Virtuoso travel consultant, you will receive:

1. a guaranteed room upgrade at the time of booking
2. roundtrip airport transfers with VIP greeting at the airplane door
3. full daily breakfast for two at Michelin starred L'Espadon
4. complimentary Fiber Optic internet access

In case you didn't know, the VIP meet-and-greet at the airplane door also includes fast tracking you through immigration.

7.31.2015

Ritz Paris | accepting reservations

view of Place Vendome from the Ritz Paris

One of the most famous hotels in the world, the legendary Ritz Paris has been closed for thorough renovations. The historical facade of the building has been preserved — and a completely new hotel has been constructed within that shell, recreating as closely as possible the style and appearance of the original hotel.

Why such a thorough renovation? Two main reasons. First, the century-old original hotel had century-old plumbing and electrical systems. These will be completely updated. Second, the original hotel was comprised of four separate buildings, and the even simple act of delivering your breakfast for in-room dining could involve going up and down elevators. I personally experienced this confusion trying to get from my room in the Cambon Street wing to the spa. I believe the journey involved at least two elevators.

Why did it take so long to get this done? Because getting permits takes a long while in Paris, especially when dealing with historical buildings.

Everything is designed to be the same, but better. The original furnishings has been meticulously preserved, but I'm told that guest rooms will be larger.

Even the Virtuoso amenities are new and improved.

Guaranteed upgrade at the time of booking
Flexible check-in/check-out times
Daily full breakfast for two (used to be continental)
Complimentary one-way private airport transfer with VIP meet-and-greet on arrival

Reservations are open as of March 12, 2016. Will you be my first client to stay at the new Ritz Paris?

4.25.2015

when is a Ritz not a Ritz?

rotunda of the Ritz London

This column is inspired by yesterday's announcement that Four Seasons will cease management of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago effective July 31st. On that date, Ritz-Carlton Chicago will become a Ritz-Carlton. Did you know that there are currently five (5) Ritz properties that are not managed by the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. They are:

Ritz Paris — one of my favorite hotels anywhere (I've stayed twice), the Ritz Paris has an enviable location right on the place Vendome. In the heart of Paris's 1st arrondissement, it's easy walking distance to anywhere in the center of Paris and is steps away from high-end shopping opportunities. The Ritz is in the midst of a quarter billion euro renovation. Expected to reopen by the end of 2015, I definitely want to visit when it reopens.

Ritz London — a very British hotel right on Piccadilly and on the northeast corner of Green Park (Buckingham Palace is on the opposite southwest corner, I enjoyed my 2009 stay at the Ritz. Come for the Afternoon Tea, and enjoy your stay in a very reasonably priced, traditional London hotel. Deluxe rooms and above, request a room on a high floor with lots of natural light, and for a real WOW, book a 1BR Deluxe Suites overlooking Green Park.

Ritz Lisbon — a Four Seasons hotel in the heart of Lisbon, Portugal, I enjoyed my stay here in 2009. A tip: it's relatively easy to score a room upgrade into a Deluxe room here. Just book through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant for priority status on the upgrade list ... as well as enjoy a rich set of FSPP amenities. Email me for full details on FSPP amenities at over 90 FS hotels worldwide.

Ritz Madrid — the Ritz Madrid is owned by Belmond (formerly known as Orient Express), and it's located in central Madrid next door to the Prado Museum. The Ritz is an older, traditional elegant hotel with great service. While I had to wait in line for concierge service at the Westin Place across the circle, two concierges approached me as soon as I walked up the Concierge desk at the Ritz.

Ritz-Carlton Chicago — still a Four Seasons Hotel (until July 31st), I can provide you with Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities up until then ... and Ritz-Carlton STARS amenities afterwards (which include a complimentary daily breakfast for two, free internet, and more). I expect the hotel will remain a member of Virtuoso after the Ritz-Carlton take-over.

I can provide added-value amenities at each of the above hotels, including complimentary daily breakfast for two, upgrades if available, and extra amenities that differ by property. Contact me for full details!

3.27.2015

April in Paris | 5 reasons to visit Paris now

Update — April 11th ... the Euro is now $1.06. Time for European travel!

Is Paris on your mind? With the euro on sale (1€ = $1.09), grab the moment and plan that last-minute trip to my favorite city in the world. Here are five reasons to visit Paris now.

1. Strong dollar. Remember when the euro cost $1.40? With the euro costing only $1.09 today, this is a 22% discount on everything you buy in Europe — hotel rooms, meals, museum tickets, even that impulse purchase at Chanel.

2. April is shoulder season in Paris. This means less crowds and lower prices than during the the busier summer months.

3. Warm enough. Although April in Paris isn't balmy, spring in Europe has warmed up over the years. I took the above on April 2, 2014 — and it was a beautiful day.

4. Beautiful hotels... In the picture above is my personal favorite hotel in Paris, Le Meurice (the building on the right). If you have more of a four star budget, the Westin Paris is pictured in the building to the left. I can get you value-added amenities at both hotels — including free breakfast, free internet, hotel credits, and even a guaranteed upgrade at Le Meurice.

5. ... and more beautiful hotels. A couple minute's walk from this same intersection are even more world-class hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental Paris, Park Hyatt Vendome, and the soon-to-reopen Ritz Paris. And, yes, I can get you amenities at each of these hotels. Here's my google map to our entire collection.

If Paris is on your mind, there's no better time to go than now!

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