The second most exciting part of our trip to the Monaco Grand Prix 2016, was the fact that we would leave Monaco and then fly to Paris and spend four nights in the city of lights. What was so much exciting was the fact that we were flying to Paris to stay at the Park Hyatt in the Vendôme region of Paris, described as the Beverly Hills of Paris. Doesn’t get any better than this? Answer: well…let’s just get inside and check the hotel out.
Stepping into the hotel now, all the elegance and glamour, the answer is yes. This is what I was expecting. The hotel with his cream fresh walls and attentive support staff did feel quite nice. Check-in was smooth and easy, four nights courtesy of my Chase Hyatt credit card. For signing up with the card and spending $3000 in the first three months, you get two free nights anywhere in the world. So my wife and I signed up for cards, and receive two free nights each for total, at this ultra luxurious hotel, in this ultra luxurious neighborhood of ultra luxurious Paris. Get the picture? Now that’s Pimpin Your Credit Cards!
As part of check in, we are escorted up to the room by the hotel desk clerk. Now that’s the white glove treatment that makes you feel special. None of that “our elevators are to the right” stuff. We get up to the room and first notice the high ceilings. They have to be somewhere in the 15 foot range which gives the room a big volume feel. The room is nice, and the bathroom is amazing. I like the gold finishes on the bathroom faucets and shower. And what it interesting shower set up, completely open with not even a glass enclosure to separate it from the bath and the hand wash bowl. The entire bath area is a soft neutral granite with a subtle veining. A glass door separates the water area from the rest of the room. Separate area for our clothing storage and vanity. Very nice room overall. Looking back now I wish I had asked for a street view room, but we have the interior courtyard view. Oh well no problem as I go to open the window and take a look outside, the handles to the windows are these interesting little sculpture figurines. And then I noticed the same figurines on the headboard holding up the light so to speak. Interesting I think. There’s plenty of space on either side of the bed and a very comfortable feel to the room. Très Chic Paris!
We head down stairs to the hotel lobby and check out the bar which is a beautiful high-end bar. Since a free cocktail accompanies the room, we sit down to have a drink and get ourselves acclimated to our new Paris life. Dining options in the hotel include a four star Michelin star restaurant, but unfortunately we’ve waited too late and they are no reservations available until Thursday. Of next week! Wow, this must be a very nice restaurant, given the price and all. But this is Park Hyatt Paris, so everything fits accordingly.
Well let’s see what’s outside this luxurious Rodeo Drive of Paris. We head out the hotel on a drizzling, little Paris day. Immediately, the street is filled with pedestrians and high-end purses and watches. On either side of the hotel entrance are clothiers of the most exclusive brands. Across the street are some nice watches and purses, IWC, Glashutte and Vacheron Constantin, watches nice enough for me to not even look at. But now we are actually hungry for lunch, so we walk down the block but alas, no dining. At the corner of Rue Daunou, we hang a right and head down and come across Cafe du Cadrau. This looks like a nice little spot so we stop in for our first Paris eats. A wonderful meal with the tenderest chicken for a whopping €13! Oh my god that’s a $30 dinner at most restaurants for for 13 euros, which equates to about $15 US. I’m liking this Paris trip.
We start checking out Google map locations and we see that the hotel is easy walking distance to the Louvre and close enough to all the dying to do touristy options. The next four nights in Paris are absolutely wonderful with visits to Notre Dame, Sacré-Cœur, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Élysées with all it’s shopping and eating. One cool thing I pick up on, Parisiennes definitely have their own cool style of dress. The classic beret and scarf outfit stands out against the generic American jeans and t-shirts of most of the tourist. Again, Très Chic Paris.
The hotel is just down the street from the Opera House, a beautiful palatial building in classic Euro style, and in the opposite direction, the Place Vendôme. In the opposite direction, on the way to the Louvre, you walk through the actual Vendôme itself. The luxurious neighborhood is landmarked by a large column in the middle of the Vendôme. The Vendôme was completed in 1810 as a tribute to the victorious French in the Battle of Austerlitz, deemed one of Napoleon’s greatest victories. Today, it’s home to the Ministry of Justice and high-end courtiers such as Dior, Patek-Philippe and Chanel. Past the Place Vendôme is the Tuileries Garden, Jardin des Tuileries, a nice garden park to relax in, if you don’t mind the all the lion statues around. And then you can see a wonderful gold statue of Joan of Arc on the way to the Louvre. Travelers tip: If visiting the Louvre, understand that on any given day, you could have anywhere from a 45 minute to a 2-hour wait at the main entryway. Walk further down the Rue de Rivoli until you see a red awning for the Louvre, at the Passage Richelieu. This is the back entry way, about half the wait time in air conditioned comfort. In the driving rain or hot summer days, this underground mall entry will keep you dry and comfortable. Plus while your wife waits in line, you can do some shopping at the underground stores or buy some snacks.
The four days in Paris are just magical. And again, another city that I’d love to live in, and made all the more so luxurious by this wonderful Park Hyatt hotel. This hotel was our most luxurious of our European trips so far, and definitely set the standard for future stays. We even treated ourselves to breakfast in bed on our last morning, as a farewell to the city. The Eggs Benedict were intriguing, and oh so creamy. From now on, nothing but the best for me. Especially when it’s free!
