Previous installments:
- British Airways First Class, Austin – London Heathrow
- British Airways Club Europe: London Heathrow – Paris Orly
I first stayed at the Park Hyatt Vendome in December 2012 and then again in December 2014.
Since the hotel hasn’t changed much since my previous two stays, and I’ve reviewed it before, I won’t be as detailed this time around. Instead I will just hit the most relevant pieces of the stay.
In some ways the hotel may be overrated (I’ve seen some pretty amazing superlatives thrown at the property). But I choose to stay here because it’s about the (1) nicest hotel that is (2) also a reasonable value on points. And because it offers (3) an even better value for Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond members.
It’s also in a good location. It’s on a block amidst several luxury shops that I do not go into. But it’s an especially easy walk to two metro stations and a reasonable walk to three.
I use points to make my travels affordable, and to the extent I’m going to redeem for hotel nights I’d rather redeem for a nice hotel than one that’s less nice. Especially since I have lots of points, and there’s not really a treadeoff between using more points and other travels. The tradeoff is between using points and seeing those points worth less at some future point when I’m able to spend them.
The Park Hyatt Vendome is a Gold Passport category 7 property. That makes it 30,000 points per night. As a cash and points redemption it’s 15,000 points and $300 per night. Cash and points is a great deal for category 2 through 6 properties, but for a category 7 hotel you’re essentially buying back points at 2 cents per night (and I consider Hyatt points worth about 1.5 cents apiece).
Nonetheless I booked cash and points. That gets you stay and night credit (which I likely won’t need) and the booking counts towards promotions (Hyatt wasn’t running one during my stay). The reason I booked cash and points though was it meant I could apply a Diamond Suite Upgrade. I confirmed a suite at the hotel at time of booking. Since it would be expiring as well it seemed like a reasonable use of the award, cash, and suite upgrade.
I arrived at the hotel around 2:30 p.m. and proceeded to the check-in desk.
Hotels don’t usually give any indication that they know I’m going to be writing about them, or treat me any differently, but this hotel identified me as a blogger perhaps because I’ve reviewed them in the past or perhaps because a luxury hotel should try to gain intelligence on their arriving guests. When I arrived at the desk the person welcoming me made a quick call and a woman came out to greet me. She was a marketing manager for the hotel.
It didn’t ‘get me’ anything. I asked what sort of room I had been assigned to, and it was a junior suite. The previous year I was given a suite where the living room was a separate room from the bedroom and that had two bathrooms. This time it was just one larger than standard room with a single bathroom. For avoidance of doubt there was no other special acknowledgment during the stay.
I asked whether a room ‘like the one I had last year’ was available. I was told yes — and that I could have it for an extra 100 euros per night. I declined. While some would consider the room to be worth it, I was perfectly happy with the room I was assigned. I don’t consider a single room, usually, to be a suite but it was more than adequate for my needs.
Here was room 444:
The rooms are stylish, though perhaps reaching the point of refurbishment.
My room had a courtyard view, which I didn’t mind, though I prefer a street view overall.
The bathrooms are gorgeous. The toiletries are large, and more mild than they were on my first stay at the property (I used to think I smelled like Paris after showering here – heh).
For the first time in three stays there wasn’t a sink in the shower, a feature I always found a bit strange since of course you already have water pouring all over you and you had separate sinks outside the shower.
The single best thing about being a Hyatt Diamond at the Park Hyatt Vendome is breakfast. That’s because it’s:
- An expensive breakfast
- That’s actually worth the money due to high quality items
- Allowable to be taken via room service
The hotel offers the full American breakfast in their restaurant to Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond members, or they’ll let you take the benefit from room service.
On the one hand 50 euros per person for breakfast can seem kind of insane. There’s no question that it’s pricey, and I wouldn’t ordinarily spend for breakfast what the restaurant charges.
On the other hand, they aren’t just charging more for the same sort of breakfast you might get somewhere else. The quality of everything on offer is really fantastic. The pastries are truly top notch. The cheeses are as well. There’s a material difference between their breakfast buffet and what I’d get at most hotels, so in a sense the price makes sense. In fact I think it’s worth the price though I was grateful not to be paying!
You can have muesli and yogurt and fruit. You can order a bread basket. Cooked to order eggs with sides. Fresh squeezed juice and coffee. I also order my eggs scrambled with emmentaler cheese here. They’re the absolute most delicious eggs anywhere. The pastries are the high quality sort you find at the top patisseries in the city.
To be able to order it all from room service is absolute indulgence. Though I avoid overeating so as not to spoil my appetite for everything else I’ll be wanting to try while in Paris.
The Park Hyatt is where I stay in Paris — because of the overall value proposition on points or cash and points as a Gold Passport Diamond member, though under a paid rate scenario or without status I’d likely rethink that decision.
I also like that after three stays here I’ve developed a tradition of staying in the neighbor at dinner on my first night in Paris. I head out to Restaurant L’ardoise, which was recommended by the Park Hyatt’s concierge on my first visit. It’s perfect for a casual meal, good classic French food, and reasonably priced at ~ 35 euros for the 3-course price fixe.
Nice review of a very nice hotel. While it doesn’t have the “wow” factor of some other properties, including some other Park Hyatts, it’s a very well-run, elegant, pleasant play to stay. One of my wife’s and my favorites.
Based on your pictures, the junior suite isn’t much bigger than a deluxe room.
Thanks for the restaurant recommendation. We’re headed to Paris in a couple weeks, and staying at the Westin Vendome w/ JR Suite w/terrace view of the Eiffel Tower w/ room service breakfast at about 500 Euros/nite. Since our 1st trip, I thought we should have a view.
We stayed in the same room on the 5th floor just recently… honestly it’s a fairly disappointing use of a DSU… the only difference is that there is a couch instead of a chair… marginally bigger than a deluxe room…. I tried to ask about options at check-in for a larger room but they didn’t offer anything.. I would have definitely paid 100 euros for a true suite… the room is a little tired and could use a bit of a refurbishment.. the over the top gold accents are a bit much for me… service is quite good as well as breakfast but for $300 and 15K points a night it’s a disappointment… the best use of a DSU in Europe is at the PH Vienna… stunning suites (though the service isn’t as good…)
FDW
Back to Paris you go….you should go to the Maldives as well then back to Pais then to the Maldives….Maybe you should rename your blog Paris to Maldives. Also who eats breakfast in a hotel when you can go out to a cafe and have it for 5 euros…This is why the world hates Americans. Another reason you have no culture. Before you start defending yourself, you took the AMERICAN breakfast.
This hotel has Trump-quality written all over it; Gold plated everything. I’ll use my lowly IHG points for Intercontinental Le Grande, than you very much.
Management at Park Hyatt Vendome also treat Platinum status members with aplomb, as well. As just a Platinum, I arrived early, and they offered me free access to private rooms in the spa so I could shower and change clothes. They also treated me to a half price rate for the breakfast: 25 euros per person. Elegant retreat in Paris.
Funny that I posted on Facebook that I will look forward to reviewing them for the 3rd time in 1 year in tripadvisor b/c their FB page was asking for TA reviews.
Surprisingly, I did end up getting special treatment as a result.
Gary, I totally get staying at a hotel like this if you have, say certificates from the Hyatt credit card. I also get it if you are a road warrior who has built up a ton of points, and this is a good redemption on a points only stay. But $300 a night cash is starting to really add up. Have you ever thought about doing an airbnb or vrbo rental for places like Paris, with a ton of great options at really reasonable rates? Like you, I don’t find the area around the Part Hyatt Vendome especially interesting- high end shopping does nothing for me. Why not think about a place like this:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6873914?checkin=04%2F13%2F2016&checkout=04%2F18%2F2016&guests=2&s=7HTAo9q-
$215 a night all-in, you get a nicely renovated apartment, and in (to me, at least), a much more interesting part of the city. And still incredibly convenient to the Metro, with the added convenience of being close to all the RER lines at Chatelet-Les Halles.
I swear I am not a shill for Airbnb, but I think for a lot of people it just offers a ton more value and much better overall experience than a hotel, especially when you are talking about spending that kind of money per night.
@johnny33…seems like Gary can travel wherever he wants and eat whatever he wants. Just like you can stop reading if you don’t like the content or think it’s not varied enough.
“The toiletries are large, and more miles than they were…”
Just under your courtyard shot, I’m trying to reverse-engineer what the heck “miles” means here. Is it “mild”? Maybe you’re saying “less overly fragrant”? If so, I know what you mean. Some of the lines of designer toiletries can knock your socks off.
I am trying to figure out what to do with my two nights certificates from chase hyatt.
I am leaning towards rose zilara.
$300 plus 30,000 points for a true 5* is still a great deal in Paris, one of the most overpriced hotel cities in the world. Last time I was there, I paid nearly $600 for a totally forgettable room at the mediocre-at-best Renaissance Arc de Triomphe.
As for your reception, they probably don’t want to encourage any more bloggers . . . mattress running Diamonds are not the guests from whom properties like this make their money.
When I’m in Paris, I usually wind up at a nice 5-star hotel due to some crazy deal. That said, I firmly believe that, absent a crazy deal, you should NOT spend the points/money on a 5-star hotel in Paris. It’s just a bad deal, since a tourist typically spends little of their time at their Parisian hotel and the city is large enough that you don’t usually even get a chance to “stop by” to relax. Spend your points where you will actually be spending time at the hotel — like at a resort. There’s no way I’d be blowing 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points to stay at the Vendome. It’s unnecessary, and I could make better use of the points elsewhere.
I love this hotel. Stayed a few years ago for my wife birthday on pts and they gave us a lovely street virw room. Stayed recently as a diamond and offered me a glass of champagne, when I mentioned I had a friend joining they left the bottle. it was a nice bottle. Breakfast lovely, location good.
Maybe hotels are starting to realize that when they lavish bloggers with over-the-top upgrades, and then said bloggers in turn write about it, it causes readers of said blogs to start having expectations of said upgrades, which causes the hotels a bunch of headaches?
Not at all intended as a jab at you, Gary, but just actually wondering if your treatment by the hotel was by design, so as not to create unrealistic expectations.
@CW I was treated to exactly the confirmed upgrade I booked, which is what I expected
Clearly they assigned room 444 to a non-Chinese/Japanese traveler to avoid any cultural discomfort.
Good review and this is one of favorite hotels in the world, we stay here at least once a year and will return this Thanksgiving. Both paid stays and awards.
Of note Gary is Claudio has left the Martinez and taken over the V, He opened the PHM, and was it’s GM for years. I look for improvement ( if that is possible) to the V. He’s one of their if not the best GM’s in Europe.
I too use a combination of cash and points and generally get a two room/two bath suite. If anyone is interested Christmas time is incredible here but Paris on whole. In the “garden” area they erect a Ginger Bread house and the front entrance by the concierge has a large blue Christmas tree !
Safe travels Gary.
@Gary – I was referring to how you mentioned that they brought out a manager, how it “didn’t get [you] anything”, and how you mentioned that the previous year you’d been given a better room. This sequence seemed to imply that you were expecting, or at least had a precedent of receiving, better treatment than what you did in fact receive.
Again, I was simply pondering aloud if this was a conscious decision, to actually tone down the treatment of those with high visibility, in order to manage expectations of the masses.
@CW I found it interesting that they identified me as someone the social media marketing manager wanted to meet, but that they didn’t try to do anything and in fact gave me a lesser room than in the past (which was indeed the room i was expecting). I have no speculation beyond that, it just seemed notable both that the hotel greeted me in that way and that the room was a more modest one.
@Gary – you said if you weren’t Diamond you wouldn’t stay here; how about a list of other points options in Paris and where you’d stay if all you had were points and no or low status. We know where you stay in certain cities but make things a little more friendly for travelers in general. Thanks!
@Sice I don’t think I was as definitive as that, and others have noted that Platinums are treated well here at least on their first stay.
I love the Park Hyatt Vendome Paris. Had a tremendous 4nt stay here at the beginning of January 2016. After having stayed at over 100+ Hyatt’s around the world I would say this one’s in the top 3.
I used a DSU and was provided with a double room suite with an Inside courtyard view on the 4th floor. Room was perfect. I was very impressed with Housekeeping as they did an excellent job servicing the room (unlike other HR, Resorts or PH properties). We never observed them in the halls or never need to ask for additional amenities as they always replaced what was used and kept room clean and fresh. Absolutely no issues with Housekeeping, which was a first.
Front desk staff was courteous and professional. We loved our Breakfast Dining restaurant experience and each morning was greeted by name. The croissants and pastries are heavenly.
It’s located in the Jewelry district with luxury stores all around. One of our days, we walked to the Louvre and took my wife to her favorite nearby store, Goyard.
We’re going back the PH Vendome this month with the kids and looking forward to another memorable stay in Paris.
I’m intrigued by why they had the marketing manager meet you. I might have been offended, especially if I was “off-duty.” Do you think Hyatt corporate has your name flagged in the system? You would have thought the marketing flack would have offered a tour of the hotel or perhaps at least sent a bottle of sparkling water to your room, if they were trying to spin you under the assumption you’d review the hotel. I’ve often thought that many travel blog reviewers should be like food critics and review under a pen name. I personally think you wasted a suite certificate as the room, while nice, wasn’t really a suite.
@Nick well the suite upgrade would have expired unused probably otherwise. But I had hoped for a room equal to the suite I had a year or so earlier.
I certainly wasn’t offended, but all they did is give me their card and say I could reach out to them for anything. I didn’t. As I mentioned, I expect it’s because I’ve reviewed the hotel more than once before.
I’ll never understand why someone would stay at a Paris hotel over a air bnb or bed and breakfast.