4-5 STAR HOTEL IN PARIS
 

I am going to visit Paris in December and i am looking for a good 4 star hote(around 500euros)l for a family of 3. I been to Paris 6 times, so i do not care much for the location.I prefer a recently renovated hotel with spacious rooms not in the left Bank(except Tour Eiffel area). I do not have problem with a hotel near La Defens.

Friends of friends of ours stay at the Hotel Lancaster (wouldn't stay anywhere else in Paris). It's near the Champs-Elysees. They say it's small and intimate, with excellent service.

The Hotel Lancaster is a five-star hotel, whose rates *start* at well over 500 Euros.

About 2 years ago I stayed at the Le Parc Demure one of the Sofitel hotels in Paris (we couldn't get into any of the hotels our bible "Hip Hotels" as they were all fully booked). It is a great location and we walked everywhere. There is also a very charming garden restaurant. I think we had a deluxe room because it was much nicer than the picture of the room on their website which doesn't do the place justice. Take a look:

http://www.sofitel.com/sofitel/fiche...he_hotel.shtml

We stayed at the same hotel (Sofitel Le Parc) over Valentine's Day weekend this year and will be going back in a couple of weeks; our rate for a deluxe double is 210 euros per night. Our room was very nice and the hotel has one of the most beautiful patio gardens in Paris (not much use in December, though, it should be lit up nicely). There are a few other very nice Sofitels in the neighborhood--Dhokans and the Baltimore. Check the Sofitel web site although I don't think you can book online more than 3 months in advance. All are four star hotels, spacious, well-regarded and located in one of the nicest residential areas in Paris. Plenty of cafes, shopping, etc., nearby and good mass transit access (metro, bus).

I hadn't registered that the booking was for December - the garden probably will be a bit chilly!

There actually aren't any 5-star hotels in Paris--the board that assesses hotels and assigns ratings has 4*Luxe as its highest category. That includes such well known hotels as the Crillon, George V (often called the world's best hotel), the Plaza Athenée, the Ritz, the Bristol, and the Meurice. A good friend of mine stays sometimes at the Meurice and sometimes at the Westminster (a 4*) and likes them both quite a lot.

I read a review of the Lancaster at the bonjourparis.com web site that made me want to rob a bank and book rooms there for a month.

Actually the ****Luxe/Deluxe hotels in Paris are:
1.Hotel Scribe
2.Hotel De Vendome
3.L'Hotel
4.Villa Beaumarchais
5.Ritz
and 6.Plaza Athenee

Right now i am beetween these hotels:
1.Warwick Champs-Elysees-executive room-350euros
2.Park Hyatt Vendome-deluxe room-650euros(an exeption)
3.Millennium Opera-Haussmann(presidential)Suite-400euros
4.Le Faubourg Sofitel Demeure Hotels-junior suite-450euros
5.Royal Monceau Mandarin Oriental-deluxe room-480euros
6.Sofitel La Defense Grande Arche-junior suite-320euros
7.Hotel Vernet-deluxe room-400euros
and 8.Hilton Paris Tour Eiffel-trocadero suite-450euros
Any comments?

If the three of you are staying in the same room, and location is of no weight in the decision, I would take the largest room. Room sizes are small in Europe generally, and more so in expensive cities like Paris. Contact the hotels and ask about the size of each room type in square meters. The executive rooms and deluxe rooms may be too small. With 3 people, unless one of them is say a child under 10, I think you need at least 35 square meters.

There is a Sofitel on Rue Jean Goujon (off the Champs, not far from the Plaza Athenee) that always looks nice to me, and they have apartments. They have top floor rooms (which may be the apartments) which have good size balconies and would Eiffel Tower views from there.

Sofitel Champs Elysee-Paris
8, rue Jean Goujon
75008
Tel :(+33)1/40746464
Fax :(+33)1/40747966
http://www.accorhotels.com

I have stayed at the San Regis just down the street, which I also recommend, their junior suites are a good size and could work for 3 people. It is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World take a look at slh.com

Hotel San Regis
12, Rue Jean Goujon
75008 Paris

Tel: +33 1 4495 1616
Fax: +33 1 4561 0548

`Have you checked Le Grand Hotel Intercontinental? Recently renovated. I also like the San Regis.

I'm very surprised that L'Hôtel would be considered a 4* luxe--it's nice but not in the same league as the Ritz!

The Sofitel Le Faubourg is newish and very nice.

You might chekc the prices on suites at the Regina, the ones overlooking the Rue de Rivoli.

I do not like the style of rooms(and the small bathrooms) at Sofitel Champs-Elyseesand the San Regis it's a bit expensive(620euros).
The hotel Regina is also expensive.
As for the Grand Hotel I stayed at the Hotel Scribe(oposite the Grand Hotel IC) and i do not think that Grand Hotel has something more than scribe for 410euros.
We are 2 adults with a 15yearsold boy.We stayed for 15 days in a deluxe room at the hotel Scribe(30m2) and we were very comfortable. We would stay there again but we want to change...
This are the room sizes for the hotels that i have selected:
1.Warwick Champs-Elysees-executive room-350euros-35m2
2.Park Hyatt Vendome-deluxe room-650euros(a bit pricey)-40m2
3.Millennium Opera-Haussmann(presidential)Suite-400euros-70m2
4.Le Faubourg Sofitel Demeure Hotels-junior suite-450euros-30m2
5.Royal Monceau Mandarin Oriental-deluxe room-480euros-40m2
6.Sofitel La Defense Grande Arche-junior suite-320euros-40m2
7.Hotel Vernet-deluxe room-400euros-45m2
and
8.Hilton Paris Tour Eiffel-trocadero suite-450euros-60m2

I think I'd better not offer any further suggestions.

I've booked a room in the Lancaster for November, for a rate of 490 Euros. This is a triple room; twin beds with an additional bed added. The standard king bedroom was 390. Booked directly with the hotel.
I haven't stayed at this hotel before, but it gets excellent reviews. I've stayed at another property from the same owners, and that was very good.

The price of a triple room at Lancaster(30m2) is 600euros, a bit expensive.

I'll start by saying that I don't know the hotels you mention on your 'short list' but if I had 300-450 euros to spend on a hotel in Paris again, I'd choose the best room at the D'Aubusson (nice and spacious) or Relais Christine or the Regina (on various promotions I've seen rates there for well under 400 euros, but ask for a renovated room) or the Pavillion de la Reine, in other words, a great 'boutique' hotel. Others include the Montalembert, Lavoisier, Costes. But perhaps our recommendations don't fit with your preferences, as I would not want to stay near La Defense.

what about the prince de galle hotel on Avenue George V? hehehe we're staying there next month!

This is a 4 star, on the right bank, with a junior suite for less than 500Euros.
http://www.hotel-mayfair-paris.com/