Kevin Dobstaff

My girlfriend and I will be taking a long-awaited trip to Europe in May, and we are currently booked in the following hotels: Forum Hotel, 93 Cromwell Rd (at Gloucester Rd.) in Kensington section of London and at the Grand Hotel Malher, Right Bank, 4e Arr't near the St. Paul Metro stop. I am having a hard time finding any information about either hotel.... Anybody out there have information? Any restaurant recommendations would also be very welcome. Thank you and warmest regards, Kevin

Lori Hobbs

Kevin,
I am planninga trip to London and Paris and have
found many great Web sites for touring both countries.
For Paris try the Paris Pages. Adress is;
www.paris.org. Will tell you everything you need to know
about Paris. It also has a section about hotels. Your Paris
hotel is listed. People who have stayed there have said
the following:
* clean, modern, nice location, recently renovated
* outstanding, charming, immaculate, best area of Paris
(the Marais area). The Marais is where it is happening.
Owner is the perfect host.
I am staying is a less expensive hotel in the Marais area
in two weeks. My brother (a frequent Paris traveler and my
travel agent say the Marais is where you want to be.)

As for London, I would think you can't go wrong with a
hotel in the Kensington Area but I don't know about this
one. I have a web site for London hotels but I can not seem to find it know. I will get back. Some very helpful
web sites for London.
* www.bta.org.uk This is the web site of the British Tourist
Authority
* http://www.-mice.cs.ucl.ac.uk/misc/u...stuarants.html

www-mice.csucl.ac.uk/misc/uk/london/pubs/index.html

When in London you must at least try Indian food if you have never had it. Outside of India, London is the best
place for Indian food. Try Khans in Bayswater. Also
Chinese and Thai food is good in London. For Chinese
try Poons. Both highly recommended.
Also in London you should do the Jack the Ripper tour.
It is Awesome! Have a great time!!
If you want more info please e-mail directly.
[email protected]
Lori

Lori Hobbs

Two more good websites for London.

www.hoteldiscount.com/london.html
www.timeout.co.uk/to

When you get to London the first thing you should do
is get a copy of the magazine Time Out for the current
happenings in London and the A to Z guide. This is will
tell you where everything is.

Lori

Candice Waldron

I used to live in Paris and the Marais is turly the best quartier in Paris. Regarding the Hotl Mahler there was an article in the Dec 96 or January 97 issue of Travel and Leisure. The author stayed at the Grand Mahler and gave it a favorable review. When I travel to Paris I stay at the Caron de Beaumarchais, which is my favorite hotel. It is on rue due Vielle Temple, one of the major streets of the Marais. I would definitley recommend staying there. The father/son owners are great and the hotel is very charming and quaint. The Marais is so accessible to the Picasso Museum, Centre Pompidou, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Bastille (great area for nighttime activities) and so much else. There are wonderful cafes in the Marais, go to Au Petit Fer de Cheval. Have fun.

Kevin Dobstaff

Thanks very much for the responses. Does anybody have more information about a museum "pass" or how I'd be able to travel to Versailles or the Chartres cathedral? Do the trains run to these locations? In addition, how is the walking distance from the Marais to other areas of Paris, such as the Eiffel Tower? Will we be able to walk to everything within the city limits, or would you suggest getting used to the Metro? And I guess my most important question is, as a typical American, what suggestions do you have for making restaurant going a more pleasant experience, especially with the language barrier. Are the waiters generally helpful, or should I be trying to learn how to understand a menu printed in French all on my own?
Thanks again for all the wonderful responses...
Kevin

Denice

If you still need info on the Forum Hotel in London,
you can access it thru: http://www.all-hotels.com
They even had an e-mail address to contact them.

Have a great trip!

Bill Irving

First thing you need to do is go to the travel section of a bookstore & look over the travel books for
areas that you want to visit - Fodors or Frommers books among many others are a good place to start.
Decide on a book or 2 & then purchase them & read them, there is a wealth of information in them
whether you are a first time traveler or multi-time. We are going to Paris in June. This is my
third time. I have already purchased my Paris museum pass--LA CARTE. There are a couple of companies
that do this, the 1 I used is Marketing Challenges at 212-529-9069. They also carry the Great
British Heritage Pass for use in Britain. You can usually purchase some form of these
passes when you get to your destination, but I like to purchase them in advance so that
I have that cost out of the way before I go.

As for language, I know a small amount of French, & it appears that if you atleast attempt to speak some
of the pleasentries -- bonjour, merci etc. the people may open up alittle more. The French people that
I have had contact with have responded to that. As for waiters, even if a tip is included in the
bill(in French l'addition), if you like the service leave a few extra centiemes or francs.

The metro is fantastic to get around in, very easy to learn, & it is clean & efficient. You can
walk to alot of areas, but there will be times you will need to use the metro. You can purchase
what is called a CARNET - a 10 pack of metro tickets, for a reasonable price. Don't get
caught on the metro without a ticket. They do ocassionally check. I enjoy walking thru the
neiborhoods, but there are times when the metro is the better choice. The tube in London is
also an excellent way to get around there.

Enjoy, & try to be part of their culture while you are there.

Julie

I have stayed at the Forum Hotel in London. It is a very large tourist/business hotel in the moderate (relatively speaking for London) price range. It has all the amenities of a full-service hotel. Not a lot of atmostphere but perfectly adequate, clean, etc. I recall the rooms were on the small side, but most London hotels have small rooms. The location is quite good - a five minute walk to the tube and easy access to all the sites.

Cindy

Kevin: While I cannot help you with hotel information in Paris or London I can offer a few restaurant suggestions. Charlotte Street (Bloomsbury area) has s number of small but terrific ethnic restaurants. They are less chic than those in Knightsbridge and Mayfair but also less expensive. A favorite is L'Etoile - great French food. Call ahead for reservations at Le Pont de la Tour at Butler's Wharf when visiting The Tower - request a table outside facing the Tower. In case you think all we eat is French food in London (!) make sure that you have afternoon tea in the Palm Room at The Ritz (reservations need to be made at least four weeks in advance but it is well worth the effort). Also - breakfast in The Savoy's River Room is something not to miss - a basket from Fortnum & Mason's (Piccadilly) makes a wonderful and unforgettable picnic in a London's park is also a must. Enjoy your trip!

Kevin Dobstaff

Thanks to everyone who posted responses here. All of your information has been extremely helpful. However, I still lack much information about the Grand Hotel Malher... Anyone out there with additional information about the hotel or this area of the Marais, it would be much appreciated...
Regards,
Kevin

Denise LeClerc

Stayed at the Forum Hotel in spring of 1992. Was not very pleased with the hotel-rooms were uninspiring and the breakfast service was terrible. Would recommend the White House hotel. Located near Hyde Park and the zoo, better service and a nice location. Enjoy!