Paris for New Year's Eve
 

I am considering a surprise trip to Paris for New Year's Eve for my wife. Since this will be a short trip, I want to stay in a hotel rather than an apartment, and we will likely splurge for something nice. I am considering the Hotel Meurice, as we had a fantastic dinner at Le Meurice a couple years ago. We have never stayed in the Right Bank, but I am assuming that is the place to be for NYE. Please correct me if I am wrong. I guess I am seeking advice for where to stay to be in the midst of all the frivolitie on NYE in Paris, both in terms of hotel and events or restaurants for that evening?

All the major hotels have big New Year's Eve doings. Just go to their websites and you will find it.

I just previewd some of newly renovated rooms at the Meurice.

Joan

If you can afford them, there are a number of fantastic hotels on the Right Bank. Besides the Ritz, there are the Crillon, the Bristol, the George V, the Prince de Galles, the Westin, the Grand Hôtel Inter-Continental and many others, including of course the Meurice and also the chains like the Marriott, the Renaissance, the Radisson SAS, etc.

If you want the 'excitement' of the New Year's crowd, it happens on the Champs Elysées, which is closed to traffic starting around 8pm and reopening when they have cleaned up the mess around 3am. Many people bring a bottle of champagne and (usually plastic) glasses for the great anti-climax of midnight when absolutely nothing happens except for the merriment of the crowd (no fireworks or anything special).

This was getting dangerous a few years ago with a very rowdy crowd, but it had become civilized again due to massive police presence. Nevertheless, you will see most of the luxury stores of the Champs Elysées boarded up for the evening as though expecting a hurricane.

This is all very helpful, thanks. It sounds like the Champs Elysees may be a bit raucous for us. I will check the hotel websites for goings on there. We don't expect or want anything like fireworks, just a beautiful Parisian scene when the clock strikes midnight.

Many Parisian restaurants have prix-fixe festivities that include dinner, drinks, and evening entertainment. These book up far in advance, so you should make your plans asap.