Paris Report/Htl Napoleon and Le Tour D'Argent Rest.
 

Just back from a wonderful two days in Paris, we figured out it is 17 years since we were there last, and we live in Europe!

The trip was a last minute, and I posted questions regarding the hotel Napoleon and restaurants on the forum. I had positive responses on the hotel. I booked the hotel, and, against my better judgement, pre-paid as it was a special deal and no refund given. Unfortunately, the next day I read a response on this board which referred to a review on TripAdvisor, which was less than favourable. Very Worried, I emailed the hotel, and they re-assured me that the only construction work going on was redecorating on the 6th floor, and the room would be a quiet room.

I had booked a Classic Room and Well, as soon as I walked into the room, my heart sank. The room was small, I can live with that, but the furniture was "Shabby Chic" (which I have at home) but this room was just SHABBY despite the fairly new soft furnishings, plaster was chipped around the doors, walls needed a good lick of paint, dirty net curtain against the window (facing inner courtyard), pink 70's style bathroom suite, the bed a small double with a mattress I found uncomfortable.

This was a romantic 2 days rendevouz with my husband in Paris and This Room Had No Romance!!

After a depressing 5 minutes, headed straight down to the reception where the staff was most understanding and helpful and at a very reasonable rate (40 Euro) was upgraded to another room which they assured me would be a "very nice one". I left them to get the room ready and move my case, and went off for a wander around the Champs Elysse/Avenue Montaigne area. Came back to the hotel the moment my husband arrived, and new worries, what if this room is not right?

It was! We were in a Junior Suite, very elegant and immaculate. It was facing Avenue de Friedland, but it was quiet, could hardly hear any cars driving by.

Restaurant:
After a lot of research and suggestions from this forum, I made a shortlist and emailed www.reservethebest.com my list in order of priority, and had response the same day and a table at La Tour d'Argent, my first choice.

It ended up my first choice because of the view at the lit-up Notre Dame and my husband just loves duck, and it could not get much better than this. Had a very good table at the second row with uninterupted view of the ND, then we were offered a table by the window for our cheese and dessert courses, which we accepted and had a nice view of the river as well.

I had lobster bisque for starter, and of course, we had the pressed duck, which was wonderful and special and served as two courses, then cheese platter and desserts, coffee served with very rich chocolates. And of course a very special bottle of wine.

The winelist is the size of a medivial bible, and my husband asked the sommelier for his recommendation, and mentioned one of his favourite (Spanish) wines for reference. Husband went with the suggestion, and the wine was wonderful. And this we will laugh about for a long time, did not ask about the price, which was 247 Euros (the whole bill was around 600). What is more hilarious we did not even write down the name of it!

A very memorable evening, and my husband could not stop raving about it! Did we find it touristy? Not at all, and after all, we were tourists too. Noisy, not at all, lovely atmosphere, restaurant was full, but somehow we felt just on our own.

Friday, we did the tourist bit, took the hop-on-hop-off buses around the city, stopped somewhere for lunch (can't remember name but somewhere near Madeleine), did some shopping.

Husband had a flight out at 2300 hrs, so had early dinner at Fourbon (sp?) at Champs Elysee which was good and convenient.

I flew home the next morning, and now we are planning our next trip, although have decided to only do La Tour 'Argent every five years!

I can never hear of pressed duck without thinking of the book "Someone Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe"!

Glad your dinner met your expectations and the upgraded room was so much better than the original.

Wonderful!

Good for you, OT.

Hi
have you got a website or other info on the hotel?
the rate is amazingly low--I'm interested.
Is there an elevator?

the website is www.hotelnapoleonparis.com

The rack rate for the Jr. Suite is 600 per night Euros according to the information posted in the room, but deals are available, and guess I got lucky with my upgrade and my total charge per night was 247 Euros (just realize it was exactly the same as the wine at the restaurant).

Just do not make the same mistake as me and book a Classic Room and go for the lowest rate, prepay and no way out without losing your money. I was very lucky the hotel had other rooms available, because I was not staying in the original room!

Underhill,

Sounds like a book worth reading, who is the author?

I completely misunderstood the price of your room, I thought it was 40 euros.
When something sounds too good to be true, it is. :)

Yes, "classic room" can usually be interpreted as "incredibly tiny room" and I love that sometime "Shabby Chic" is simply "Shabby" but no chic!

it's like calling cups of soft drinks or coffee Large, Extra Large, and Jumbo. No 'Small'.

I think the book had joints authors--last name Lyon and one first was Nan.

There was a move made of the book, but it didn't at all capture the fun of the novel.

I tried Amazon, but it looks as though the book is out of print.

But Abebooks has it:


Someone Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe (ISBN:0151837600)
Nan Lyons, Ivan Lyons

We could have managed a tiny hotel room, provided the room was well maintained, this one was not. I have a well maintained Shabby Chic style home (goes well with the Labrador and Green Wellies)and the elegant and opulent style in the Jr. Suite was wonderful.

Underhill, I'll try the book stores and ebay, might strike lucky with the book, sounds like a good read. And thanks for your replies to my posts.

You're welcome. The book is a hoot--enjoy it.

Did a google on the title, came up with 70000 hits, incl. the film.

Yes, elaine, sounds like Starbucks. "I'll have a small cup of coffee" -- "one tall coffee" -- "no, I said small" -- "yes, tall is small, the medium is Grande, and the large is Venti" --"but what if I want a small one" -- "the you order a tall".

Who wrote their dictionary?

Olaug-I loved the report. Dogs and welles--you are funny!

Sounds like fun. I admire you for being able to laugh about the wine. Since I have a duck fetish (according to someone who responded to my trip report), I am curious how the two courses of pressed duck were prepared.

the website for the restaurant is www.la-tour-dargent.com click on Cuisine and then His Majesty the Duck and read how the pressed duck is prepared.

The sauce was just heavenly, and they supply a special spoon to help you lick the plate. The legs were served with a Bernaise sauce, equally heavenly!

On suggestion of a friend, have emailed them and asked if they possibly could check their records and help me with the name of the wine. Nothing much else we could do really than laugh about it, but well worth it as it was a memorable evening.

(Penny, - need to walk those dogs extra now, to work of those sauces, with the weather we are having I need those wellies! Before we know it, is is Anguilla and swimsuit time again!)

Glad it worked out for you OT. I am so fed up with the hotel "lottery" - a bad room in an expensive hotel is such a disappointment.

Regards Ger