10 things every agent ought to know about ... Paris
01-Oct-08
1. For the luxury weekender
St Pancras International's Champagne bar has been joined by a fine-dining restaurant, The St Pancras Grand, so clients travelling on Eurostar (www.eurostar.com), which is currently running 15 out of 18 daily services to Paris following a fire in September, can indulge before leaving London. www.stpancras.com
For easy travel, Paris Hospes Lancaster provides a complimentary chauffeur-driven Mercedes as a drop-off service to take guests for dinner or shopping within Paris. www.hotel-lancaster.fr
2. For stylish arrivals
Clients can opt to be met by French, English, Arabic, Russian or Mandarin-speakers courtesy of New Efficient Travel Services. The meet-and-greet agency is based in Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport, and designed for VIP Business and First Class travellers. www.netservicesvip.com
Try Hotel Le Bristol's VIP airport meet-and-greet service launched in August from Paris Charles De Gaulle airport. Clients are met by a hostess as soon as they alight from the plane, who helps them through customs and escorts them to a luxurious limo. www.lhw.com/bristolparis
3. For spa and fitness devotees
Plaza Athenee opened the Dior Institut in September. It is the hotel's first spa and Dior's first Institut in a hotel. Clients can see a personal coach for tailor-made workout sessions. The hotel has also renovated the Galerie des Gobelins. www.plaza-athenee-paris.com
4. For the next-big-thing break
The Westin Paris is undergoing a $14m (£8m) refurbishment. Work on the guestrooms is complete, while the spa, gym and main entrance will be completed by January. The Trianon Palace, formerly a Westin hotel, plans to become a Luxury Collection hotel (www.starwoodhotels.com). A Peninsula hotel is to open on Avenue Kleber, off the Arc de Triomphe, by 2012 (www.peninsula.com). Prince Roland Bonaparte's former family mansion will open as the 118-room Shangri-La Hotel, Palais d'Iena, in 2009. www.shangri-la.com
5. For the vintage shopper
Hotel Aviatic, currently being refurbished, has teamed up with Ooh La La! Vintage to offer tailored shopping packages. www.oohlalavintage.com
Mandarin Oriental, Paris, is set to open in late 2010 on rue Saint Honore, surrounded by luxury fashion retailers. www.mandarinoriental.com
6. For the gourmet fan
At Hotel Ritz Paris, couples can experience the latest creations of chef Michel Roth in a menu created for its 'La Table Du Chef'. www.ritzparis.com
Other eateries of note include L'Espadon at Hotel Ritz, Les Orchidees at Park Hyatt Paris and Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee. The city hosts nine restaurants with three stars, including Le Meurice L'Astrance and Le Pre Catelan. Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome's gourmet restaurant, Pur'Grill, received its first Michelin star in March. www.hyatt.com. Le Meurice has launched Le Dali restaurant. www.lemeurice.com Hotel Montalembert offers dishes that change monthly. www.montalembert.com
7. For the greener city break
Raffles Hotels & Resorts are to reopen the historic 152-room Le Royal Monceau Hotel in April 2009. Several environmentally friendly practices are being introduced, such as the use of Hybrid cars, a solar energy-heated swimming pool and water recycling processes. www.raffles.com
8. The sightseeing guest
The 93-room Banke Hotel opens in January 2009 in the Opera neighbourhood, boasting a cutting-edge interior. Guests can enjoy views of the Sacre Coeur and the Opera building from the hotel terrace. The Louvre and the Champs elysees are within walking distance. www.derbyhotels.com
Located in the Quartier Latin, the 56-room Montalembert hotel is near to the Orsay museum and the church of Saint Germain des Pres. www.majestichotelgroup.com
9. For the privacy seeker
Hotel Le Bristol has launched a luxury in-room boutique service. Guests simply select the gifts they wish to buy and hang the order outside their room. The objects are delivered the next day, or can be placed at the cashier desk. www.hotel-bristol.com
10. For special celebrations
Send guests who want to enjoy their own special occasion to the Hotel de Crillon, which is celebrating its centenary next year with a major refurbishment. www.crillon.com
INSIDER'S GUIDE
Bonty Escalon, In-Country Director of Product Development, Europe, Classic Vacations
My favourite rooms in Paris include the Superior Suite Garden View at Four Seasons George V. All Superior Suites have been designed as quaint Parisian apartments, each with its own personal touches. There are views of the gardens below and the top of the chestnut trees that line up so majestically on the avenue George V.
I also like the One-Bedroom Deluxe Suite, with garden view, at the Ritz Hotel Paris. This is ideal for honeymooners or anyone seeking to celebrate with a truly unforgettable experience.
In the footsteps of Coco Chanel, who lived at the hotel for 37 years, the Ritz Paris offers a home away from home. Decorated in pure French style, every deluxe suite has been recently refreshed. They are even more special thanks to the new Pierre-Yves Rochon-designed beds.
The Meurice Tuileries Garden View Suite at Le Meurice is ideally located opposite the Tuileries Garden, between Place de la Concorde and the Louvre Museum. This is one of the most romantic suites in this elegant hotel. www.classicvacations.com/europe
