Park Hyatt Paris Review- OVERRATED?
After arriving into Paris via Air France Premium Economy in a decent flight, we made our way over to one of the most storied hotels in the world, the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme. It’s one of the crown jewels of the Hyatt system, along with hotels like the Park Hyatt New York, Park Hyatt Tokyo, Park Hyatt Kyoto, Park Hyatt Niseko, and Park Hyatt Milan (sense a theme???). As such, it’s a Category 8 and can cost between 35,000 to 45,000 points per night, depending on peak/off peak dates. Not a small chunk of points! That said, we had to try it given its reputation, although lately, reviews have been a bit more mixed. Is the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme past its prime?
I would answer that with a resounding no, given our experience over three nights here. The service, the breakfast, the location, the room, and the spa and gym, were all fantastic.
ROOM
We were upgraded from the base Park Room King to a 1 King Bed Deluxe room. Unfortunately, suite upgrades are nigh impossible here, and the standard suite isn’t even a true suite, just a larger room. So, we didn’t really feel like we missed much. Our room had tremendously high, airy ceilings, which counteracted the dark colors of the walls. I had heard it was a bit dark due to the colors, and that definitely held true; probably our least favorite thing about the room. But the high ceilings and corresponding high window really helped bring light and space into the room.
The best thing about the room, however, was the humongous bathroom. With two full vanity areas, along with a great bathtub and shower area, and of course, a Toto bidet in its own room, the bathroom was almost as large as a standard European hotel room. It was amazing for two people, while one person could live like a king. The toiletries were Blaise Mautin, a very exclusive and expensive Parisian perfumer.
A nice little touch was the sparkling water that came with the room, along with the standard bottled water, coffee, and tea. I’ve never seen sparkling water come free with a room before, and while not expensive, was really nice to have at your fingertips.
LOCATION
The Park Hyatt Paris is located right next to Place Vendôme, unsurprisingly. It’s at the end of a bunch of ritzy stores, a short walk from the Jardin des Tuileries, and a short walk to the Opéra station. There’s even a Velib (Parisian Citibike) station on the corner across from the hotel, so it’s really well situated to get around in Paris. Even though it’s in the action, it’s not touristy, which is nice. We tried the Hôtel du Louvre after (review coming next!), and we felt like we were in Times Square. So I’d definitely prefer to stay in this location the next time.
BREAKFAST
When in Paris, you are surrounded by boulangeries and patisseries of all sort, where you can find so many delicious pastries and start your day right. That said, breakfasts at Park Hyatts are often the stuff of legend, and as a Hyatt Globalist, comes complimentary with your stay. So, every day we found ourselves at the breakfast at the Park Hyatt, with maybe a second breakfast out later. It was impossible to skip - full buffet spread of amazing quality food - smoked fish, pastries, fruit and vegetables, breads, and more, along with an a la carte dish and fresh juice and great coffee. The best dish we had was the french toast - I’ve never had french toast this decadent and amazing before, and I think about it constantly to this day. The texture was like a thick cloud, really, really amazing.
SPA/GYM
One of the best parts of the Park Hyatt are the spa and gym. The gym is fairly large, especially for European standards, and comes with your standard cardio equipment and machines, but has a ton of dumbbells and kettlebells as well as a full fledged barbell. That was a really great surprise. We were alone most of the time that we went, which was great. It’s 24 hours, so if you have jetlag like I had the first night, a 2am workout can be on tap and help you sleep.
Meanwhile, the spa, through which you have to go to get to the gym, is also really nice. It’s relatively small, but open, with a large hot tub, then smaller sauna and steam room. I’d love a cold plunge, but that’s a lot to ask for - none of the hotels that we had on this trip had one.
SERVICE
How about the service? As befitting of a Park Hyatt, the service was impeccable. Everyone that we interacted with was really nice and on top of things. Any requests were immediately met. I have to give a very special shout out to Rocio Perez-Durias Ureta, the Guest Relations Supervisor - one of the warmest people I have met at a Hyatt. She even gave us a very thoughtful gift and card for our cat who had passed away earlier this year, and who was the impetus for the trip.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So - is the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme worth the up to 45k Hyatt points per night? A resounding yes, but it’s even better if you can get Hyatt Globalist status, or use their AMAZING Guest of Honor program via a friend with status. Without the breakfast and with a smaller room, though, it’s still an amazing spot. The service, the location, and the amenities all add up to an amazing stay, probably our favorite stay of the trip. Just don’t get a drink at the bar, they were about $30 each.
The best way to get enough points is via Chase - their Sapphire cards, combined with an Ink Small Business card that anyone can get will really help pile on the points and allow you to book the Park Hyatt Paris, other Park Hyatts like Kyoto, Tokyo, Niseko, Milan, and New York, or other great Hyatt properties like Andaz and Grand Hyatt, but you can also find great use in Hyatt Places and Hyatt Houses (for me, especially when snowboarding). Give a shout if you have any questions about getting points and how to best do so!