My family had an unexpected additional night in Paris and stayed at the Renaissance Hotel Vendôme Paris for the very first, and last time.
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Think Hostel But Extensively Overpriced, Never Going Back
I have written hundreds of hotel reviews (not just on this site) and I can’t recall ever including a preamble such as this. It’s a two-parter:
- I understand the market and value for money in Paris and how that differs from elsewhere not only in the world but within Europe. I lived in England for three years and travel the continent regularly, yes, rooms are small and Paris is expensive but this was a joke.
- Another site that I wrote for years ago had an editor that left me with one piece of key advice – don’t write to what you think your audience expects, write what the piece needs. So this is as brutally honest as I can be about this property.
Without further ado…
Location
There are two redeeming qualities about this property and the first is its location. The neighborhood is the pricey and prestigious Place Vendôme area. Within a five-minute walk is the famed Ritz Paris, with first-rate dining and shops like Cartier, and Louis Vuitton. It’s a short walk to the Louvre, Champs Elysses, Opera, and the US Embassy.
This particular hotel is located on a side street that can be difficult to get to. Both during our afternoon arrival and the following early morning departure the street was impassable due to construction, recycling trucks, or whatever else. It’s also hard to find for some drivers.
Phone: +33 1 40 20 20 00
Address: 4 Rue du Mont Thabor, 75001 Paris, France
Check-In
From check-in, seated at reception, the property gives an impression deserving every bit of the five stars adorned on a placard outside the entrance. Bell staff were courteous and helpful, organizing our voluminous luggage while we waited in an anteroom. We sipped on tepid cardboard bottles of water, provided by hotel staff
With just one afternoon, evening, and morning left in Paris, we were getting restless after waiting about 20 minutes for a seat to check in and I finally walked back to our luggage with the message to the porter that we could just be checked in later but we needed to go.
All of a sudden a table opened up and we were invited to sit for check-in at about 1:30 PM. We knew we had arrived early for check-in and didn’t expect them to have a room ready or even want to necessarily check-in; just to drop our things off and go.
The check-in process was as expected with well-appointed, multi-lingual staff, dressed sharply that offered us a selection of drinks including champagne. It took about 10 minutes to get set up, though as the room was not yet ready, we ultimately did what we came to do which was drop off the luggage and be on our way. We wasted 30 minutes of our shortly remaining 16 hours for something that I tried to explain to the bell staff when we arrived that we didn’t need.
They promised they would call me when the room was ready and I left my phone number. They never called but we returned around 5 PM, then still had to go through a further check-in process for room keys.
So convenient, so luxurious.
Property
A rarity for Paris, though more common in the Vendôme area, the hotel features a pool/spa area. We had no time for this and I didn’t even bother to collect photos, but you shouldn’t stay there anyway so what’s the difference?
The lobby and entrance have the hallmarks of an incredible luxury property. The hotel pumps in their signature scent, reminiscent of Le Labo LM 01, are adorned with design-forward fixtures and held to a high standard.
There is a lift in the property but some floors still have stairs within the hallways. If mobility is a concern, this could be a problem.
There is allegedly an on-site restaurant but it’s closed for the moment. I’m not sure if this is a planned renovation or still being blamed on COVID, but regardless, the hotel offers no on-site food as of December 1st, 2022. A breakfast voucher is provided for a nearby restaurant but they don’t open until 7 AM and we were on our way to the airport by then. They offered some croissants and juice in the lobby.
Dorm Room/IKEA-Chic
Small rooms are the custom in Paris but this one was especially small for the property. The design felt like my freshman year in college with thin composite wood cabinets and closet doors flush against the walls. The desk in the corner of the room was a simple writing desk, painted in gray.
My wife called it “IKEA-chic” and I think that fits as well. The glass bedside lamps were the best design elements in the room, but even the framed picture above the bed felt like something I could find for $15.99 in a brushed silver frame. For what they charge, this felt like they were mocking us, mocking their guests, applying a principle that people will pay whatever you tell them to for a well-located hotel in the city of lights.
Bedroom
Walking into the room, your knees are greeted within three steps by the end of the bed frame. There is enough room to open the doors of the wardrobe and the fridge but no space between.
There was a Nespresso machine with two cups of coffee stocked (I’m not going to count decaffeinated coffee), and a pair of terry-cloth robes. With effort, there was enough room to unpack a single adult for about four days in the entire room. We couldn’t have stayed there as a family for more than a weekend if we wanted to.
The staff placed a rollaway bed against the wall and desk which was welcome (though not requested) and this consumed the only remaining free space in the room. It also blocked the Juliet balcony opening though we were able to move it to see outside.
The TV was a decent size (about 42”, I’d guess) and as this is France, nearly all stations were in French though for what it’s worth other hotels we’ve stayed in the city offer an international selection including English (along with German, Mandarin, etc.)
Bathroom
The most spacious aspect of the room was in the bathroom, though sadly, not enough room for a bed in there. If you were wondering what it would be like to pay extortionate rates for an aiport Sheraton bathroom, allow me to take you on a tour. The only thing missing from this bathroom was a tape deck. Here’s a wide angle shot so everything is in the image, and then standard angles following.
One added benefit of this dated design is the excellent placement of the toilet paper roll. Can you see it in the photo above? No? Let me show you:
That’s handy. Who doesn’t want to reach down and backward while seated on the toilet for the toilet paper roll that falls off the side if you dare move your elbow? I love chasing it underneath the vanity for kicks.
Just when you thought this hotel couldn’t earn its five stars, let me show you to the toiletries. Let’s just agree, for a moment, that while they are sometimes an excellent way to take a good hotel experience home with you, miniature bottles of toiletries are wasteful and bad for the environment. That said, large bottles shouldn’t have to be affixed to the wall in a premium, five-star property. Who is taking bottles this size? If they are, just charge them – you already have their card on file. Frankly, guests so overpaid for the room that it’s the least the hotel could offer in terms of value anyway.
Concierge Service
Every great five star-hotel should offer a helpful and courteous concierge. The Renaissance Vendôme had one on staff, but the helpful part was lacking. We were short on time and wanted tickets to the Eiffel Tower for our daughter who wanted to see the view from the top. Why not employ the concierge staff to arrange this purchase on our behalf, right?
After a significant wait, I recieved a call from the “Navigator” who offered us €75 tickets to the top as part of a private group with “no wait” for the elevator. This was only a slight markup over what the Eiffel offers online or at the gate for the two adults and one child in our party. The concierge then clarified, “each.” Yes, the price was triple. I own a travel agency, I understand that like travel agents, concierge staff don’t charge for their services but receive a commission from the tour operator. However, paying triple was just a stupid waste of money and of course, I’d be happy to pay a service fee to make the transaction on our behalf.
I requested that she secure just the tickets and not the special tour, after all, the concierge’s job is to do just that (regardless of whatever add-on fee they might apply) but she refused. It was pay triple or good luck. This is a first for me anywhere in the world. I’ve stayed at more expensive hotels (in the same city) that took care of such tasks on our behalf with and without a service fee, but none have ever flat out refused to secure the tickets.
In case you were wondering if we made it to the top that night…
Value
I have observed cash rates ranging from €455-680/night, during our stay the cost would have been €655 + taxes. We opted to use some of our Bonvoyed points instead at a rate of 88,000 + €110/night. It was worth neither. If one was to consider the value or Marriott Bonvoyed points are worth about 0.44¢/point it was a slightly advantageous redemption at $387 + $116 or $603 (USD at the time.) It doesn’t matter because the hotel couldn’t sort out my invoice before we left the property showing a cash rate we never agreed to and running my card for the amount.
Fun.
For what it’s worth, the hotel sent out an automated survey and I answered candidly as I have been here about my stay and impression as well as outlining issues like my bill being unresolved. I got a boilerplate “we’re sorry you didn’t enjoy your stay” response but literally nothing else. This might have been the one area of the experience where the hotel’s product and management were fairly aligned: indifference.
Alternative In The Area
Matthew and I have both enjoyed the Park Hyatt Vendôme, but the Westin also looked nice. On my next visit I’ll try Hotel Du Louvre if I am staying in the same part of town or the Canopy by Hilton Trocadero, covered in an upcoming review.
What do you think? What’s your preferred property in Paris?
It seems perfectly fine — for a 3 star hotel 😉 Can’t give it 4 stars, if no place to eat onsite.
That’s why I don’t like to travel to Paris or London. They are overpriced for horrible services. You could get much better experience somewhere in Bangkok or Seoul for amazing price.
You can always stay in Ealing, La Defense, Stratford etc. Just find somewhere with quick/reliable public transport link.
@FlyUAL – I love Thailand and SE Asia generally for similar reasons, but Bangkok will never have what Paris does, nor will Paris ever have what Bangkok does. They aren’t interchangeable for me.
I’m curious where you’ve found that’s good value in Seoul – while I wouldn’t put it in the same category as London and Paris, I feel my dollars go a lot further in Bangkok.
Why did you choose to stay there? The vast majority of hotels publish room sizes on their websites. Unless we’re talking a super cheap deal or a few hours in an airport hotel, anything less than 23 square metres means that I either pick an higher room category or another hotel. Realistically, in a city like Paris, that means a choice between extortionate pricing and staying in a less touristy location, but I am only too happy to trade 1.5 hour of my time (e.g. two metro trips from/to La Defense in a day) for a €400 saving.
Indeed. Before you choose a hotel, you should do your research and make sure it is a property to your liking.
Wait time during check-in – why wait? Why not walk in, tell the staff you are staying the night, dropping your bag and head out. That’s how I always do it, it is never a problem provided you have a reservation.
Complaining about the interior design & amenities is just weak in the day & age of hotel websites, tripadvisor etc. Same goes for room size. Check in with the hotel if you are unsure beforehand.
And as a travel agent, you should know that hotel in Europe are starred by a checklist (e.g., a phone on the toilet), not by “service” or “competence.”
Lastly, if you want “luxury” as you proclaim – IMHO – you must go with the “uber” luxurious. “Normal” chain luxury a la Marriott, IHG, Hilton, etc. is almost always lacking in my experience. 500 Euro/night in Paris is not “luxurious” with the more luxurious properties running well above 1000-1500/night for entry level rooms (e.g., Mandarin Oriental, the Four Seaons, The Ritz, The Lutetia etc).
I’ve had good experiences with the recently renovated Mercure Gare St Lazare close to the Vendome area (around 200 Euro/night) and the Holiday Inn Express Canal de la Villette for non-luxurious but perfectly adequate stays, for the next time you are in town and looking for a hotel.
@PM – I mentioned that I was only there for an afternoon, evening, and morning so trading an hour and a half to save money (or in this case, points.) That said, as I mentioned in the final paragraph, there are better options for the same money in the same area (or nearby attractive areas within the city) and that’s what I am really trying to warn people about.
Even then, you can just leverage the time by being strategic with the location, staying in the suburbs between the airport and the city centre. I mentioned Ealing for London (LHR), the Paris equivalent (for CDG) would be the 18th arrondissement, I have stayed in the very decent, and usually rather affordable, Suite Novotel there.
I don’t get your complaints honestly. What did you need that you didn’t get? An overpriced restaurant on site when there are always better options, quality and price wise nearby?
You stated the rooms are small in France, yet you complain about a small room. The toilet paper issue? You’ll survive.
The checkin issue when you just wanted to drop your bags? I’ll give you that one, but again sh#t happens.
Without doing the research myself, what are the reviews of the hotel online? If what you state is common on the reviews that’s on you. If you are in the minority compared to others, maybe you were expecting too much.
No one expects disappointment with a room but I feel in the vast majority of cases, I know exactly what I’m getting from a hotel if I do the research in advance. Hopefully your review is posted elsewhere as well so those with your expectations can use it as reference.
Confusing review. It sounds like it was you, a significant other and at least one kid. Did you book multiple rooms? If not, why wouldn’t you want a rollaway? Yeah, the room looks small but booking a single room for 3 or more in Paris kind of guarantees a crowded space. We’re going this spring to the same area, but using points Suite upgrade for the Park Hyatt.
I wanted a nice room, but honestly it wasn’t critical because this trip is about the destination a doing things in Paris. Very different from, say, the Maldives for example, where we’ll be in the room a lot so the room, our pool, our deck etc really matter.
@Robert – It was the three of us, and I think I mentioned that it wasn’t requested but was appreciated. Our daughter is still young enough to crawl in with us from time to time and those days will soon end, so we don’t mind for the time being. I also recommended the Park Hyatt in the final section, I really enjoy that property.
To your last point, however, I mostly agree, but other hotels at a similar price point in the same area offer more space and better service. That’s my issue.
I mean yeah doesn’t seem like the best stay ever but it seems pretty standard for Paris – overpriced with a small room. Other than the concierge issue, which might be specific to that individual, seems like just an average to slightly below average stay. Certainly doesn’t seem to justify your ultimate conclusion of “Never stay here!”
I kept reading expecting something actually bad to happen but it never came…
clutch them pearls brother!
My quick Google-Fu showed many 3-star hotels in the city center for 3, for around $200-240 a night, and the rooms look comparable to the pics you posted. The review seems nitpicky, but yeah for $600 a night this is a naw for me, dawg.
Agree with others… very common Paris experience for a Marriott, Renaissance, Hilton, etc. If you want luxury in Paris (or most major international cities), double your budget and select a better hotel. You don’t write like an experienced traveler.
Bongiorno – Welcome. Check the first paragraph and the last paragraph. The hotel is the same price as other area properties that have better service and larger rooms. You don’t have to spend $1300 to get a five-star experience in Paris, it might be easy hyperbole, but it’s not accurate.
Adding “Vendome” to a name lends sexiness to it . . . even if you’re on a side street somewhat near but not actually in Place Vendome. The room was what it was. There was no excuse for the restaurant and the concierge.
For those seeking a luxury stay, skip the Mandarin Oriental (inattentive service), which is just up the street from this property. Instead, opt for the non-network hotels Le Crillon (Rosewood), George V (Four Seasons), or Le Meurice (Dorchester Collection).
No offense but you were asking to get Bonvoyed. There are so many small boutique hotels in Paris that are less expensive with larger rooms that are better appointed.
Your room looked like a Days Inn out of Ohio, not a 5 star Parisian hotel.
If you’re going to stay at a chain, for 45,000 Hyatt points you could have booked an enormous room at the Park Hyatt Vendome, which although imperfect, seems miles above the Marriott Renaissance.
@Flyingfromny – I recommended the Park Hyatt in the last paragraph, but I guess I wrote the post to stop others from spending their points here.
Such a shame. This was my hotel of choice pre-pandemic, but it was also priced appropriately for the IKEA-room.
What a pithy, snotty review. Wow ! and you own a travel agency. I also did for many years and knew enough to thoroughly check out an un-known property prior to my travel there. Look, we all have made a few hotel mistakes in our lives and careers. It happens. But the tone of your review leaves much to be desired.
The brand ‘Renaissance’ and 5 star hotel together is a red flag.
How is this comparable to the Park Hyatt? Rates at the Renaissance are around $400 / night, while the Park Hyatt is regularly over $1,000 a night.
The 5 stars bestowed don’t make sense, but I don’t see how you can view this a similarly priced to a Park Hyatt, other than using points at the Park Hyatt is a steal compared to the cash rates.
The Westin is a better comparison with similar or lower cash rates but a cursory look at photos shows similarly small rooms as the Renaissance.
I have stayed in worse 5-star hotels, and equally at some much better 3-star ones. In most places (certainly virtually everywhere in Europe), the star rating is just an administrative classification, nothing to get excited or worried about. Using it as a proxy for the level of service on offer is likely to end in confusion and/or disappointment- it really only is useful if you’re a tour operator or event organiser and you want to give your customers some confidence that they won’t end up in something like a youth hostel.
I think you should take down this review as it’s completely unfair. If you’re a travel blogger, you really should know better that there’s no such thing as a five star Renaissance in the sense that you were expecting. Everything you described and all the pictures you showed were consistent with my expectations for the cheapest (standard redemption rate) Bonvoyed room at a Marriott in Paris. I haven’t stayed there, but I’ve researched Paris hotels extensively and ultimately passed on all available Marriott and Hilton options.
I actually did NOT like PH Vendome. Compared to PH Vienna, it’s a 2-star hotel.
Agree – the PH Vienna is stunning.
I can’t believe the Navigator told you no. Simply stunning…..
Oh Kyle. I can understand your disappointment. Paris ridiculous in it’s own way. As early as the mid 1990’s I remember laughing with a travel agent regarding the hotels in that area. Conclusion was ” its the Rouge Roof, Hotel Seize, or the Empty your Bank Account. (I Think there’s an actual phrase) . For a spectacular experience one must choose EBA. I understand with a young child the need to stay close by.
I can’t wait to post about my experience at Canopy by Hilton Trocadero. Enviable location (though not as prestigious), bigger room, better service, and an unmissable hotel balcony view of the Eiffel Tower – for less money and points.
I simply avoid all the big chains in Paris. Not worth it. There are many reasonably priced hotels only a little off the beaten track without having to go all the way to La Defense. They may not have large rooms either, but at least will have a price commensurate with what you are getting.
Avoiding Accor in Paris does seem like overkill – they have a huge amount of options, some of which offer a good balance of price-space-location.
“don’t write to what you think your audience expects, write what the piece needs”
Especially clickbait titles!
99% of hotel concierges’ are useless even at top properties. Lots of hype and marketing but often they can’t or won’t deliver on simple requests without some insane markup. Needed a simple dinner nice reservation from a 5 star tokyo property and their top 3 choices were all booked full. Basically we were told to try ourselves. Yeah …
I have never stayed in a hostel that looks anywhere as nice as this.
Several things.
1) France has a regulatory agency that rates hotels and awards stars based on government regulations. So a hotel with 5 stars has to have the minimum amenities and services required by government. The nightly tax is based on the star rating.
2) The Renaissance Vendome’s restaurant Balagan had a very high rating and was well-regarded. Unfortunately for whatever reason, it went of business in late November or early December. Obviously, this is a huge loss for the hotel especially when the property doesn’t have an executive lounge.
3) Balagan was a great restaurant but it attracted a lot of bad clients. The clientele was very party heavy. The couple times I went to the restaurant and used its bathroom, which is the hotel lobby bathroom, I saw cocaine being openly used in the men’s bathroon.
A quite biased review base on a having tight schedule and blaming everyone else when things are not what you expect (entitlement) even if it’s the norm. A lot of your piece reflects this but this is just too biased.
Check-in experience, yes not the best, but somehow painted the whole picture.
Due to whatever excuse, I’ve even seen a Motel 6 can be over $300. Should you expect a 4 star Renaissance experience, NO. So don’t expect a Renaissance to be a Park Hyatt.
Then the misleading star standard you complain, but YOU are confused. I guess a 3 star Michelin restaurant is what should be in a 3 star hotel.
Decor is a matter of taste but still falls inline with what anyone could expect from a Renaissance.
Small room size when you have extra bed in Paris, at your request or not. It’s pure entitlement.
Then your expectation (entitlement) from the concierge. Your other post (a good piece by the way) reveals exactly even you couldn’t get the tickets yourselves. While concierges can work some magic, but if you can’t do it, don’t expect they can do it. And to be fair, maybe €75 is the price that they were quoted. The worst part, comparing a concierge to a travel agent. Maybe next time my travel agent can pick up my dry cleaning?
I would summarize it as a standard Paris hotel, within a brand standard, with standard ‘French’ hospitality that is a bit overpriced, but same can be said in Times Square.
Is this a good rant post, yes.
Is this brutally honest, yes.
Is this emotionally compromised, yes.
Only legitimate complaints are the Concierge’s behavior and the lack of any on site restaurant. The rest is you complaining far too much.
Last summer, I had the misfortune of staying at a Renaissance hotel in Paris, not the same one as described in this blog, but renaissance just the same. I’ve stayed in a variety of Parisian hotels, and this one was by far the worst in a variety of ways. I will never again stay in a Renaissance Hotel.
There are actually a couple very nice Best Western hotels in Paris. While they may not have a Michelin-rated restaurant (and even the Renaissance’s once-hyped restaurant is now out of business), the rooms are just as nice or nicer than some of the bigger chain options.
I also really like Hôtel Le Presbytere. It’s a 3-star hotel in the old parsonage or rectory of one of the oldest churches in Paris. The hotel is situated in the Beaubourg neighborhood. Almost all of the tourist sights and attractions are within 15 minutes by foot. The only exceptions are the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. And anyways, forget the Arc de Triomphe and instead walk 10 minutes to the Porte Saint-Denis and Porte Saint-Martin. They are virtually ignored by tourists and arguably just as spectacular.
With the exception of the Renaissance Paris La Defense, none of the Renaissance properties should be a Renaissance. All of them are relatively small hotels (100 or less rooms) without club lounges and without the some of the business facilities that you expect. While the Renaissance Republique is very nice and legitimately a 4 1/2 to 5 star hotel, it should be branded as a Tribute Portfolio, Autograph Collection or Design hotel. It’s just too nice and too boutique for Renaissance. Renaissance may be one of the worst or most inconsistent Marriott brands because you have some Renaissance properties that are legitimately 5-star hotels and then you have other Renaissance properties that are no different than a 3-star Four Points or Holiday Inn. About 7 years ago, Marriott rebranded Renaissance into the faux boutique category, but this hasn’t worked out in my opinion. All things being equal, I’ll choose a Westin over a Renaissance.