C'est Magnifique!
by travelermia - - Miami, FL
30 Apr 2008
Just returned from a week at the Splendid Etoile on our very first trip to Paris. Kudos to the hotel and its staff for operating such a well-run property.
Superlatives include: Farooq and other front desk staff who were friendly, knowledgeable, and went out of their way to book excursions for us and show us exactly which Metro lines to take; spacious room; comfortable queen size bed (we had the superior room); air conditioning controls in the room; hot breakfast (15 euros); location as has been mentioned previously; close to great shopping- Louis Vuitton store (be prepared to stand in line to get in) and Hugo Boss and of course fabulous restaurants just a few blocks down on the marvelous Champs-Elysee.
The only thing we did not like about the hotel were the towels. We’re used to plush towels both at home and away; theirs were very thin and we felt we could never be dry enough. Oh well, one small ripple in a sea of superlatives.
Paris is lovely and the people absolutely delightful. I do not know why Parisians have gotten such a bad rap from Americans. Maybe its from people who have never traveled there. They are polite and respectul people who went out of their way to help us; total strangers on the metro and on the street offered to help us find our way when they saw fumbling with our maps. I speak a little French, but most people wanted to speak English to us. We went to every neighborhood and tourist attraction you can imagine so we got a pretty good taste of the entire city. We always felt safe; no one at all bothered us.
If you must see anything in Paris, don’t miss the Louvre (Sundays it’s free admission, as it’s on Wednesdays after 3:00 p.m and the lines are short); Musee Orsay; Saint Chapelle; the ride up to the top of the Eiffel Tower; and if you have time, Versailles and Giverny (Claude Monet’s home) which the hotel can arrange for about 143 euros per person for an 8 hour trip).
All around this was the best vacation we’ve ever taken. We’re already planning our next vacation to Paris, quite simply the most wonderful city in the world. We would consider the Spledid Etoile for our next stay, but we would probably stay some where else just to try a new hotel.
Bon voyage!
0 Photos