Within the factors and miles world, there are what individuals name “aspirational” lodge properties. These are properties that price an enormously prohibitive amount of cash for most individuals, however even probably the most common of joes can keep there utilizing factors. We’re speaking typical nightly charges upwards of $1000. Among the many most well-known are the Conrad Koh Samui, the Park Hyatt Sydney, the Conrad Maldives on Rangali Island, and the property in entrance of which I discovered myself on a cloudy Tuesday about noon: the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome.
The Park Hyatt Paris Vendome
A word on OPM journey
OPM touring results in a special kind of overview. What’s OPM, you ask? Different Folks’s Cash. I didn’t pay something out of pocket to remain at this lodge. The individuals in entrance of me had been paying about 800 euros/nt (I overheard the desk agent affirm their price). Learn this overview with a grain of salt. I do decently effectively at my job, however not almost effectively sufficient to even dream of sometime dropping a grand per evening to remain at a lodge when there have been 3-4 completely different Airbnb choices for $150/nt inside just a few blocks.
Again to the Park Hyatt
As you’ll recall from my final publish, I took a Roissybus from Charles de Gaulle airport to the Paris Opera bus cease, which could be very conveniently positioned to the Park Hyatt Vendome. Undaunted by the convenience of location, I managed to get misplaced and ambled across the Opera district till I discovered it. Pleasant recommendation, take a look at a map. As I approached the lodge, there have been youngsters with their cell telephones huddled on both aspect of the doorway (apparently Kim Kardashian’s marriage ceremony festivities had been within the space that weekend). I instantly considered a sneaky method to trick them, and pulled my hat low and my hand overlaying my face and mentioned loudly “NO PICTURES, NO PICTURES”. The youngsters weren’t fooled, so I ended up simply trying like a moron. However that will’ve been cool to finish up on TMZ and mistaken for Brad Pitt or George Clooney (individuals inform me I resemble each) [Nobody tells him that -ed.].
I wasn’t positive what to anticipate after I walked in to the foyer of a $1000/evening lodge. Possibly a musical quantity just like Prince Ali within the film Aladdin? Alas, no trumpets performed or dancers twirled. I used to be, nonetheless, warmly greeted by fairly just a few individuals. An individual on the concierge desk requested how he might assist and I requested the place I might examine in. Right here was a pleasant contact: as a substitute of pointing, he insisted on taking my bag and strolling me the quick stroll to the check-in desk.
The agent on the desk was ending up with a shopper and very quickly welcomed me to the lodge. She acknowledged my Hyatt Diamond standing (I used to be doing a Diamond Problem, which sadly I’ll fail right here in just a few days) and defined the advantages to me (free breakfast being the important thing right here, and the complete motive I selected to do a Diamond Problem). A woman appeared and insisted on strolling me to my room. I made up my mind that she did actually work for the lodge and adopted her to the elevators and as much as the sixth flooring.
The Odor of Richness
Your complete lodge had this scent to it, in all probability piped in from Odor Management Tubes (which might be an awesome identify for a rock band, by the best way) someplace. It smelled so dang elegant and elite, I couldn’t assist however be slightly snooty after I smelled it. It wasn’t unhealthy in any respect, the one motive I even observed it’s as a result of I smelled one thing comparable on the Park Hyatt Dubai just a few days later.
We walked down the hallway in the direction of my room, 633, a nook room.
Hallway
We arrived at my room.
Room 633
She opened the door for me and I used to be blown awa…wait, no…awestruc…no, that’s not it both. It was a lodge room. I’ve seen many earlier than. Some had been greater than this room, others had been smaller. For European requirements it was a reasonably large room, however not huge by any means.
King-sized mattress
The mattress was huge and the bedding was top-notch, infinity-count thread or one thing like that. It had what appeared like hundreds of thousands of ornamental pillows. I’m a little bit of a pillow-fort kinda man after I sleep, so it was good to be pillowed up as a substitute of getting to awkwardly ring the entrance desk and ask for extra pillows for a room with one visitor.
The room had a really massive desk, which obtained a number of use as a Place to Put Issues.
The Many Issues I Positioned
The toilet was of a pleasant dimension, with very good bathe facilities.
Rest room
Bathe facilities
The closet was of a pleasant dimension as effectively.
Closet
The view outdoors was of the constructing throughout the road, nevertheless it was a pleasant constructing and added to the regal feeling of the lodge.
Constructing throughout the road
The girl from the lodge helped me perceive all the things I wanted to know, and I acted (“oh THAT’S the place the mattress is”) and she or he once more welcomed me to the lodge and wished me a nice keep in Paris.
Okay, so what’s so particular about it?
You’ve in all probability appeared on the footage above and don’t actually see the $1000/evening. That’s 1) the shoddy images and a pair of) you’re simply seeing the exhausting product. “Laborious product” refers back to the furnishings of the lodge, the bedding, the showers, the health club, and so on. The exhausting product on the Park Hyatt Vendome was extremely good, positively a normal deviation above different resorts I’ve stayed at. The place the Park Hyatt Vendome excelled was the mushy product. You would inform that the workers was extremely well-trained. The “smoothness” of a lodge is often straight correlated with the quantity of coaching they’ve for his or her workers. Regardless of who I noticed from the lodge, in the event that they made eye contact with me they wished me good day and requested if there was something they might do to assist. It was exact, heat, and fairly real, if I’m sincere. It wasn’t the most effective lodge service I’ve ever skilled, nevertheless it was very constant at a really excessive degree from the start to the tip of my keep.
Now, is that sufficient to justify $1000/evening?
Possibly not by itself. However there’s a component of exclusivity to the lodge as effectively. Outrageously costly resorts are widespread in Paris, the Park Hyatt is exclusive in that it’s an outrageously costly lodge and is definitely fairly massive in comparison with the opposite priceys (that are largely boutique resorts with a tenth of the rooms). So that you’re not paying for a lodge, you’re paying for the privilege of claiming you’re staying at THE Park Hyatt Vendome. So, should you mix the nice exhausting product, the great mushy product, the exclusivity, and the unbeatable location and I can let you know truthfully: I nonetheless couldn’t afford to remain right here.
Many of the decorations had been bare individuals, in order that in all probability helps, I assume.
Decor
Breakfast
How a lot might I not afford to remain right here? The breakfast runs 50 euros. Was it price it? I don’t know, it was free of charge resulting from my standing problem
I had heard fairly a bit in regards to the breakfast right here. Everybody mentioned it’s important to eat it, plain and easy. Another miles bloggers even mentioned they’d gladly pay for it, so I used to be keen to offer it a shot. I sometimes don’t eat breakfast, however I made an exception for the Park Hyatt Vendome, particularly because it was free.
I went all the way down to the restaurant and was promptly guided to my desk and provided my alternative of morning newspaper. Since I used to be a Massive Vital Particular person OF COURSE I wished a newspaper, so long as it was the Wall Avenue Journal. So, not solely did I get a free breakfast, however I obtained to learn the Wall Avenue Journal for the primary time in in all probability 3-4 years. Being that I work in finance, I spotted I ought to in all probability learn the WSJ extra typically, however earlier than that might occur, my scrambled eggs arrived. And OH MAN had been they good. Like all-caps good.
Scrambled Eggs
I learn a ebook known as The Tradition Code as soon as that basically resonated with me. It talks in regards to the variations between cultures and the way it drives buying choices. Fairly freaky stuff truly. Anyway, the writer (who’s French) described the distinction between the best way Individuals eat and the French eat. The American archetype for consuming is to push again an empty plate and say “Wow, I’m full!” the place the French archetype could be to push again a plate with perhaps slightly meals left on it and say “Wow, that was scrumptious!” (the belief could be that the French individuals saying that spoke in unaccented English for functions of this weblog publish). And that’s the best way it was with the breakfast right here. All the meals was so wealthy, so completely cooked, and the elements of such a top quality that I virtually didn’t wish to end my plate. Not simply the new gadgets you possibly can order, however the buffet as effectively.
Buffet
Buffet
Buffet
Every part was great. Each choice appeared prefer it was the most effective of the most effective. And oh man the brioche was among the greatest bread I’ve ever had. I additionally are inclined to avoid gluten and bread, however I had no likelihood when confronted with among the greatest pastries I’d ever seen and smelled.
Pastries
So right here it’s: if I used to be staying right here with out standing, I’d 100% pay for the breakfast. It was that good.
General
My keep on the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome was uneventful, which is what I feel Hyatt wished. After I say “uneventful” I don’t imply it was mediocre. I imply from the second I arrived on the lodge there was a veritable military of individuals to take care of me and ensure I had an incredible keep, which I completely did. It was uneventful within the sense that it began wonderful and ended wonderful.
I had two free nights to make use of at any Hyatt on the planet (as the results of a card bonus from the Chase Hyatt Visa) and I’m glad I used them on the Park Hyatt Vendome. I’d learn so many good issues about it and am joyful to report that it lived as much as the hype. The workers made excellence appear abnormal, which is difficult to do.
You may have an evening on the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome for 30,000 Hyatt factors (at present charges) or about $1000/evening. You probably have the Hyatt factors, go for it! You probably have the kind of cash the place you’d contemplate paying for nights right here, I’ve some nice enterprise concepts that want buyers.