HotelChatter

HotelChatter 2011 Awards / Hotel Hype / W Hotels / Paris Hotels / → All Tags

Worst Hotel Hype of 2011: W Paris Opera

Where: 4 rue Meyerbeer, Paris, France, 75009

It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2011 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in comments below.

There are several hotels we could call out for hyping themselves up without actually delivering anything to us devoted hotel guests in 2011. Like Thompson's Belgraves Hotel in London which is now opening February 1. But we expect delays from Thompson just as much as we expect celebrities to frequent their hotel lounges.

Back in NYC, the Dream Downtown certainly took forever to open but it's now one of the hottest places to stay (and swim) so that lengthy wait was worth it. We've also been waiting a long time for Virgin Hotels to take flight but we were satiated (for now) with their announcement of a Chicago hotel in 2013 (Ugh.)

And we can't even get started on Edition Hotels which managed to open only one other hotel in 2011 before losing its flag at the Edition Waikiki bringing the total of open and operating Edition Hotels back to one.

more ›

Hotel Openings / Paris Hotels / W Hotels / Hotel Opening Rates / → All Tags

The W Paris to Open on Valentine's Day With Pink Bubbly and Steep Room Rates

Where: 4 rue Meyerbeer, Paris, France, 75009

We've been waiting so long for the W Paris to open that we nearly forgot its newest opening date was just two months away! And reminding us that we're almost there is HOTELS Magazine who managed to get a sneak peek at a guestroom and an intriguing backlit digital wall that weaves through the public and private spaces of the hotel.

Kinda hard to believe, but the W Paris will be the first W Hotel in France and will have just 91 guestrooms, including 22 suites, making it more boutique, in terms of it size, than recent W hotels. Judging from this room shot, the spaces will have high ceilings, non-fugly carpeting and gorgeous city views but also, very open bathroom plans as the sink is only separated from the bedroom by a mirror partition. Hopefully, the toilette is enclosed somewhere.

more ›

Hotel Delays / W Hotels / Paris Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

The W Paris Hotel is Delayed Yet Again, Now Promises to Open on February 14

Where: 4 rue Meyerbee, Paris, France, 75009

The Eiffel Tower, as NOT seen from the W Paris.

The W Paris Hotel is not ready to show off their jelly because they've gone and delayed their opening date yet again--this time to the most romantic day of the year, February 14, 2012. Well, we guess that's one way to make it up to us.

The W Paris has been delayed several times this past year, most recently back in April when it said the opening would now be January 2012. Previously, we were all ready to don our Bastille Day finest as the hotel initially was to open on July 1, 2011.

We're not sure what's the hold up but we're really hoping Valentine's Day will do the trick. (It worked for the W London last year.) The only thing that has us holding off on ordering the fur cuffs, silk nighties and hot wax is that virtually nothing has been updated on the hotel's website. Nothing. So we won't start packing our clove cigarettes until we've got a room photo and an open reservations system.

Do you know what's happening on the ground in Paris with the W Hotel? Let us know!

Hotel Delays / W Hotels / Paris Hotels / Hotel Hype / → All Tags

The W Paris is Now Delayed Until December 1

Where: Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, 75009

The E-WOW Suite at W Paris. Look but don't touch until December 1st.

UPDATE: Delayed again to January 2012. FML.

Just a few months ago, we were so excited that the W Paris had set an opening date of July 1, 2011. But we should have known better. This is W after all.

Looking on the hotel's website today, we see that the opening date has been moved to December 1. Boo! It also doesn't look like W has added any new info about the property.

So as far as we know it will still be 90 rooms (stocked with Bliss toiletries) near the Garnier Opera House, the Galeries Lafayette Haussman and Printemps and will have a W Cafe on-site as well as a restaurant of "culinary perfection."

In the meantime, we will just set our affections on the Mandarin Oriental Paris which is still set to open this summer.

W Hotels / Paris Hotels / Hotel Hype / Hotel News / → All Tags

Merveilleux! The W Paris Has an Opening Date!

Where: Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, 75009

While we're sitting on pins and needles awaiting the opening of the W London, we nearly forgot there is another European W Hotel to look forward to--W Paris-Opéra! The hotel, located on Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, near the Garnier Opera House and the shopping wonderland of department store, Galeries Lafayette Haussman, is now showing an opening date of July 1, 2011.

The hotel will be smaller than most Ws of late with just 90 rooms but of course Bliss toiletries will be present in the toilettes. There's not much else to go on room-wise, although the website does have a picture of an e-WOW suite which looks pretty fantastic and a bit reminiscent of the W Hollywood.

more ›

Hotel Openings / Paris Hotels / Hotel Reopenings / Hotel Renovations / → All Tags

The Revamped Hotel Athenee Looks Tres Chic

Where: 19 Rue Caumartin, Paris, France, 75009

We’ve been nothing if not intrigued by the new Hotel Athénée which has popped up in Paris and finally our intrigue has been satisfied – the hotel is open and mon dieu, it’s looking pretty chic.

We’ve got our hands on a fistful of pictures and they’re all so pretty we’ve been wondering which to use. Our favorite room is probably the one above, which we’re calling the Garrett Room. The others have plain walls but rich colored curtains and super-flouncy headboard/drapes combos, like this one that we’re calling the King Room:

more ›

Hotel Openings / Paris Hotels / Hotel Reopenings / Hotel Renovations / → All Tags

The New Hotel Athenee in Paris Continues to Intrigue Us

Where: 19 Rue Caumartin, Paris, France, 75009

When we wrote about the new Hotel Athénée that’s about to open in Paris the other day, we couldn’t help noticing that its name was a little too similar to a certain landmark property in the city. We also asked if anyone had more information – and, hooray! Someone from the hotel does.

First, a word on the name. As we said before, it was originally called the Hotel de l’Athénée – and it was so called because of its position by the Théatre de l'Athénée. So they’re not trying it on.

The hotel has been entirely redesigned by Jacques Garcia (he of La Mamoumia, the Hotel Costes etc) and the renovations have already taken a year longer than expected because it turned into a bigger project than anticipated. And it will definitely open “end of August”.

more ›

Hotel Openings / Hotel Reopenings / Hotel Renovations / Paris Hotels / → All Tags

Do Not Confuse the Hotel Athenee Paris With the Plaza Athenee Paris

Where: 19 Rue Caumartin, Paris, France, 75009

Wow, the Plaza Athenee is looking cheap at the moment. €243, really? It must be a mistake. Book it immediately!

Oh. Ok. Looks like the Plaza Athenee is going to get a little narked about this one – because it’s got a namesake opening up in the same city.

The Hotel Athénée is just off the Place de la Madeleine near the Champs Elysees and has been designed by Jacques Garcia, who also did La Mamoumia in Marrakech as well as the Costes and Fouquets Barriere in Paris.

According to the website (and our high school French):

more ›

Hotel Sweets / Paris Hotels / Hotel Restaurants / Intercontinental Hotels / Fashion Hotels / → All Tags

It's a Couture Cake War in Paris as Hotels Introduce Designer Desserts

Where: 2 Rue Scribe, Paris, France, 75009

Yes, what you are looking at above is edible. It's the latest dessert creation from the Café de la Paix at the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand Hotel, and it might just signal the beginning of couture cake wares in Paris.

The City if Light is only big enough for so many fashion-inspired cakes, and although Le Meurice's Viktor & Rolf 'Flowerbomb' cake came out before the Intercontinental's 'Pop Fizz' cake from designer Thierry Mugler, the Intercontinental has been doing couture cakes annually.

more ›

Holiday Decorations / Holiday Hotels / Fashion Hotels / Paris Hotels / Intercontinental Hotels / → All Tags

InterContinental Le Grand Paris Has Been Invaded By Designer Christmas Trees

Where: 2 Rue Scribe, Paris, France, 75009

Trust Paris to trump the rest of us in the chic Christmas stakes. The InterContinental Paris Le Grand is making Noel tres fash this year with an exhibition of Sapins de Noel Fashion or “Fashion Christmas Trees”, designed by fashion students from the Paris Duperre Institute and judged by 15 French designers. Oui, seriously.

The competition has become an annual thing for the hotel (this is the third year) and this year, 30 students entered. The winner was Fusion glacée ( Icy Fusion) created by Floriane Leblong and Milane Pujolle – a plexiglass tree with snowflakes containing miniature trees inside. Tres compliqué but tres pretty – here it is.

Other efforts include a tree made of books, one made from lino “symbolizing the meeting of inferior matter with the noble majesty of the Christmas tree” and a rather charming hat made of Christmas fruits sprayed silver. See the whole lot on their Facebook page.

If you’re in need of inspiration for your own front room, the trees are on display throughout the ground floor of the hotel until January 2.

Hotel Deals / Hotel Packages / Paris Hotels / France Hotels / → All Tags

Paris, The City, Is Working Hard for Our Money

Where: 49-51 Rue La Fayette, Paris, France, 75009

Oh look, something’s trying to tell us to go to Paris. Yesterday we had the Hotel Bel Ami and the Edouard 7 offering us money off and fixed dollar rates to come on over; today it’s the turn of the recently renovated, nifty-looking Hotel Jules.

Stay one or two nights from now until December 29, and they’ll not only knock 20% off the price – making rooms start from €160 ($237/£145) weekends and €172 ($254/£156) on weekdays - but throw in a buffet breakfast for free. Want to stay an extra night? They’ll give it you for €130 ($192/£118) on a weekend, or €144 ($213/£130) on a weekday. Just look for the SMART rate on the list of special offers on the website.

VAT is included, but a city tax of a measly €1 per person is not. You know what that is? It’s a call on behalf of your loved ones to do your Christmas shopping en France. Allons-y!

Hotel Deals / Paris Hotels / Hotel Openings / → All Tags

Hotel Jules Sticks With Its Opening Rates

Where: 49-51 Rue La Fayette, Paris, France, 75009

There’s nothing like an offer that keeps repeating itself. It’s nice to see that now Hotel Jules in Paris is properly open (it opened fully on June 1), it’s continuing the offer it had for its soft opening. Chouette!

Stay two nights before the year is out, and with their launch offer they’ll throw in a third night for free. You’ll even get breakfast as well, so you can stave off the croque monsieur pangs till dinner time.

The rooms here look pretty dapper — lots of chocolate drapes and (we’re hoping fake) zebra skins on the floors — while the hotel describes the area as "a new/old neighborhood, under revival after years of hibernation". Better still, though, it’s just 10 minutes away from the Eurostar terminal at the Gare du Nord. And it's not too expensive, with room rates from 150 euros. We like the sound of this one.