World City Guide

Hotels

Hotel prices generally include VAT and a room tax (taxe de séjour) of between ¬0.20 and ¬1.30 per person per night. This tax is sometimes added to the bill at the end of a visit and guests are advised to check whether it is included when making a reservation. Guests are also advised to tip porters ¬2 for each bag and chambermaids ¬2 per day. The prices quoted below are the lowest standard rates for a double room, including VAT and room tax but excluding breakfast, unless otherwise specified.

Business

Hotel Concorde La Fayette
The towering 1,000-room Hotel Concorde La Fayette is located close to the Champs-Elysées and la Défense Porte Maillot. All guest rooms are air-conditioned and decorated in a modern style, with colours that are gentle on the eye. Conference facilities include 2,200sq metres (25,000sq ft) of space, shared with the Palais des Congres and its own fully serviced business centre. Secretarial and translation services are available. There are also executive floors with modem points in all rooms, a Vitatop fitness club, two bars (one on the 33rd floor offering a panoramic view over Paris) and two restaurants.

3 place du Général Koenig, 17th
Tel: (01) 4068 5068. Fax: (01) 4068 5043.
E-mail: info@concorde-lafayette.com
Website: www.concorde-lafayette.com
Price: From ¬300.

Le Bristol
A plush business clientele frequent Le Bristol. Here, 180 elegant rooms and 41 suites, decorated with original prints and paintings, are complemented by top-notch business facilities, including a business centre, meeting rooms and secretarial and translation services. For relaxation, there is a rooftop indoor swimming pool, a fitness room and an excellent restaurant run by top chef Eric Frechon, as well as fabulous shopping nearby in this smart arrondissement.

112 rue du Faubourg-St-Honoré, 8th
Tel: (01) 5343 4300 or 5343 4325 (for reservations). Fax: (01) 5343 4301.
E-mail: resa@hotel-bristol.com
Website: www.lebristolparis.com
Price: From ¬580.

Le Meridien Montparnasse
Even those with a poor sense of direction will have no problem finding this impressive skyscraper of a hotel, only a tad shorter than the Montparnasse tower. The TGV glides to within a stone’s throw of this 1970s business hotel, equipped with in-room voice-mail, meeting rooms for up to 2000 delegates and secretarial services. Dining options include Montparnasse 25 restaurant and Le Justine buffet.

19 rue du Commandant-Mouchotte, 14th
Tel: (01) 4436 4436. Fax: (01) 4436 4900.
E-mail: resindiv.paris@lemeridien.com
Website: www.lemeridien.com
Price: From ¬250.

Sofitel Forum Rive Gauche
This top business hotel, which boasts conference space for 2,000 delegates, as well as a fully equipped business centre with cyber lounge, simultaneous translation and catering services, is the largest four-star convention hotel in Paris. Located on the left bank of the River Seine, the 18-floor hotel that was built in the 1970s is just a few minutes from Gare Montparnasse and the Latin Quarter. Each room is decorated in a contemporary style and equipped with a modem point. The hotel boasts a fitness centre on the 18th floor, which offers panoramic views over Paris. There are three restaurants – calorie-controlled La Table et la Forme (where no menu exceeds 1,000 calories), Le Café Français (an ideal setting for business lunches) and Le Patio buffet bar. The jazzy Nelli’s Bar serves good cocktails.

17 boulevard Saint-Jacques, 14th
Tel: (01) 4078 7980 or 4078 7840 (for reservations). Fax: (01) 4588 4393.
E-mail: h1297@accor-hotels.com
Website: www.sofitel.com
Price: From ¬200.

Luxury

Hôtel de Crillon
The hotel of choice for supermodels, movie stars and royalty, this marble palace was built for Louis XV in 1758. As sumptuous as the Ritz, the Crillon sparkles with chandeliers, gleaming marble, sculptures and gilt. Beautiful people dine in the gastronomic, Michelin-starred Les Ambassadeurs restaurant or the lower key L’Obélisque brasserie. There is also the Jardins d’Hiver tea room and hip Piano Bar, designed by Sonia Rykiel. Business guests are catered for with conference rooms, a 24-hour business centre and, a rare asset in centrally located Parisian hotels, a fitness centre. Some of the 95 rooms have been recently refurbished. For those wishing to really splash out, there is a choice of 52 suites.

10 place de la Concorde, 8th
Tel: (01) 4471 1500. Fax: (01) 4471 1502.
E-mail: crillon@crillon.com
Website: www.crillon.com
Price: From ¬585.

Ritz Paris
Situated on one of the smartest yet most intimate squares in Paris, close to the Louvre, the Ritz is the essence of luxury and discretion. The lobby gleams with marble and chandeliers, while the oriental carpets, soft to the touch, soak up the sound. Pop stars, presidents and people with money to burn have a choice of 135 rooms and 40 suites – all fitted with Internet connection. There is a magnificent swimming pool, fitness room and squash court for guest use. In the labyrinthine underbelly of the hotel, lies the celebrated Ritz-Escoffier cookery school, where master chefs teach their tricks to international acolytes.

15 place Vendôme, 1st
Tel: (01) 4316 3070. Fax: (01) 4316 3668.
E-mail: resa@ritzparis.com
Website: www.ritzparis.com
Price: From ¬515.

Moderate

Hotel du Septième Art
A Hollywood theme runs through this fun and funky 22-room hotel designed with the film buff in mind and adorned with 1950s posters. The hotel is a popular media haunt in the Marais district, set in a 16th-century building. There are no mod cons, such as lifts or air-conditioning, although there are original wooden beams throughout and all rooms have en-suite bathrooms.

20 rue Saint-Paul, 4th
Tel: (01) 4454 8500. Fax: (01) 4277 6910.
E-mail: hotel7art@wanadoo.fr
Price: From ¬75.

Relais Lafayette
Just a short walk away from Gare du Nord, the 61-room Relais Lafayette could not be much better placed for Eurostar travellers. With RER and Metro connections from Gare du Nord, this unpretentious hotel makes an ideal base. It may be no frills, but rooms have recently been modernized and are spotlessly clean. Reception staff are friendly and helpful, dispensing maps to new arrivals, as well as information on tours. The lobby has a public access Internet terminal and wireless access can be arranged in the rooms.

7 rue des Petits Hotels
Tel: (01) 4246 3300. Fax: (01) 4246 3876.
E-mail: Lafayette@lesrelaisparis.fr
Website: www.lesrelaisdeparis.fr
Price: From ¬90.

Other Recommendations

Hôtel Costes
Ever since it opened in 1995, the intimate Hôtel Costes has been the place to see and be seen – the Parisian hangout of pop stars, media types and fashionistas. Decor is decadent Napoleon III style and many of the 82 rooms and three ultra-luxurious suites overlook an Italianate interior courtyard. A trendy restaurant follows the fad for Asian-inspired food and there is also a health club, swimming pool and hip bar. Meeting rooms are available for guests and each room is equipped with a fax connection.

239 rue Saint-Honoré, 1st
Tel: (01) 4244 5000. Fax: (01) 4244 5001.
Price: From ¬500.

Murano Urban Resort
Opened in spring 2004, the Murano Urban Resort has quickly created a buzz amongst the city’s cognoscenti and savvy visitors looking for a funky oasis in the city centre. As the name suggests, the aim was to create an urban resort with its own swimming pool, spa, trendy bar and a stand-alone restaurant that all tempt guests to spend a night in. Two of the nine suites have their own plunge pools and all of the 43 other rooms share an air of modern luxury with fingerprint access instead of room keys, a choice of lighting schemes and Bang & Olufsen televisions. Other neat touches include toffees laid out over the crisp white sheets at turndown, a ‘sensual eye mask for lovers’ and complimentary lollipops.

13 boulevard du Temple, 3rd
Tel: (01) 4271 2000. Fax: (01) 4271 2101.
E-mail: paris@muranoresort.com
Website: www.muranoresort.com
Price: From ¬350.