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Hotel Daniel, Paris:Review
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It’s a sign of the times that the first squeal of delight the Hotel Daniel inspires in Mrs Smith comes from the news that it offers complimentary WiFi. Being a Eurostar regular with a vintage couture business straddling London and Paris, madame is always looking for romantic little hotels where she can happily mix work with pleasure (otherwise known as Mr Smith).
In this respect, the Daniel is a classic example of that petite discovery you really don’t want to tell anyone about. Well, there are only 26 rooms, including nine suites, and it would be very tiresome if your friends snapped them all up. Tucked away in the well-heeled streets of the Eight, the hotel rises up over six floors, two of which offer rooms with balconies. It’s part of the circuit which attracts guests who know they are assured of refined comforts and intelligent service, but a commendable panache is also much in evidence thanks to its Lebanese owners, who also own the elegant Hotel Albergo in Beirut.
Adorned with colourful hand-painted wallpaper by de Gournay, the lift that takes us to our fifth-floor Paris Suite has to be the cheeriest in Europe. The Daniel’s interiors were created by the London-based designer Tarfa Salam, and offer a sumptuous blaze of fanciful fabrics, oriental carpets and luxurious furnishings – a mood of tasteful exuberance that proves instantly uplifting.
Our room is as cosy as the inside of a sewing box, with billowing curtains in old gold and a jade-green wallpaper painted with pretty blossoms. This is an exception, though, as the Daniel’s rooms are generally covered with 18th-century-style toile de Jouy that might feature Chinese kite-fliers, swirling ferns, exotic tropical trees or picturesque expeditions by elephant. If you fancy a snug green boudoir, or rich red walls decorated with whimsical images suggesting dalliance, it’s worth mentioning your preferences on booking as every room is very different. The Eastern theme continues in a cavalcade of bamboo-framed desks, inlaid tables, entertaining curios and butterfly-covered lamps. The bed-sheets feel as smooth as cream, and other fine touches in our suite include decent-sized dressing gowns, air conditioning you can understand and an iPod home stereo.
Within minutes, a welcome pot of green tea arrives. It’s served in a delightful basket with willow pattern cups, and accompanied by a plateful of colourful macaroons from Ladurée. Mrs Smith purrs with approval. Here at last is a hotel both classy and feminine, but which also appeals to Mr Smith’s decadent side. The bathroom comes with a big jar of Dead Sea bath salts and a full-length mirror, the hairdryer resides in a sweet little hamper, and the wardrobe shelves come lined with broderie anglaise runners. Marie Antoinette would be very happy here, and so are we.
Now that we’re bien installé, it’s time to enjoy the City of Light. Stepping out, we find the Daniel surrounded by inviting restaurants that range from simple bistros to the two-Michelin star Apicius, just across the street. Walk south and you hit the grand runway of the Champs-Elysées, which these days is just too tacky and congested to be endured for long. Head north and there’s the oh-so-Paris Parc Monceau, its benches filled with well-turned out mothers, nannies and enfants. Our preference, though, is to stroll east along rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, which gradually builds to a frenzy of window-shopping delights. First up is gourmet food emporium Dalloyau, then comes the newly expanded Hotel Le Bristol, followed by that famous fashion-house parade that kicks off with Christian Lacroix and Pierre Cardin.
As it’s a Wednesday, we take advantage of the late night opening of the Louvre, heading straight for the exquisite ethnic sculptures in the little-visited galleries devoted to the Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. A few days before Mrs Smith called to book dinner at nearby Le Fumoir, an untouristy restaurant with slick service and a cosy library at the back. Afterwards, French taxis being the most useless in the world, we whizz back by Métro.
Breakfast the next morning is delivered to our room on a white linen-covered trolley, a harmonious still life of coffee, newspaper and delicious, what-the-hell pastries. Mrs Smith has work to do that day, and when her Parisian business partner walks into the Daniel’s lounge, which brims with plush cushions, Chinoiserie furnishings and gorgeous orchids, she can’t help but cry ‘Ooh là là!’ It’s the ideal setting to discuss their new website over an open Apple Mac and deux coupes de champagne while Mr Smith gets a few work-related errands in the bag before lunch.
The restaurant at the Daniel is archetypally small and intimate with silky banquettes and wall cabinets filled with dainty coloured glasses. We felt it would work equally well whether you’re there for a high-powered business meeting or a sexy assignation, and chef Denis Fetisson pops out of the kitchen to discuss our preferences from a menu featuring Roquefort soufflé, ravioli filled with anchoyade and foie gras, and far too many desserts onctueux. We’re visiting in high summer, but agree that the Daniel makes an appealing love-nest in the depths of winter, and earmark it for a return trip. The next day our request for a late check-out is instantly granted, and when the breakfast order gets delayed due to an oversight, all relevant charges are immediately waived. This is a hotel that genuinely cares about the time you spend within its exotically decorated walls – whether you’re checking in with a laptop, a lover, or maybe both.
Four Seasons George V Review
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Was recently at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris a few months ago and thought that I would share my impressions with everyone.
The Four Seasons George V is easily one of my favorite hotels in Paris. The lobby is almost always buzzing as you arrive, and you can’t help but notice the floral sculptures that adorn it. And the check-in process could not be more welcoming. The staff makes you feel like someone of importance, even if you’re really a nobody. The staff always appears genuinely happy to see you, and somehow they all seem to know your name.
There are the Guest Rooms and then there are the Suites. If you’re able to plunk down €1,000+ or €2,000+ per night, you will really be living in the lap of luxury in one of their suites. As for me, a mere mortal, I can only afford the Standard or Deluxe rooms.
The standard Guest Rooms aren’t quite as lavish as the photos on their website would would have you think. They really do some amazing lighting tricks with their official guest rooms photos. Realistically, you can expect your Deluxe or Superior Room to look more like this.
And, for a hotel that does an excellent job covering even the most minute details, I was a bit surprised to find traditional TVs and old-school VCRs instead of the newer options found at almost all top hotels these days.
For business travelers, the desks in the rooms are not really ideal. I found the desk and chair in my room to be too formal and clunky — not very conducive to desk work. Their newly renovated business center is a much better business environment.
However, the bathrooms in all of the guest rooms are truly fantastic, and look very much like they do on their website: Double vanities, lots of marble, completely separate rooms for toilets, plush robes, glass-enclosed showers and large separate baths stocked with Bulgari toiletries.
The bed was very comfortable, and the windows were impressively soundproof. You can easily swing them open and hear the roar of traffic on Avenue George V, but once they are latched shut you have absolute silence.
Each afternoon, a bottle of Evian was placed next to a hand crafted pair of desserts that varied from day to day. This service appears to be provided in lieu of the usual sweets at nightly turndown. Yet, I found them particularly refreshing after a full day of being out and about.
The food is rather exceptional overall. Le Cinq is exceptional and is really a must for those who aren’t even guests of the hotel.
The room service is prompt and positively delicious — I’m sure I’ve never eaten a room service breakfast so perfectly prepared before. It was quite pricey for room service though. But, well worth it. Oddly, the cart it was delivered on had seen its day, and I’m pretty sure that our room service bill alone would have covered the cost for a replacement.
The private in-house spa is only available for hotel guests. I noticed the elevators have a special “Spa” button for calling an elevator down to the spa. It wouldn’t be out of the question to think, or hope, that this button provides you with a private ride — say, if you happen to be in a bathrobe — but, it just seems to do the same thing as the down button. That’s too bad because it seems like it wouldn’t be that difficult to set that up.
Once you manage to arrive at the spa level you’ll be welcomed into an underworld of divine and calming treatments and a top-notch gym equipped with preloaded iPods for borrowing. The lighting is appropriately dimmer down here. You feel relaxed just by being there. Beautiful corridors connect this small labyrinth together, and lead to a small indoor pool and hot tub that evokes the atmosphere of a secluded European palace (or at least it’s basement). Take a seat in one of the few chaise lounges around the pool and within seconds a moist lemon-scented wash cloth is delivered to you along with a small bottle of Evian. The treatments are heavenly and they offer a wide range of options. Many of the general treatments are fairly priced. Afterwards, guests are ushered to a shared relaxation room with small beds covered in tulle canopies which provide a little privacy.
The locker rooms are roomy and stocked with all the amenities you’d think you might have forgotten in your hotel room. Each locker also has its own programmable safe for your belongings, in addition to a standard lock and key.
It’s difficult to find too many flaws with the Four Seasons George V other than its rather steep prices. But I believe they do deliver relatively good value for that money. The service is noticeably a step up from your typical 5-star hotel and could not be more cordial. They went above and beyond to make me feel as welcome as could be. I definitely look forward to the next visit and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a nearly flawless experience.