Hotels in Paris and Barcelona

[Guest Rickx]

I thought I would ask the experts. I need good locations.I'm looking for fun places, like Ian Schrager Hotels or the "W" Rick

[ad rian]

This may not be what you are looking for, but I suggest the Hotel Costes or Plaza Athenee in Paris. Both are expensive, fun but refined, and nobody does discretion like the French!

[Guest alanm]

Two great choices in Paris:

1. Pavillon de la Reine, a really nice hotel in the Marais.

2. Hotel du Jeu de Paume on the Ile St-Louis in the middle of the Seine. I was in Paris on 9/11 and the ten days after so really got to know the hotel and the people who run it.

 

Both hotel are cheaper and located in more interesting neighborhoods than the Plaza Athenee (Marlene Dietrich lived across the street from the Plaza Athene until her death.)

[ad rian]

>Both hotel are cheaper and located in more interesting

>neighborhoods than the Plaza Athenee

 

That is true, but they are easy to get too from either the Plaza Athenee or the Hotel Costes. The Costes Hotel chains are among the trendiest in Paris right now. As for the Athenee, its total renovation 2 years ago is spectacular, and of course it remains a stones throw from the Champs Elycee, le Tour Eiffel and "le Pont Diana (Alma) where Princress Died died! It really depends what you want in a hotel. When in Paris, I like luxury and style, but travrel to Le Marais and Isle St Louis for fun. If you do go to Isle St Louis, check out my favourite restaurant, Le Tastevin, but you will need reservations.

[Guest SeaGuy]

The only hotel in Paris that I can think of off the bat that is vaguely Ian Schrager-like in design and price tag is the Bel Ami. It's modern, minimal and rather fun. My second choice in that category of fun hotels would be L'Hotel. The design there is rock star funky and fun, and it was the hotel where Oscar Wilde spent his last days on earth. The Plaza Athenee is great but traditionally french and grand, a smaller Ritz if you will. The Hotel Costes is a theatrical take on 19th century fin-de-siecle taste, grand but in a fun way, as I said "theatrical" is the best word I can use to describe it as the interiors look like operatic stage sets. In Barcelona, maybe the Claris hotel would fall into that category, though frankly I don't know Barcelona as well as i know Paris, practically a second home to me. Hope this helps. :-)

[ad rian]

>Plaza Athenee is great but traditionally french and grand, a

>smaller Ritz if you will.

 

Again, this is perhaps true, but I think that since its renovation it tends to be more fun, and with a more interesting clientelle than its other 5 Star competitors the George V, the Ritz or the Crillon. When I lived in Paris, I stayed in the W on my visits to NYC. Now that I live in NYC, in Paris I stay at the Athenee, and put friends up in the W here.

[Guest SeaGuy]

I completely agre that the Plaza Athenee is the most intimate of the five stars. The Ritz, Crillon, and George V are far too stuffy for me. My personal favorite, I'm sometimnes apprehensive to recommend it because it's already popular enough but I consider it my home in Paris, and that's the Hotel Lancaster. For my money it's perfection. Perfect size, only about 50 rooms or so, perfect interior design that mixes old and modern, east and west, great service, great location, and very private, it really feels like a private apartment building frankly since the restaurant and public areas are for paying guests and their guests only. A real refuge, which is what I like but definately not everybody's cup of tea. :-)

[Guest unlimited_horizons2002]

boys what about the so called terminus hotels???? the nice old fashioned renovated french hotels across the train stations?? they are nice, not expensive and always near a metro. of course escorts like laurent would NEVER visit you in such a hotel. i like the intercontinental on the rue scribe, just across the palais garnier< old opera> but its not the plaza etc, but i am not rich. x(

[Casteran]

Hotel Lancaster, small boutique hotel, refined, great location near Arc de Triomphe. Short subway ride to LesHalles area.