This hotel was a HUGE disappointment. It is potentially the loudest hotel that I have ever stayed in and I got zero sleep every night. I was in Room 103 which is just above the Sephora store and overlooking the sidewalk on the Champs-Elysees. The first night there I swear there were ghosts in the walls. There was no room next to me but there were constant noises all night long. I could also hear, very easily, the noise in the room above me. Unless that person weighed over 600lbs then the floors/walls are very thin with no soundproofing between them. The second and third night the Sephora store decided to have a rock concert welcoming their customers both entering and exiting the store which lasted for over an hour or two each night. It was actually loud enough that I couldn't hear the TV. And the ghosts in the walls continued these two nights also. The fourth and fifth night I was pleased to know that the ghosts had moved on to haunt someone else and I feel asleep easily. Oh, but another problem, apparently the hotel is next to a nightclub and the entire contents of the nightclubs exited and decided to carry the party to the sidewalk, right under my window, from 2am until 4am and this is no exaggeration. It was really unbelievable to see almost 100 people on the sidewalk beneath my window from 2am until 4am. And this room was an upgrade for me being a Platinum Elite. I can only find 2 qualities that this hotel has that would even make it a 2-3 star hotel, the buffett breakfast and the location. The breakfast buffett was so crowded on the last morning we were there that I only got a muffin and piece of cheese. All other items were gone or looked pretty rough. I checked the price of the room if I would have paid for it (I used points for this room; 160,000 for 5 nights) and it was around $500.00 USD a night. I would have been extremely mad, upset, disappointed if I had paid money as I was all three even when using points. This hotel is totally overrated and the associates weren't very friendly either. There is no concierge lounge, they charge 8 euros and hour for internet which should be free for Platinum Elite, and they never offered to help with our bags even though there were 3 doormen at the door when we got to the hotel. I would recommend the Renaissance at Vendome instead of this hotel and it's location is right next to the Louvre and Notre Dame and still a short walk to the Arc de Triumphe. Huge disappointment in staying here and don't want anyone else to have the same bad experience.
I had the room close to you and I had just the opposite experience. There is always a lot going on along the CE, that's why is is what it is.
The place seemed to me to be "Magical" and I have never had a bad time at this hotel.
I am sorry for your experience, but this is one of the finest hotels in the world.
We also had a great experience there. It is different, but then it is Paris!
I understand what your saying and I can appreciate some noise due to it's location but a lot of the noise was from inside the hotel. If you take away the location (city and street) it is only an average hotel at best. I'm not sure how much you travel but in my experience, which is all I have to go on, this hotel would rate in the bottom 10% of all the hotels that I have stayed at while out of the country. I am in Marriott's about 150 nights a year and this hotel would only be compared to a USA hotel and is basically a business hotel in a great location. Nothing spectacular about it. Maybe I'm spoiled by the Marriott's in Asia and even the one in Rome but the CE Marriott is overrated, overpriced, and lacks the atmosphere of the city that it sits in.
Sparing no expense to respond to guest feedback, Marriott's Revive Bedding Package was introduced in 2005 with the promise to relax, revive and reenergize. It takes more than bedding to exceed expectations. If room 103 did not deliver, why did you continue to stay there? It's counter-intuitive to stay in a room like that. Did you request to be moved? What was the response?
The Marriott C-E is a Category 8 property and twice the size of the Renaissance Vendome. W/ outstanding loyalty, the MOD|GM would have upgraded you to a higher floor and larger room to compensate had you asked, did you?
With so many positive reviews here and elsewhere, what is the purpose of directing other guests to a hotel on a backstreet by the Tuileries?
Since Marriott C-E failed to deliver, the alternative option is to e-mail customer.care@marriott.com and request a full refund. Just a thought.
Thanks for the comprehensive review. We have just chenged our June 2011 reservation to the Renn Vendome based on your advice.
I did ask to be moved after the second night and was informed that there was a large group in the hotel and that moving would not be an option. I was also told that the noise coming from the Sephora store and the nightclub was only on Friday and Saturday, my first two nights, and that it should not be a problem but it was. I note some elitism in your tone as if you have personal knowledge of what my experience was. I really don't put a lot of weight on the "star" ratings obviously as much as you do. Stars just mean what amenities they offer and even those were lacking. Anyone who thinks that this hotel is 8-star or wonderful either hasn't traveled alot to compare it to other hotels or are happy with the hotel just because of the name of the street that it sits on. The Renaissance was/is clearly a better run hotel and much quieter. Have you stayed there? Have you been in Room 103? It appears that you have an "I know everything" attitude concerning peoples personal experiences and aren't willing to say when a hotel clearly is not up to the standards that they claim to be. If this hotel was in any city in the USA it would be a $100.00 to $130.00 a night hotel and not the $400.00-$500.00 a night hotel because it's in Paris. If you have constructive feedback then I'd be more then welcome to hear it but your judgemental attitude should be left to yourself. I thought the whole point of this venue was to give personal opinions on our hotel experiences and not just ones that agree with your opinion. This isn't your monopoly.
Ken, Your are right, this venue is to express your opinion. But I disagree with you about this hotel, it is a wonderful experience and hotel! We disagree, but I will be back here many more times!
Sounds like the road-weary pony. We've all worn that T-shirt.
As long as one is relevant and respectful, expressing disappointment or acclaim and challenging same is a matter of Insiders discourse. So, no offense intended or taken. That said, while the sentiment, "don't want anyone else to have the same bad experience" is appreciated (more than you know), will crusading or a full refund offset the sting?
The basis for full refund is that Marriott C-E management misled you into thinking that the remainder of your stay would be restful and enjoyable. In fact, their lack of responsiveness intensified disappointment throughout your stay. It's so unfortunate that Marriott C-E failed to meet expectations on several levels.
Do go on record. Expressing opinions on Insiders won't get the points back into your account - and I think you deserve them back. The Marriott C-E MOD and GM should be held accountable to make that happen. Escalate to customer.care@marriott.com In the Subject state, "Huge Disappointment @ Marriott C-E Confirmation #12345678.
Include in your narrative all the details covered here and the Marriott C-E response. Name names, disclose times and dates, provide specific details about expectations you voiced and how C-E failed to deliver. Customer.Care will route your message for handling by Marriott C-E w/in 3-5 days. If you are not contacted, escalate to Customer.Care management in Salt Lake City.
While crusading to let others know what to expect and what to avoid may provide effective venting, a full refund may do much more to displace the angst.
FWIW, best wishes and good luck.
TJC, I don't get the impression that Ken is looking for a refund or points...what's done is done. But, in my opinion, he's doing the right thing by alerting other readers that his experience at this particular Paris hotel was a dud! He's not obligated to provide any more information that he wants to. And you're wrong to imply otherwise. If he wants to further complain, he will. If he wants to let the rest of us in on that, he will. Your well-intended, and sometimes helpful, replys do at times carry a tone of condescension. I hope Ken will continue to participate and report more of his experiences, good and bad, to us.
I, for one, appreciate your assessment of the Marriott property in Paris. I didn't fell at all that your candor was anything but heart-felt dissappointment in your stay. Frankly, it's my opinion that reviews of properties are one of the most valuable aspects of this community. I've never stayed at this property, but have passed by many times. Based on your review, I will likely continue to pass by.
by the way, the elitism you mentioned may be more aptly described as Marriott Homerism. Either way, I can see why you were offended.
does anyone know why a post (like the one in this thread from Inmaine) shows with lines through the content? Is this a form of censure?
I think the other posters hit the nail on the head and I appreciate the feedback from my posts. I stayed in the hotel and therefore I should not get my points back. I'm not the type of person to stay there all 5 nights and then say the stay was bad and I want back points/money. I do know that the hotel is not what it's stated to be, a Category 8. I also don't think that asking to switching rooms is a solution. It would be a temporary help for me but that just means that someone else will be put in that room and have the same experiences which isn't the right way to do business. If your staying at a Cat. 8 hotel there shouldn't BE any issues, none! Unless of course it's an act of God. The hotel should stated that the property is noisy and has a nightclub next door that empties into the street between 2am and 4am. The should tell people that the Sephora store has rock concerts for a couple hours a night which were loud enough to actually shake the walls of my room and not allow me to even hear the TV. That isn't a Cat. 8 hotel. Marriott needs to fix that problem with soundproofing or not rent the room out especially when they are charging $500.00 to $600.00 a night for it. I just didn't want others to go there, like I did, and expect an exceptional hotel when it was average at best. I love Marriotts and they have been great to me but this hotel was awful, in all aspects. If you spend over $500.00 a night then you should at least get free internet but they charge over $15.00 a day for that also. Breakfast, if your paying is $50.00 USD per person. With these rates and prices then the hotel should be exceptional and not even have a hint of being subpar. Or they could do the right thing and cut the prices in 1/2. They advertise that this hotel is "one of the best in Paris" and that is blatantly false advertising. If you stay here, please do so with lowered expectations.
This pretty much tells me all I need to know about "Paris" standards. I doubt that problems like you experienced are limited to Marriott. You'd think that after we saved their hide in the war, they'd at least let us get a good nights sleep.
Shoeman, in the reply box to any post you can bold, italicize, underline, strike through, center, change font, etc. Not sure why striking through would be necessary or desired, but I've seen it a few times on Insiders.
"If your staying at a Cat. 8 hotel there shouldn't BE any issues, none!"
"The hotel should stated that the property is noisy and has a nightclub next door that empties into the street between 2am and 4am."
"Marriott needs to fix that problem with soundproofing or not rent the room out"
Not rent the room out provides the best solution.
"I just didn't want others to go there, like I did, and expect an exceptional hotel when it was average at best. I love Marriotts and they have been great to me but this hotel was awful, in all aspects. If you spend over $500.00 a night then you should at least get free internet but they charge over $15.00 a day for that also. Breakfast, if your paying is $50.00 USD per person. With these rates and prices then the hotel should be exceptional and not even have a hint of being subpar."
I like this paragraph a lot and agree that a Category 8 property should be an "exceptional" and not "average" experience whether paid or points.
"He's not obligated to provide any more information that he wants to. And you're wrong to imply otherwise"
First of all, I agree on the intrinsic value of honest reviews - positive or negative. And, I can see how my term, "crusading" might imply otherwise. From the activity in this thread, it's very clear that there is a good comfort level discussing expectations as well as posing several excellent suggestions.
While an Insiders 'heads-up about C-E' has value if you're thinking of staying there, Insiders is largely 'singing to the choir.' So, it's misconceived to regard 'bridging the gap' by voicing suggestions to C-E directly or through customer.care as condescension, elitism or a form of Marriott 'Homerism'. How amusing to call the kettle black.
Yea, I wasn't thrilled by that either. On the other hand, if we had won, he'd be the heroic voice that so many fans of other teams wished their coach had, but when you lose if the worst thing people can find fault with is the coach's outbursts, I'll take that in lieu of finding fault with my team. NU is an easy target right now with their Big 12 affiliation nearing an end. I don't bet, and I won't make any predictions, but the best thing that could happen now is that we beat Colorado, win the Big 12 championship game and stick it in the eye of Big 12 commissioner Don Bebee. He's a joke!
On my recent stay at C-E, rooms on the C-E were premium rooms and I was upgraded at no charge close to 103. The Sephora could be heard but the excitement of seeing the historic area from my room was worth it.
Likewise, having stayed in the courtyard many times at the C-E, I never had any problems with sound. The rooms in the courtyard have always been great as you can tell from the pictures of the courtyard and room.
The first three pictures are in the in/from my courtyard room. The last one is why I liked the location.
Thanks for the reply and sharing the memories you have had. That is what Paris is all about and more.
I really am sorry that Ken had a bad experience, but when I got the upgrade to a room near his, I was thrilled. Again, the courtyard is great for pure peace and location.
When you, or anyone goes to Paris, (Or anywhere), the location and your needs, based upon your budget must be a priority.
Knowing just how noisy the boulevard can be, I would have done everything possible before checking in to make sure that I didn't get a low floor over the street. Before my last trip to the CE in June, I actually asked JerryMorgan about the noise along the street and as a result I requested an interior room, which I got.
I love this property, although the next time I'm in town I'll probably opt for another location, just to be in a different part of city.
When a hotel claims to be "one of the best in Paris" and advertises itself as a Category 8 then you shouldn't have to worry about which room your in. When I checked in I was told they were upgrading me to one of their best rooms because I was Platinum Elite. Just because a road the hotel sits on is noisy doesn't mean the room has to be. I stayed at the Rome Grand Flora the 5 days after I left Paris and was again placed in a suite 2 floors above the very busy Via Veneto and the room was quiet as can be. I stayed at the Marriott in Ho Chi Minh City recently and was also placed in a suite next to one of the busiest and noisiest roads I have seen and the room was quiet. It's not the location of the room but the soundproofing of the windows, window frames, walls, etc. that dictates if the room is quiet or not. Kind of like when you stay at a Fairfield Inn you expect to be able to hear noise from the next room or the one above you. But I'll repeat this again, when you advertise "best in show" and charge $500.00 a night for the room then noise and tranquility shouldn't even be an issue. To say "do your homework" is insinuating that you actually know what I did before I got there to get information on the hotel and I'm not sure your capable of that. Besides, unless you talk to someone that actually stayed in Room 103, which I have, then any information you get is just a guess. There is only one room next to it that faces the road, all others are interior. Near it, but interior rooms which are not the same. The only rooms like it are the ones above it and that's all.
If paying, and you do not mind taking the metro, with stays involving week-ends. La Defense Ren.,(Picture 1/2) I really like this property, 15 minutes to most places, and the property is very nice. Their week-end rates are substantially less than other properties. You have both the RER and the metro, which you can get a pass at CDG and never need to spend more on transportation.
If using points, The Louve REN., (Picture 3)it was very nice, and to walk to so many things was so nice!
If you want Euro-Disney, the Marriott there is like a townhome. (Picture 4) You can take the train directly to Paris, I would not recommend driving! You also can take the Eurostar to/from London from EuroDisney.
I remember you recommending La Defense to me last year Jerry before I ultimately selected CE. At the time I did check out the weekend rates and they were very reasonable.
Since I took my teens to Paris for the first time, I thought they would get a kick out of the CE, which they did.