Casey O'Brien Blondes

I imagined that writing a Paris hotel book might get me off the hook, but I continue to receive a steady stream of queries from family, friends, friends of friends and sixth degree of separation Facebook networkers asking, WHERE DO YOU RECOMMEND I STAY IN PARIS? I politely suggest they BUY MY BOOK, but for any number of reasons, people crave customized advice based on their very specific needs.

Since starting this blog last summer, I avoided covering hotels. It’s a counter intuitive choice considering my niche expertise in French “Hideaway” hotels and B&Bs, but I wished to explore other subjects. How silly when demand for updates on Paris hotels and charming rural chambre d’hôtes appears insatiable.

Before we go further, I’ll feel better if you read a quote from my introduction to Parisian Hideaways:

In his book Paris, John Russell, former chief art critic for the New York Times, cautions: “Hotels, like restaurants, are a subject upon which advice is usually fatal. The choice of an hotel is as private a matter as the choice of a wife.”

With this in mind, I gave up on impartiality and set out to find thirty hotels where I’d like to stay.

Securing a good table in a restaurant doesn’t cost more, but you do have to ask for it. It’s best to do so when making your reservation rather than when unhappily seated by the entry to the kitchen. The same applies to hotel rooms. The better informed you are, the less likely you are to be dissatisfied. Do you prefer a street view or a courtyard view, high or low floor, proximity to the elevator etc? In boutique hotels, the decor, layout and size can vary between rooms in the same price category. Look at the room photos on the web site and if you see a picture of one you like, ask about it. Consult the floor plan (if there is one.) When you check in, if there’s a choice of rooms available, ask to see them. Read More »

Hotel LENOX, Saint Germain.

Categories