Paris, France
3 Nights: Saturday November 26th to Tuesday November 29th
(Pricing, availability, and amenities subject to change. The author did not receive compensation for this review.)
Overall: 8/10
Recently I booked a three night stay at the Paris Hilton Opera. Lodging in Paris can be expensive and typical hotel rooms are small. (think your standard NYC sized room) Lodging options in the city can range from your fairly inexpensive hostel to high cost hotel or homestay rentals from the likes of AIRBNB or VRBO. As an American Express Hilton Aspire Card holder, I had been banking two free nights in my account since the beginning of Covid and decided to use them for the first two nights and pay for the third night. When researching the location, I wasn't too concerned with being super close to the sights, but wanted to be near a train station and within walking distance of some sites.
I found that the Hilton Paris Opera, which is right in front of the Gare Saint Lazare train/metro station and a few blocks away from the Galeries Lafayette department store to be in the perfect location for me.
Booking: 7/10
Booking the AMEX free night awards has to be conducted by phone and I find that to be somewhat cumbersome when everything can be booked online these days. However I was able to book both the two free nights and the third paid night over the phone with the same agent. Keep in mind, that these were booked as two separate stays, with two separate confirmation numbers due to the free night award. Booking was for their Superior Room. The cost of the third night was as follows:
Superior Room
Nightly Rate: €388.56 ($414.17, £343.57)
Total Cost: €388.56 ($414.17, £343.57)
Check-In: 10/10
Check-in went well. I attempted to check in early at 11am, with standard hotel check in being at 3pm. The staff was very helpful in storing my luggage and were also able to link my two different stays so that I would not have to check out and check back in on the third morning. I did however have to get my key re-keyed that morning. I received a message from the hotel around 2pm stating that my room was ready and upon returning I was surprised to see that I was upgraded from their superior room to an executive room!
Room: 8/10
To be honest, this room was near perfect. It was well appointed with a queen bed, nice sitting, and desk area. Closet space was ample and contained an iron and ironing board along with plenty of hangars. For those that like to relax, two bathrobes along with slippers were also present. A small area that contained a refrigerator and complimentary coffee bar can be found right next to the closet.
The room did face the inner courtyard which I thought could make things a bit noisy but with the windows closed, I found the room to be extremely quiet. If the main area wasn't enough to win you over, then the bathroom most certainly would.
Bathroom: 9/10
A nice marble sink along with a stand up shower and separate bath tub were put to good use, and since it was November the heated tile floor came in handy for those chilly mornings!
Dining: 7/10
Room service was available at the hotel, along with bar style food and drinks in their beautifully decorated Le Grand Salon just behind their check-in desks.
A dedicated breakfast buffet was open in the morning, offering a full English style breakfast, bakery and pastries along with cooked to order omelets. The Executive Lounge located right next-door was open for both breakfast and dinner, offering the same buffet style options and cooked to order omelets that the breakfast dining area offered. Complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages along with coffee was also available.
Fitness Center: 6/10
The fitness center was your standard hotel fitness center, with a free weight section along with a handful of cardio machines. It was interesting that there is a separate fitness center on the same floor and at first it was confusing as to which one is for guests.
Location: 6/10
Located in the Opera District in Paris' 8th Arrondissement, the hotel is located right in front of the Gare de Saint Lazare Train/Metro station. The station offers connections to both the metro and traditional train service throughout Paris. The hotel itself is not the closest to the bigger sites of Paris, however it is within short distance to the Palais Garnier Opera House and Galeries Lafayette Hausmann. The close proximity of the metro station, makes this a great hotel to base from and explore the city via metro.
Gare de Saint Lazare: 1 minute walk
Galeries Lafayette Haussmann: 9 minute walk
Palais Garnier: 10 minute walk
Louvre: 24 minute walk / 11 minute metro trip
Arc de Triomphe: 32 minute walk / 11 minute metro trip
Eiffel Tower: 45 minute walk / 24 minute metro trip
Final Thoughts
This was by far one of the best hotels that I have stayed in over the last couple of years. The rooms and amenities did not disappoint. Couple those with an extremely helpful staff that went out of their way to make my stay as memorable as possible, makes me recommend to anyone traveling to Paris. A hotel that I will look to stay in again!
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