Kick us off: What was your first impression of this hotel?
Unlike most Parisian palace hotels, the Park Hyatt greets you with discretion. For starters, the lobby is anything but grandiose. In fact, it's home for the concierge desk and that's it. A handful of steps just beyond the desk signal that the action—check-in, dining, sleeping, etc.—happens toward the back of the hotel. You don't see clients or locals milling about near the entrance which is frankly refreshing. There are no crowds of guests leaving or coming to push through, you head straight to the back to check in. That sense of exclusivity carries over to the rest of the public areas, and the fireplace lounge, which is as popular with guests as with locals, feels contained but not walled off.
It sounds intimate. What’s the crowd like?
A vast diversity of clients—business travelers, affluent families, fashion and design industry travelers, and even locals, who can depend on the discretion and the quiet in each of the dining and lounge areas to conduct business meetings or work. And of course, given that it is a Hyatt property, you see couples and families who may have earned enough reward points to book a stay at Vendôme but who may appear less accustomed to a luxury hotel than other guests.
Quite the mix! Now, onto the good stuff: Tell us about the digs.
The sixth and top floor benefits from unobstructed views of Parisian rooftops and even the Place Vendôme from the room's balconies. All rooms, including mine on the sixth floor (639), were updated in 2017 by American designer Ed Tuttle in a warm neutral and gold palette. While more contemporary than other Parisian grand dames, dark wood paneling and gilded accent moldings bridge the old and the new.
Perfect. Any standout features?
The floor-to-ceiling gold-framed mahogany headboard puts the bed, which is simply dressed in white linens, on center stage.
We can't wait to see for ourselves. How about the little things, like the mini bar, or shower goodies? Any of that find its way into your suitcase?
There are bespoke beauty products and then there are the usual suspects like Hermès to Guerlain but here, the team was wise enough to develop a custom scent with the right talent: Christophe Laudamiel, a respected nose who developed scents for Ralph Lauren and Clinique, among others. Here, he created both the signature olfactive scent for the entirety of the hotel spaces and the in-room products under the hotel's new identity, 5 rue de la Paix. If there was anything to snatch here it was the bronze sculptures affixed to the wall above each bedside table.
Maybe we'll grab the scent, and leave the sculptures. How about the bathrooms?
No robotic toilets here, however this was the first time I had ever seen a bathtub-shower combo, entirely attached. The shower head and bath fittings were gold plated and a glass door fit snugly between the edge of the bathtub and the shower to prevent water from spilling out everywhere. It was spacious, to say the least, and easy to use which I cannot say for all luxury hotel showers! Bath linens could have been softer and more luxurious given the hotel's price point and strangely, there was no toilet brush to be found in the WC (separate from the shower and sink). The bespoke fragrance infuses all of the satisfying bath products.
Got it. Maybe the most important topic of all: Wi-Fi. What’s the word?
Wifi connection was free throughout the hotel and in-room and was quite strong. I had no issues downloading even big files.
Great. Staff: If you could award one a trophy, who gets it, and why?
During my visit, my husband was suffering from laryngitis and was in no position to join me with a glass of wine. Our server wasted no time in asking my husband whether he would enjoy a hot ginger or lemon tea to ease his throat before the meal. It was a kind gesture and what's more, they informed the rest of the floor staff so that we didn't have to ask for more hot water or explain why he wasn't interested in trying their excellent wine selection.
That's nice. Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.
The fitness room was given a major upgrade and is now open 24/7. But dining is the hotel’s star feature here. Since 2006, the one-star Michelin restaurant Pur’ has been run by Jean-François Roquette and has consistently offered a creative and memorable dining experience in a city full of them. After all those years, the restaurant finally got the design refresh it deserved in fall 2024. The in-demand designer Hugo Toro (who also designed Le Mas Candille in the south of France and Rome’s Orient Express La Minerva) transformed what was a pleasant but corporate-leaning dining room into what feels more like a moody apartment, complete with an seven-yard-long metal fireplace, various intimate spaces for dining (there’s a library lounge, a winter lounge lit by Murano glass chandeliers, and a chef’s table in front of the open kitchen), bespoke wood and marble furnishings and table decor, and a Richard Lautner-inspired backlit oculus, the room’s central statement piece.
What was most memorable—or heartbreaking—about your stay?
The culinary experiences were highlights of the stay and absolutely worth reserving in advance, whether that’s for dinner at PUR’ or for the hotel’s recent addition of afternoon tea time, built around cookies. Both are opportunities to try the fruit-forward and just-sweet-enough confections of the hotel’s talented head pastry chef, Naraé Kim.
Terrific. Bottom line: worth it, and why?
This is a perfectly located, luxurious hotel without the over-the-top, ostentatious luxury so common among Parisian palaces. If discretion and privacy are paramount, this is the spot for you.
5 Rue de la Paix, Paris, 75002
France
https://www.paris-restaurant-pur.fr/