I took my partner to Paris as a surprise for his Birthday in Sept 2011, and we stayed at Le Bristol. Being a student, staying at Le Bristol was a special treat so I wanted to make sure it was all perfect.
I emailed the reception explaining the occasion asking if there was anything they could do, and also the restaurant about my lunch booking.
Upon arriving at the hotel at 10am (5 hours before check-in time) the door porter walked up to the car, opened the door, and said good morning Mr Gibbs. My instant reaction was how did he even know I was Mr Gibbs?! He hadn't seen my luggage, didn't know what car I was arriving in, nor the fact I was arriving in the morning. I could have been any young man turning up that morning. My luggage was taken in an instant, I was lead to the reception, where every single member of staff beamed at me. This lobby is like a dream, and you can see why it received palatial status and also featured in midnight in Paris. It's beautiful.
The friendly receptionist told me all I needed to know, took my luggage etc, and confirmed our lunch reservation. I asked to go to the toilet, and as she walked me down the hall we passed the restaurant. Again, I could have been anyone, but the lady at the podium instantly said, Hello Mr Gibbs, just to confirm your reservation is at 1:30pm. How did they do this?!
The receptionist also overheard me talking to my partner about our Louvre trip, and offered to give us a map, tips, etc.
When we came back to the hotel we went to eat in the 3 Michelin star restaurant. This was BRILLIANT value for money. We had 3 courses, with probably another 4 mini courses if you include the extras, all for 80 something pounds. The restaurant was beautiful, the service was incredible (the woman raced me to get back to my chair first when I returned from the loo, just to pull it out for me, they regularly swept crums away and service was like a military operation it was so precise). The food was something to die for, and the staff overheard us saying how much we liked the sweets at the end, and brought us out boxes of them to take back to the room. They even wrote a message to my partner on his desert to celebrate the occasion, complete with gold leaf. We enjoyed some wonderful afternoon tea to finish.
When we left, there was a lady ready to take us to our room instantly. We walked through the beautiful hotel, up the famous lift, to our room. We had been upgraded to an incredible suite with a separate lounge, huge bedroom, huge bathroom. I have been to some nice hotels, but this was just incredible. The bed was the most comfortable I have ever experienced. And waiting in the lounge, was a beautifully crafted desert, with gold leaf, a chocolate plaque on which Happy Birthday was written, petals with sugar dew drops, leaves made out of chocolate. And a vintage bottle of champagne, all on a neatly laid out trolley with white table cloth and fine cutlery, and a message from the manager. Just incredible.
We went to the pool where the changing rooms had their own little steam rooms, and that was lovely. When we went back to the room, the bed had been turn down with roses and petals spread all over, each petal evidentially placed very precisely, rather than just chucked on. Amazing!! It got better. On several occasions they sent someone just to replace the ice bucket for our champagne, and they even made the desert all over again so we didn't have to eat a half finished one when we fancied it again.
We called and asked for some bags and shaving stuff. The hotel brought up a huge selection, and about 5 different typed of bags to choose from. I have no idea how they got to the door so quickly - they must have someone waiting on each floor?! We also left our shoes outside to be buffered up. The hotel didn't just clean them, they changed the laces, and even fixed my heel, then painted over any scuffs so they looked brand new!!
The next morning we had breakfast, which was lovely, and then checked out having spoken to the manager who spoke perfect English and was a very friendly man, clearly taking the time to get feedback from as many people as he could. And not just to look good, but to listen and constantly improve the hotel.
If you want to stay somewhere that will make your dreams come true for a little while, and will make you feel like you're in a romantic film, then stay at Le Bristol. The service is on a level of its own compared to any other hotel I have stayed at in the world. You will be amazed, fact.
Photos coming soon.
Room Tip: Email reception if it's a special occasion! Never hurts to ask.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC