Me and my wife visited this beautiful and cozy, luxurious hotel in October for 3 nights. We booked through LHW.COM. When we checked in we were upgraded to a Junior Suite which was really lovely and spacious. Lovely bathroom with natural light coming in, huge living room, spacious "bedroom" with comfortable bed (like all the LHW) and a great walking closet. Huge windows that we could open with a "french balkony". The wireless internet in the room worked perfectly and was very fast. Room service was fast. I had got a cold and ordered tea and lemon and honey in the middle of the night and they brought it very quickly to the room without any charge. When we checked in I told them that it was my wifes bithday. Little later when we were in the room they came with little sweet cake that had a note written on it; Happy Bithday. That was thoughtful of them. We liked almost everything about this place. One thing we did not like was that most workers in the dining (breakfast) room did not speak english + that the service was not so good. They did not take our questions seriously either. Improvements needed. Location is perfect. Walk one minute and you are on champs elysees. 30-45 min walk to Eiffel Tower. Ist little expensive but if you want a good place in Paris it will cost you. If you want a perfect location and a lot of space in the room then this is it.

To be frank, I had always wanted to stay at the Hotel Raphael. Simply loved its classical beauty! Had watched it turned from a non-member into a member of the Leading Hotels. Sadly, I had made the big mistake of booking direct with the helpful, Ms Pauline, and did not book with Leading Hotels instead. So, there was no room upgrade, no free Wifi (had to pay 15 euros for 10 hours of usage I think) ... a tad disappionted.

Fortunately, our booked Junior suite, room 504 was simply gorgeous - wood panelled walls with hand drawn designs probably dating from 1925 when the Hotel was first built, classical furnitures, HUGE bathroom with tub and separate shower cubicle, long balcony with views of some nearby rooftops, plenty of closet space, Philipps flat screen TV (with CNN, CNBC, BBC, Bloomberg, CCTV 4 etc), Chandeliers, lots and lots of mirrors even on doors, nice & quality toiletries etc.

The suite was about 60sqm, quite huge by Parisian standards. But the living area seemed a little too small for my liking, with no fireplace like in a Deluxe Junior Suite has. Upon check in, we were sent fruits, drinking water, chocolates and a nice floral arrangement as gifts - nice gestures, but as it was 31st December, we were hoping for a champagne to celebrate ... again, a tad disappointed.

All staff whom we had encountered were really friendly and helpful - the conceirge, the Receptionist, Ms Pauline the Manageress, the breakfasts server etc. They even allowed us an early check-in at 10.15am, now, that is what I call good service! The common areas are decorated in a warm, charming and classy style. And the roof top terrace is also a stunner with views of the Eiffel Tower and the nearby, Arch de Triomphe.

Location wise, is quite good being 5 minutes or three blocks to the Champs Elysees. Though there is a Metro at the Hotel's doorstep, we took cabs wherever we go (a taxi stand is also at the Hotel's doorstep) - costing 10 to 12 euros each ride, a tad expensive! Avenue Kleber which the Hotel is located on, is a long stretch of road. It would take you about 15 minutes to walk to see the Eiffel at Trocadero, not as near as we had initially thought. Nearer to the Eiffel, you will find two Chinese restaurants and a few French ones.

Breakfasts was served at the Hotel's beautiful restaurant. Choice and qualtiy of food was rather good for a 4 stars Hotel, but it had remained the same for the two mornings that we were there. A basket of French breads and pastries were on each table, crispy, crunchy and really fresh!
Freshly squeezed orange juice were really important for 8-12 degree winters.

A small glitch staying in an older hotel is the sound insulation within the hotel. Our suite was mostly quiet, but we could hear everything the attached room 503's laughing and screaming each night. But if staying with family, you could also book room 505 (another Junior suite?) and have extra space with a special door to look both rooms from the outside.


After a wonderful two nights stay at the Hotel, we stayed our last night in Paris at the Hotel de Crillon (see my other review). Though we felt really pampered and treated specially at the Hotel de Crillon, in all fairness, the room at the Hotel Raphael is indeed more historical and more beautiful!
Cheers to the Management of the Hotel Raphael for doing such a good job in maintaning such a classical beauty.

The "Hotel Raphael", a legend and a name, is one of the oldest hotels of Paris, located in the heart of the capital, at a walking distance from the "Arc de Triomphe" and the famous "Champs Elysees".

Entering Hotel Raphael one discovers the atmosphere of a private club. Walnut paneling and generous seating areas line the wide gallery, hung with art and carpeted with Oriental rugs. Rococo describes the ambience of the high-ceilinged guest rooms, furnished with Regency, Louis XV, Louis XVI, Empire, and Directoire antiques, yet thoughtfully appointed with satellite television, direct-dial telephone with voice mail and modem port.

The Raphael is a unique Parisian hotel, more of a club. Whether you are in the intimate atmosphere of the "Bar Anglais", in one of the cosseted suites or in one of the vast bedrooms, you will be made to feel at home, with attentive personnel to fulfil your every need.

I visit Paris on average, once per month. This is the first time that i choose an Hotel that is not part of an international chain, and believe me it was worth it.
The service, the welcoming, the location, the food, the free valet parking, the room service, dinner in the room, the 30sqm room space, the huge bathroom size, the room lighting, the english bar are few of the services we tried and that are simply perfect. The price might be a bit high but very adequate to what you get.

We didn't have the chance to experience the rooftop terrace, but will surely do next summer.

Just returned from a fantastic 3 nite stay at this great hotel. Location is outstanding for sightseeing, metro stop at your doorstep. The hotel is very well maintained, the dining room is beautiful and breakfast superior. The help is very professional and friendly. Hotel has a quiet sophisticated feeling about it without being snobby, I would highly recommend it !!!