Review: The Peninsula Paris

The Peninsula Paris Review

2020 Update: See our most recent Peninsula Paris Hotel Review

This The Peninsula Paris Review is from my recent stay at the hotel, which has quickly become one of the best Paris luxury hotels and a client favorite. A great advantage of reserving it as a TravelSort Client is the flexible check-in and check-out you enjoy as a PenClub benefit, in addition to Virtuoso benefits. That means that even if you arrive in Paris in the early morning, after an exhausting red eye flight, you can go straight to the hotel and either check-in early to your room or be given another room to take a nap and shower in, until your reserved room is ready. Similarly, if you have a late night flight departing Paris, you'll either be able to stay in your room until you leave, or have the use of another room until your departure time.

The Peninsula Paris Peninsula PenClub and Virtuoso Benefits 

  • Upgrade on arrival to next room category, subject to availability
  • Enhanced welcome amenities (PenClub benefit)
  • Full breakfast daily (PenClub benefit), for up to two in room guests
  • Complimentary soft drink mini bar
  • A $100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit or Spa credit (not combinable)
  • “Peninsula Time”: flexible check-in and check-out (PenClub benefit)
  • Complimentary 30-minute extension on any 50-minute body or facial spa treatment reserved in advance of your stay (PenClub benefit)

The Peninsula Paris Review

The Peninsula Paris Location, Check-in and Lobby

The Peninsula Paris is located at 19 Avenue Kleber, a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees. Its closest Metro Station is Kleber (line 6) just a 1 minute walk away, and the Charles de Gaulle Etoile Metro Station (RER A and Metro lines 1, 2 and 6) is less than a 10 minute walk away.

The magnificently restored late 19th century building, which first opened in 1908 as one of Paris' top “grands hotels,” exudes elegance. The former Hotel Majestic in its day hosted guests such as Pablo Picasso, Marcel Proust, James Joyce and George Gershwin.

During my early December visit, the chic white and black decor was complemented by red floral arrangements, Christmas trees and shimmering glass ornaments that resembled snow flakes in the lobby.

Lobby, The Peninsula Paris Review

Meanwhile, an enchanting Christmas market had been set up by the Avenue Kleber main entrance, complete with stalls offering handmade crafts, adorable stuffed animals and children's clothes, and mulled wine–perfect given the chilly weather.

The Peninsula Paris Set Up a Christmas Market for the Holidays

The Peninsula Paris: Elegant Facade

Mulled Wine, The Peninsula Paris Review

After a warm welcome and swift check-in, I was on the way to my Junior Suite.

The Peninsula Paris Junior Suite

The Peninsula Paris offers two room types, entry level Superior Rooms which are 323-430 square feet and accommodate a maximum of 2 adults and Deluxe Rooms, 430-538 square feet, which can accommodate up to 3 guests, on a King bed and a rollaway. The next level up from a Deluxe Room is the Junior Suite, 538-646 square feet, with a southern exposure to Rue La Perouse.

View from The Peninsula Paris

I was traveling solo, so the Junior Suite was so spacious and beautifully appointed it made me wish my husband and son were there to enjoy it with me. There was a sitting area with a coffee table laden with treats, from perfectly ripe fresh fruit to a bottle of red wine that my Paris friends greatly appreciated when I brought it over while visiting them.

Junior Suite Living Area, The Peninsula Paris Review

Junior Suite Sofa, The Peninsula Paris Review

Fruit Welcome Amenity, The Peninsula Paris Review

Red Wine Welcome Amenity, The Peninsula Paris Review

I was especially taken with the housemade dark chocolate, complete with a wooden mallet for cracking off a daily bite 🙂

Chocolate and Wooden Mallet, The Peninsula Paris Review

The TV was cleverly hidden behind movable panels, as was the Nespresso Machine, with the capsules and tea sachets in a drawer:

Hidden TV, The Peninsula Paris Review

Nespresso Machine, The Peninsula Paris Review

Nespresso Capsules and Tea Bags, The Peninsula Paris Review

All soft drinks in the mini bar are complimentary:

Complimentary Mini Bar, The Peninsula Paris Review

The King bed was extremely comfortable, with a pillowtop mattress and super soft cotton sateen sheets.

King Bed, The Peninsula Paris Review

On the nightstand was an integrated control panel for the lights, temperature and shades.

Room Controls, The Peninsula Paris Review

There was also a good selection of in-room movies.

In-Room Movies, The Peninsula Paris Review

A huge highlight for me was the elegant bathroom, with its dual his and hers sinks and gorgeous marble soaking tub:

Elegant Bathroom, The Peninsula Paris Review

Soaking Tub, The Peninsula Paris Review

There was also a rain shower that would accommodate even most professional basketball players, I believe:

Rain Shower, The Peninsula Paris Review

Bath products were by Oscar de la Renta, which seemed a little surprising for me; I would have expected either something French, such as L'Occitane, or perhaps Aesop, a popular Australian brand in Asia.

Oscar de la Renta Bath Products, The Peninsula Paris Review

There's a Toto washlet, which is bound to appeal to fans of Japanese toilets:

Toto Washlet, The Peninsula Paris Review

Toto Washlet Controls, The Peninsula Paris Review

Here's a short video of the Junior Suite:

The Peninsula Paris Swimming Pool and Fitness Center

The Peninsula Paris is one of only a few Paris luxury hotels with a swimming pool, which I've always loved as a feature in city hotels. After a long day of meetings or sightseeing, what better way to rejuvenate than a few laps, soaking in one of the two jacuzzis, or simply relaxing poolside to the sound of water?

Swimming Pool, The Peninsula Paris Review

The Peninsula Paris Swimming Pool

Pools and Jacuzzi Whirlpools, The Peninsula Paris Review

There's also a well-equipped fitness center, although given the amount of walking around I did, I didn't have occasion to use it.

Fitness Center, The Peninsula Paris Review

Peninsula Paris Breakfast in The Lobby

Breakfast is offered in the Peninsula Paris Lobby. It would be a rather pricey affair, as even the Continental Breakfast is EUR 42 per person, while a full American Breakfast that includes eggs is EUR 53 per person. Fortunately, full breakfast for two is included as a Peninsula PenClub benefit.

The Peninsula Paris Continental Breakfast Menu

I opted for continental, since I was a little pressed for time and needed to get to a meeting. A complimentary smoothie shot of red berries made for a nice start.

Breakfast at The Peninsula Paris

Soon an enormous platter of fresh baguette and pastries was brought, and while I only sampled the Pain au Chocolat, it was fantastic: warm dark chocolate in a more generous amount than is typical, with layers of flaky pastry.

Breads and Pastries, The Peninsula Paris Review

The fresh fruit bowl included fresh red currants, which I enjoy. While used often in Europe, for some reason they're rarely seen in the U.S.

Fresh Fruits, The Peninsula Paris Review

The highlight was a rose praline encrusted brioche, that would have been at home as a dessert in upscale restaurants.

Praline Brioche, The Peninsula Paris Breakfast Review

The Verdict

The Peninsula Paris has my favorite luxury hotel rooms in Paris right now: spacious, chic, and incredibly comfortable, with all the modern conveniences one would want, such as electronically controlled temperature, lights and shades, in-room movie selections, Japanese washlet, Nespresso machine and tea kettle, and serene swimming pool in the Spa. I loved how the hotel was decked out for Christmas, with festive decor and even a Christmas market by the entrance. And the breakfast offerings I sampled were high quality, with my only criticism that I had to remind them about my yogurt, which took a long time to arrive.

If you've stayed recently at The Peninsula Paris, what was your experience?

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