24 Hours at the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal, Paris
Paris is like a gift box, you never really know what to expect from the city of lights and the city of love. French people, french cuisine, Parisian hotels and the weather. It's like a formula that always gives a different result based on several coefficients. Was the weather nice, the hotel doesn't matter anymore. You had a bad experience upon arriving at Charles des Gaulles? You probably are more likely to be more discerning when you arrive at your hotel. If you want to make sure your stay is flawless, you might think you have no other choice then bedding your heads at the Ritz or the George V. Not if you do your research and get to find the hidden places that still offer a great value for money. One of these gems is the gorgeous Grand Hotel du Palais Royal. You cannot imagine any better location in Paris, just opposite Palais Royal, next to Musee du Louvre, steps from the Jardins de Tuileries and within walking distance from Rue Saint Honore and Place Vendome.
Having arrived from The Peninsula, we were in for a slightly different hotel: more intimate, more boutique. Stepping out of the Uber, I was welcomed by a wonderfully styled building. Upon entering you could see the dark coloured front desk area where I was greeted in most friendly way by three staff members and checked in immediately. Altough it was only 12 noon, our room was ready and the friendly women from the front desk accompanied us to the room the top floor. We left the elevator turned right and stood in front of the door indicating "Palais Royal Suite". Wel, not sure if we deserved such a great honour after having stayed at the Peninsula, however what laid behind the door was just over the top and if we would have to choose between the Premier Room at The Peninsula or the Palais Royal Suite, we would opt for the latter - altough a hard choice.
Paisley-themed wallpapers, a dreamy sofa and a stairwase made the entree to the suite. After each step I took, my heart was raising more not sure what the upper deck will look like. Will there be a view from the bathroom? Do I have a view of the Eiffel Tower? All the thoughts that went through myself were out of pure excitement. We made it to the top... and it was unbelievable! Light filled with sun, shades of the light materials and a contrast of the cool furniture made it one of the most gorgeous hotel rooms I have ever stayed in. The bedroom was equipped with all gadgets such as Nespresso coffee machine, Loewe TV and iPhone Docking station, a comfy double bed with the chicest nightstand tables and a tiny window overlooking my favorite place in Paris: Montmartre and its centre - the dream in white: the Sacre Coeur. Moving further I was welcomed by a round shaped living room which center was a wonderful sofa. Right next to it was the gateway to heaven, also known as the access to our lovely terrace with the most amazing view of Paris. Literally all the sights were visible: From the Eiffel Tower, Palais Royal, to the Sacre Coeur.
While I would be completely satisfied with these stunning amenities, I made my way to the bathroom that was dazzling through the glass wall next to the bedroom. A huge shower with lots of fun-gadgets (such as tropical rain, waterfall and rainshower) would have been the main highlight if there wasn't a free standing bath tub next to the window overlooking the city. Well the Eiffel Tower was out of reach, however the architect must have been just clever enough when he added a window at the other end of the bathroom offering Eiffel Tower views while playing with the tropical rain.
The bottle of Moet & Chandon was the programme for the evening while observing the magical sunset of Paris. The only option was an early morning jogging through the Park at Grand Palais (magnificent) before heading to the lovely breakfast. Don't have too much, you are still in Paris and a michelin starred lunch should be on your agenda! If you are in for a perfect location, wonderfully designed rooms, lovely suites and a great value for money, then look no forther: Grand Hotel Palais Royal is your place!
