Renaissance Vendome Hotel in Paris

I was shocked that this is considered 5 stars. I almost never book on points but was doing a solo weekend w/o my family and decided it was a good time to take a risk. Upon check in, I received surely one of the worst rooms in the hotel - on the first floor, above a noisy restaurant/bar and with a broken air con during an extremely hot period. Fortunately, when I was unable to fall asleep at 11pm because of the thumping bass (and inability to open my window to try and cool down), they changed my room. However, the hotel had no mini bar nor room service. The sheets were scratchy and then room was otherwise tired and beat up. However, the worst part of the experience was when I was blow drying my hair after a pre-dinner shower, and housekeeping had walked in on me (and scared the heck out of me as a women traveling alone). I did not report this to the hotel as I did not want to get the housekeeper in trouble, but a basic part of training should be that if you see someone in a towel, you immediately leave the room. While the location of the hotel might be 5 stars, the lobby, rooms, etc. very much felt like a 4, realistically 3 star experience.

We paid to have a 2 bedroom room with 2 full washrooms for our family. They said the suite had “technical difficulties” ( found out the air-conditioning was leaking into the bedroom). They put us into a much smaller room one that had a pullout couch instead of a separate full bedroom. The washroom in our en suite did not have any toilet in it either they told us that they would credit us back the difference when we went to leave, they still have not credited us back that difference. They said the management wasn’t able to, but they would take care of it later. They then stop responding to any of our emails and further inquiries They said that they have a zero refund policy. We tried outlining that we’re not asking for a refund of the room we were in, but simply to be compensated for the difference between the room we paid the room we were given as it was a significant difference in price. Feels like some type of scam, not impressed and would not recommend.

Definitely consider the reviews below before you stay at this establishment – 100% agree that this is not a five-star hotel. I’ve stayed at numerous hotels in Paris and I always try my best to stay balanced with my reviews. I want to start off with the positives.. because unfortunately the negatives largely outweigh the positives. The room size itself was actually quite decent – we booked the comfy suite, and it had ample room for my husband and my daughter (including a crib in the bedroom). I know there are a lot of reviews on the size of the room, but as a New Yorker… it’s what’s expected, and I was oddly surprised with the space. The furniture is laid out efficiently (though I will get to quality shortly) and it was nice to have two bathrooms – though one bathroom is probably better to free up space. The renovations in the lobby are quite nicely done – wish it translated into the rooms themselves. Breakfast was included (Platinum member) and the options were pretty good. Location is fantastic in terms of walkability, though not sure I would stay in the Vendome Area again. Ok the negatives – let’s start with rooms. While the space is decent, the room quality and furnishings are minimal to say the least. It looked like you were staying in an Ikea decorated dorm room (you can see pictures below for our living room). Peeling furniture, no paintings on the wall, no rug, a nightstand being used as a coffee table, limited lighting… keeps going and feels like you are in a dungeon. While we had two bathrooms -neither were renovated and one had a shower that looks like what you would find in a 1990s renovated basement bathroom – tiny at best and unfunctional. Bathtub was rusting and disgusting. I called down to complain and was basically dismissed – no option to even move to a new hotel, since we had prepaid. Mind you.. we were paid between 700-1000 Euros a night, given new year’s… this was unbelievable in terms of what you were getting. The management is atrocious – incredibly rude and cold staff.. from the moment we stepped in, there was a front desk attendant yelling at a customer on the phone telling him that he was speaking too loud.. that should have been the start. Following my complaint, literally dismissed us, incredibly cold and felt uncomfortable even being in the hotel. They should have let us move to another hotel, if they did not want us to stay. My check out was the absolute worst – where she threw the bill at me and did not even communicate asking how our stay was, thank you, literally nothing. I think this starts with the higher-level management, which clearly needs training on hospitality. At breakfast, no highchair for my baby – I understand restaurants in Paris likely don’t have this, but a hotel restaurant – let alone a Marriott brand hotel not having options for children to sit in? Also no doorman - I think someone opened the door twice during our stay. I had to struggle getting through the door with my s