The Peninsula – Paris

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Hotelchain: Peninsula hotels
Location: Paris – France
Classification: 5 star hotel
Official website: http://paris.peninsula.com/

Where to start? As you enter the recently opened Peninsula hotel in Paris, you will be amazed by the wonderful and light lobby area. It is absolutely stunning from the spacious front desk to the dancing crystal leaves. Front desk staff is very professional and will do anything to make your stay unforgettable! The Peninsula Paris is located in a late 19th century classic Haussmanian building,  which first opened as one of Paris’s most luxurious “grand hotels” in 1908. It has the perfect location right in the center of Paris:
literally 1 minute walk to the Arc de Triomphe and to “des champs elysees”.

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All rooms are equipped with the latest technology without being “over the top”. The rooms come with a control customised interactive digital control tablets. I like the fact you can still “feel” the history of this grand hotel. Oh please notice the view of the Arc de Triomphe from the room! The bed was like an XXXL kingsized bed. The design of the rooms is perfect with neutral colours and accents.

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You will never get bored at the Peninsula, the SPA area is one of the nicest I have ever seen featuring a large indoor pool, jacuzzi tubs and a few luxurious treatment rooms. Sauna, steam rooms and a full fitness center (with professional trainers!) are available for guests as well.

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Hungry or thirsty after your workout? No problem! The Peninsula offers a few options: L’Oiseau Blanc and Lili are both top class restaurants with both stunning decors and menus. Do visit those places, they both are unique and L’Oiseau Blanc has a very exclusive rooftop bar with amazing views of the Eiffel Tower. You can even see Montmartre!

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We had the Peninsula’s famed Afternoon Tea in The Lobby accompanied by live music. All pastries of the “Bûche de Noël” were created by Pastry Chef Julien Alvarez. Believe me, it was just perfect!

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The Peninsula Paris is a top class 5 star hotel which I  would thoroughly recommend!

The Langham – London

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Hotelchain: Langham hotels
Location: London – UK
Classification: 5 star hotel
Official website: http://london.langhamhotels.co.uk

I have travelled all over the world and have found the Langham London to be one of the most exquisite boutique grand hotels in my experience. The Langham London is a historic 5 star hotel and is well located on the famous Regent street. Regent’s Park is only a few steps away. We were welcomed by a very courteous bellman who parked our car and escorted us into the beautiful lobby. I immediately realized why this is one of the top rated hotels in London. It is actually the place to be for all kinds of celebrities visiting this beautiful city. Further, we were greeted by an exceptionally great front desk staff. Check-in went smoothly and the staff were just extremely professional, going to extraordinary lengths to make everybody’s stay pleasurable. They even remember your names.

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All the guestrooms at the Langham are unique and very tastefully decorated. It’s all about the details and to be honest, the bed was one the best I have ever experienced! It felt like sleeping on a cloud, it was so soft… The bathroom was quite spacious, featuring a separate tub and shower, large sink and separate toilet. Toiletries were amazing! The room was opulent and charming at the same time, perfectly appointed and completely functional. I loved the 2 comfy couches and large desk. I had a few requests and everyone, from housekeeping to room service or the food and beverage servers, makes it their goal to treat all their guests like VIPs.

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It would be very difficult to get bored at the Langham London as it offers a fully equipped hotel gym and fitness facilities and we did relax at the spa area. We tried everything: the vitality pool, salt sauna and steam room. One nice detail I had never seen before: a swimwear dryer. The relaxing areas are just beautiful. There is a large swimming pool as well, but unfortunately it was closed so I cannot comment on that. Everything was very clean.

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The next day we had breakfast at the Palm Court. The breakfast selection and service were amazing and they had my favorite fruit, muffins and excellent coffee. The large buffet was leisurely and good with great hot food choices. All in all, an excellent breakfast that set us up for the day. It is quite expensive though, but I do recommend a bed and breakfast rate as it is quite an experience having breakfast in such a special place. We also had a drink at the Artesian, voted “World’s best bar 2014” by Drinks International. Their other restaurant “Roux at The Landau” looked amazing too, but we didn’t eat there so I can’t comment on the food. I did talk with guests who ate there and they all loved the food.

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The Langham London is a destination hotel for those travelers that are looking for a truly wonderful experience! This grand hotel and its staff exceeds customer service in every possible way!

Lyric – Paris

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Location: Paris – France
Classification: 4 star hotel
Official website: http://www.lyrichotelparis.com

Centrally located in the center of Paris, this beautiful 4 star hotel made me feel very welcome! It’s in the heart of Paris but feels like your miles away once inside. The Lyric hotel is a small hotel offering great accommodation at affordable rates! Every staff member greeted us with a smile and served us with pleasure! By the way, the reception area has a little macarons store, they looked delicious!

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We stayed in an executive room. I loved the décor, from the parquet floors to the drapes! Everything seemed “right”! Actually, the room was quite large for Paris’ standards. Bathroom had a sink and tub (with beautiful little led lights, loved it!) and there was a separate toilette. Every spot in the room was impeccably clean. Oh, I do need to mention this: the tv! One of the best televisions in a hotelroom I have ever seen J

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The Lyric hotel offers a full wellness center with sauna, hammam and an indoor swimmingpool. It is so nice to relax here after a day in busy Paris. Everything is well maintained and towels are provided. There is a small fitness facility as well. The whole place is quite small, but all facilities are there. Not too many hotels in Paris have indoor pools, so this really is a bonus! Every room has bathrobes and slippers for him and for her.

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The buffet style breakfast was good offering a small selection of several cheeses, eggs, bacon, etc. The coffee lady was very friendly and made sure we would get the right hot drinks. It was not a massive buffet, but that’s the thing I really appreciate about the Lyric hotel: everything is small, but personal. The intimate and cosy décor will please everyone.

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The Lyric hotel is a good 4 star hotel in the center of Paris. I would definitely recommend this hotel because of the good service, wonderful decors and indoor pool.