The Westin Paris - Vendôme

The Westin Paris-Vendome is an elegant property, which given its central location, business facilities, and proximity to the corporate district around Place de la Madeleine, draws business travelers and tourists alike. The hotel's opulent entrance is marked by wrought-iron gates and gilted light fixtures. Inside, the lobby has soaring ceilings, Old World paneling, landscape paintings in gilt frames, and marble-topped marquetry tables. Contemporary pieces upholstered in various textures and pops of metallic keep the spaces from getting too stuffy. The reception desk shimmers in a coat of gilt paint. In good weather, guests linger in the expansive courtyard. Slatted wood chairs and tables are scattered on its pea-stone terrace, around an oval-shaped fountain. This outdoor space is edged by a glass conservatory wall. Le First, the hotel's formal, lamp-lit restaurant, has deep-purple velvet armchairs and satin pillows around black lacquer tables. The Tuileries Bar has dramatic red walls, mirrored surfaces, and black-suede, reproduction Louis XVI-style chairs. Perhaps the property's most modern space is its spa, with fiber-walled, coconut-shaped treatment rooms that resemble cocoons. 

Facing the Tuileries, the Westin Paris-Vendome has a central location just a three-minute walk to the Place Vendome, with its iconic bas-relief bronze-plated column. Today the square is home to world-famous jewelers like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, banks, fashion houses, and the Ritz Hotel. In a neighborhood of luxury stores along the Rue de Rivoli and Rue Saint Honore, the hotel is within walking distance of many of the city's major sights. The entrance to the Jardin des Tuileries is a three-minute walk from the hotel, and the Place de la Concorde is a six-minute walk away. It's a 10-minute walk across the Tuileries and the Seine to the Musee d'Orsay on the Left Bank, and the Louvre is about a 15-minute walk east of the hotel. Notre Dame is a 20-minute metro ride and an 11-minute taxi ride away. The Eiffel Tower is a 23-metro ride or a 10-minute trip by taxi. The closest metro stop is Tuileries, which also links directly to stops in the Marais. Charles de Gaulle Airport is a 53-minute drive or 90 minutes by train. Orly Airport is about a 35-minute drive.

The Westin Paris-Vendome's 428 rooms and suites range from pale-gray walled, understated Superior Rooms to the two-bedroom Presidential Suite with fireplaces and terraces. Top-floor suites have views of the Eiffel Tower. Other views can include the Tuileries, the Louvre, or Place de la Concorde. The smallest room is 172-square-feet, while many of the larger rooms, with the exception of the Presidential Suite, are about 570-square-feet. The decor mixes antiques, such as marble-topped tables inlaid with ivory, and clean-lined contemporary sofas and chairs and upholstered headboards. Materials are of high quality -- the black-out drapes are silk, for example -- but the lines are simple. Mattresses are the hotel's signature Heavenly Bed brand with high-quality linens. All rooms have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs and safes, while upper-category rooms can have fax machines, minibars, robes and slippers. Wi-Fi is available, but it comes with a fee. Each room receives delivery of one free cup of coffee per guest per day. Bathrooms include sinks with marble counters, tub/shower combos, magnifying mirrors, and hairdryers. Toiletries are the Westin's own. Bathrooms in standard rooms tend to be small. 

The Westin Paris-Vendome has several standout features. Le First restaurant, with a lovely terrace, takes a modern twist to traditional French brasserie fare, and the Tuileries Bar has an extensive cocktail menu and light fare. All-day dining is available in either the restaurant or the bar. The bi-level fitness center has cardio- and weight-training machines, free weights, and exercise balls, and an in-house trainer is available for a fee. The property's spa has cocoon-like rooms with a wide array of facials and massages based on natural ingredients and practices. Wi-Fi is free in common areas of the hotel. There are 13 meeting rooms equipped with audiovisual equipment, and an opulent ballroom that accommodates more than 2,000 people for weddings and other events. The business center has computers, fax, and copy machines, and guests can rent laptops. Parking, laundry and dry cleaning, and babysitting services are available for a fee, and small dogs are welcome. The hotel has a 24-hour concierge at its front desk, and a multilingual staff who will arrange tours, tickets, restaurant reservations, car rentals, and drivers.