Paris Hotels

[culverwood]

Thanks for all the replies.

[hectorm]

Culverwood, you are very welcome.
Please let us know about your decision and how your planned weekend turns out. Good luck.

[castiglione]

We generally prefer more intimate smaller hotels without all the unnecessary fripperies of places like the Ritz but with bedrooms of the same quality and a good lounge and restaurant. Does this narrow things down?

More intimate, with Ritz quality rooms, a good lounge and a restaurant? Mmmmh....
I think I was right on recommending Hotel Lutecia. It's much more intimate than the Ritz and has a beautiful art deco lounge/bar and a superb restaurant. I suspect the rooms -which are big and excellent- might not be as luxurious as the ones in the Ritz though.
You may consider also a really intimate romantic hotel without the restaurant. This will augment the options significantly and in Paris you can always have a wonderful dinner just around the corner.

Avoid the Crillon at all costs it stinks of kitchen. Like everywhere else service is what it is except for the personalised reception. Rafael perhaps is not the real thing when it comes to British style, a kind of carbon copy of the real thing. Sometimes in the past it sheltered in its bar people of open alternatives in the field of emotional preferences. All hotels have undergone restorations and the result is not very different from the restoration of paintings. The sfumato goes, sometimes even the content goes with it too. The Lotti is a good alternative to the more expensive Ritz, though, of course, if you travel on money who cares basis the Ritz continues to be the ultimate experience. The Lotti was Mr. Sykes hotel of the Sykes Picot Treaty fame and it is very close to the Place Vendome. Excellent cost effective ratio.

[culverwood]

Someone has recommended the Hotel de Vendome does anyone know it?

[Pierre Spies]

For something cosy outside the obvious palaces already mentioned I'd consider :

hotel Costes
http://www.hotelcostes.com/
Very trendy - you risk crossing path with models and other trendy persons but they have lovely rooms, nice lounge but restaurant is not that great.

L'Hotel
http://www.l-hotel.com/
One of my favourites - located in the heart of Saint Germain neighbourhood, but outside the crowdy areas, it's a small looking hotel with perfect bedrooms and great restaurant.
To tell you the truth, I used to live for 5 years just 10 numbers down the same street and would still go sometimes to this hotel - that's how much I love it

[Arpey]

Hotel Amour
8 rue Navarin, Paris, 75009
http://www.hotelamourparis.fr/