Fast Fact
The French capital has a population of 2.2 million.
The Shangri-La Hotel, Paris, is set to debut this month in the 16th arrondissement. The property features 81 guest rooms designed by Yves-Pierre Rochon, 9,700 square feet of meeting and event space, two restaurants and a fitness center.
Le Royal Monceau–Raffles Paris reopened in October following a two-year, head-to-toe refurbishment and redesign by Philippe Starck. The property, with 85 guest rooms and 55 suites, is now managed by Raffles Hotel Group and features three meeting rooms, two restaurants and a private cinema. A 15,000-square-foot spa will debut in February.
A two-year expansion and renovation has been completed at the Hotel Lotti. The property has added 44 guest rooms, for a total of 159; its 10 meeting rooms have been updated, and a patio with palm trees has been added.
The 90-room Hôtel W Paris-Opéra will open for business in April 2011. The property is adjacent to the Paris Opera and Galeries Lafayette department stores.
The Peninsula Paris is set to open in 2013; the 200-room hotel will be housed in a former government building in central Paris.
The former Hotel Campanile is now the Timhotel. The property has 246 guest rooms and two meeting rooms.
Mandarin Oriental, Paris, is set to open in summer 2011. The hotel will have 138 guest rooms, seven meeting rooms and a spa.
The 266-room Hotel Concorde Saint-Lazare has been renamed the Concorde Opéra Paris. The property offers 12 meeting rooms.
The 55-room Crowne Plaza Paris Champs Elysées has been rebranded as the InterContinental Paris Avenue Marceau. The property has one 3,000-square-foot meeting room.
At press time, French media outlets reported that Starwood Capital will sell the world-famous Hotel de Crillon -- which first opened its doors in 1909 -- for approximately US$350 million to Saudi investors with ties to the royal family. According to Le Figaro, the buyer might have to spend an additional US$160 million to renovate the 147-room luxury property, which has seven meeting rooms. The reports also said the hotel will be managed by Kempinski Hotels.
Alrov Properties and Lodgings Ltd. has acquired the 100-year-old Hotel Lutetia, which features 231 rooms and 10 meeting rooms. The property will remain under the management of Concorde Hotels & Resorts.
Set to open this month is the boutique hotel Pavillon des Lettres. Each of the property's 26 rooms is associated with a letter of the alphabet and a writer.
The Buddha Bar Hotel Paris is slated to open next fall. Details on number of guest rooms and meeting space were not available at press time.
Luxury goods firm LVMH is developing a 100-room hotel and conference center in the former La Samaritaine department store. The property is expected to open for business in 2013.
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Paris La Défense, is scheduled to open in 2012. Details on guest rooms and meeting space were unavailable at press time.
The Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel & Conference Center has been certified ISO 14001 by the International Organization for Standardization for implementing a set of sustainability standards that reduces the 757-room property's negative impact on the environment.
Hall 7 at Paris-Nord Villepinte Convention & Exhibition Center opened in September. The new facility features approximately 162,000 square feet of exhibit space and has been recognized as a pilot project for the French government's forthcoming HEQ (High Environmental Quality) certification of exhibition halls.
The Parc Zoologique de Paris in the Bois de Vincennes is undergoing renovations and will reopen in 2012. The zoo features 130 species in six sections, including an aviary and a greenhouse. Continued...
Sweet Treats
When in Paris, be sure to try some macarons -- almond-based, ganache-filled meringue cookies. Sample the button-sized delicacies at renowned confectioner
Ladurée, with six shops in Paris.
Meeting Hotels The French capital's main
meeting and incentive properties include the 1,025-room Le Méridien
Etoile, 966-room Concorde Lafayette, 953-room Le Méridien Montparnasse,
764-room Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel, 757-room Paris Marriott Rive Gauche
Hotel & Conference Center, 579-room Sofitel Paris Porte de Sèvres,
514-room InterContinental Le Grand Hotel Paris, 507-room Hilton Arc de
Triomphe, 438-room Westin Paris, 396-room Pullman Paris Bercy, 384-room
Pullman Paris La Défense Grande Arche, 331-room Renaissance Paris Hotel
La Défense, 318-room Holiday Inn Paris République and 245-room Four
Seasons Hotel George V Paris. For a more extensive list of hotels, go
to mcvenues.com.
Convention Centers
Paris' main conference and exhibition facilities are managed by the
umbrella group VIPARIS, which includes the following convention centers.
• Paris-Nord Villepinte Convention & Exhibition Center; exhibit space, 2,605,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 39
• Porte de Versailles; exhibit space, 2,456,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 32
• Paris Le Bourget; exhibit space, 861,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, six
• Palais des Congrès de Paris; exhibit space, approximately 344,300 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 85
• CNIT La Défense; exhibit space, 102,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 35
• Espace Champerret; exhibit space, 98,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, one
• Carrousel du Louvre; exhibit space, 77,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, four
• Espace Grande Arche; exhibit space, approximately 53,800 square feet; number of meeting rooms, four
• Palais des Congrès de Versailles; exhibit space, 34,100 square feet; number of meeting rooms, six
• Plais des Congrès d'Issy; exhibit space, approximately 32,292 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 11
Contact for all VIPARIS venues listed above: (001) 33-1-40-68-22-22; venuesinparis.com
Entry/Exit Requirements A valid U.S. passport is the only entry requirement for visitors from the States.
Time ZoneFrance is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
Airport Transit Paris–Charles
de Gaulle Airport, approximately 15 miles from the center of Paris.
Transfer cost by taxi, US$70-$97; fares are slightly higher between 7
p.m. and 7 a.m. and on holidays and Sundays. Transfer cost by Paris Airport Shuttle, US$37
Currency The euro; at press time, one euro was equal to US$1.39
Taxes
A value-added tax of 5.5% plus a visitor's tax of 1.50 euros (at press
time, equal to about US$2) per person, per day, is applied to hotel
rooms. A 19.6% VAT is applied to merchandise.
Group Venues
A boat ride on the Seine is a must for visitors, as some of the best
views of the City of Light can be appreciated only from the river.
Welcome attendees aboard a charming river cruise aboard one of the
vessels in Yachts de Paris' fleet. The company has ships that
accommodate a wide range of groups for cocktails, brunches, lunches and
dinners. The largest ship, the Paquebot, resembles an elegant ocean
liner and accommodates groups of up to 1,300. (011) 33-1-44-54-14-70; yachtsdeparis.fr
Another water-themed event spot is CinéAqua, a
state-of-the-art aquarium in the city's Trocadero section. Receptions
for up to 250 can be hosted in the venue's lounge. (011)
33-1-40-69-23-23; cineaqua.com
Organize a "thoughtful" event for up to 350 people in the themed gardens of the Musée Rodin. The museum and grounds feature the works of the famed sculptor, including his iconic The Thinker. Liberty Incentives and Congresses can organize the event. (011) 33-1-55 70-25-25; liberty-incentive.net
Host a meal at one of the city's famed eateries, such as Le Berkeley.
The grand- dame restaurant, a hangout for the likes of Greta Garbo,
Jean Cocteau and the Duchess of Windsor, recently underwent a facelift
overseen by designer Yves-Pierre Rochon. The venue can accommodate
private breakfasts, lunches, dinners and cocktails for groups of up to
160. (011) 33-1-82-28-77-36; leberkeley.fr
CVB Services Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau, (011) 33-1-49-52-53-96; en.parisinfo.com
French Meetings and Incentives Department/France Meetings and Convention Board, Atout France, (212) 745-0961; us.franceguide.com
> Click Here: For current and future exhibits at the Louvre, go to louvre.fr.