My Trip to Paris - Part 1

As I reported in the prvious post, I was going to Paris last Monday. Now, after a week, I settled again back in Austria and I am glad to report you from my stay at two of Paris' most memorable hotels and also two of the more extraordiary restaurants!

As we were flying to Brussels, due to business reasons, we decided to take the Thalys train to the capital of France - Paris. To be honest, this was a great choice - after 1 hour and 20 minutes we reached the Gare du Nord in the center of Paris, without any stress. Of course Paris would not be Paris without a bit of stress, the taxi drivers striked and so the metro was the only (affordable) way to reach our hotel - and believe me, it was not the most luxurious way! 

Our first hotel to be tested was the Fouquet's Barriere, one of the latest five-star hotels, opened in 2006 in addition to the famous Fouquet's restaurant which already existed before the opening. We were impressed of the warm welcome, where we could let all the hustle and bustle of the city behind us, outside this modern Parisian Palace. After doing the check-in in the wonderful lobby, we were accompanied to the spacious room. 

The room itself was very generous, with a spacious entry, separate toilet, walk-in wardrobe as well as an oversized bathroom, including double sinks, an enormous separate shower and a tub with built-in television. In my opinion there could be better toiletries or even branded ones, but they will be replaced every day! The beds were excellent and there was no noise from outside. After a day of walking in Paris, you can refresh with a choice of 22 beverages from the minibar, which is included in the room rate!

As one of few Parisian hotels, the Fouquet's has an indoor pool, which is the perfect place to escape and relax after a rainy and cold winter day. Due to the fact that there are only four lounge chairs, it might look crowded at peak hour, but the pools (beside the normal indoor pool there is also a hydrotherapy pool) are spacious enough to immerse yourself. 

The best way to start the day is with a perfect breakfast at the Le Diane restaurant. The buffet, with high quality products, is on the small side, but everything you need can be ordered upon request. 

We would also like to mention the wonderful concierge staff, who made it possible to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower without waiting in the queues for 1-2 hours and without booking a ticket online 1 month in advance. They even reserved a table at nearby Market restaurant. 

As one of Paris most elegant and most stylish places to stay, the Fouquet's is the perfect place for everyone seeking to be in the heart of the shopping district of Traingle d'Or and all those loving modern French design paired with perfect service.

Click here to view more information about this hotel!

Off to Paris!

Actually, i am on the way to the Airport of Munich to go to Brussesls. From the Belgian Capital I will take the high-speed train, called Thalys to Paris. 

I am so excited about the city of Love, although it's my thrid time now. Of course there are a lot of things on my to-do-list. Paris is such a wonderful city, as Brussels as well! The top 5 picks on my list are, Musée du Louvre (with fast track access tickets), Eiffel Tower, le Quartier de Saint-Germain-des-Prés (where I will stroll through the shops of diptyque, Le Labo, and Armani), the Champs-Elysées as well as the Opéra with the Galeries Lafayette next to it. 

In the following posts, I will present the hotels where I will be staying - and they are really worth to be presented! :-)

I wish you a wonderful week!

Daniel

Restaurant Check - Innsbruck - Part V

The Privilege - Innsburck's first dinner club.

First of all I have to say, that this is a kind of new concept to the Tyrolean food branch - the dinner club. What to expect from the Privilege Club?

The Restaurant and Club Privilege is perfectly situated meters from the Golden Roof, directly in the pedestrian area of the old town of Innsbruck. When you enter the restaurant, you will be in the Lounge. Upon walking up the stairs you reach the main part of the restaurant with a show kitchen.

The 4,50 € aperitif was not my taste although it is complimentary for all female guests, when they have ladies night! The food was quite good and nicely decorated. I ordered a Vitello Tonnato (12 euros) followed by a Truffle Risotto (about 17 euros). The accompanying wine was good as well and with 25 euros not too expensive. I would have loved to order one of their delicious desserts, but due to the large portions I was completely satisfied. 

After our dinner we found ourselves downstairs in the Club area. There we got some tasty drinks and good beer. I would say the atmosphere is a kind of cold, and we have been some of the only guests, there were only four other tables occupied.

All in all we did not pay high prices and in my opinion the Privilege has a good value for money. 

Insider's Getaway - Villa Marie

If you ever wished to spend your holidays on the French Riviera or more precisely in the town of Saint Tropez, you might be impressed of this hidden gem.

Located on a wonderful hill, overlooking Saint Tropez and Ramatuelle, the Villa Marie is just the ideal place for all those seeking for peace, harmony and the pure charm of the Provence. With just 42 rooms and suites it offers an intimate feeling of a private country house. The complimentary shuttle service brings you to the center of Saint Tropez within 10 minutes. The famous beach of Pampelonne is just 4 km away from the Villa, but you will immediately feel of holidays when relaxing in the picturesque garden or on the cool shaped outdoor pool.

There is no room like the other, with different fabrics and little touches everywhere you look - this is a real boutique hotel like it can only be found in Southern France.

Beside the wonderful architecture you won’t miss the undoubtedly excellent service, too. Feel free to book your journey to one of Saint Tropez’s finest hotels. http://www.villamarie.fr

Being the King of Austria

"Living History" - the perfect description of our stay in Austria's most remarkable luxury hotel!

The location itself is stunning enough, while the palacial facade takes the breath of the most discerning expections. 

A simply perfect welcome at the impressive Lobby, a discreet butler and a really historical design paired with the most luxurious furnitures, make the Imperial the most impressive place to stay in Austria!

As a Platinum member we were upgraded to the Imperial Suite and we felt like real Kings and Queens, there was no wish unfilled by our private Butler.

Our bathroom was huger than the basic rooms in other 5-star properties in Vienna! Bulgari amenties are just a little extra, as the enormous Bang&Olufsen Televisions in the bedroom and the living room.

The breakfast is expensive by Austrian standards but worth it all ways and the perfect start in the day as the King of Austria!

If you ever dreamed of living your own fairytale, then you should not hesitate to book a room at the Hotel Imperial in Vienna!

The best Sites to become an Insider

If you ever wondered how it is possible to become a high tier status at a hotel or airline milage program without even staying there, then you should definitely check out these blogs and websites.

In case you are planning to reach Platinum status at an InterContinental Hotel or any other IHG property, then you should be following: www.travel.bart.la

My personal goal is to reach Diamond status at Hyatt Gold Passport, not as easy as at IHG but with the right strategy, there is nothing against becoming the highest tier of Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty program. www.loyaltylobby.com

Furthermore there is also the possibility to match your status. Which means if you are Platinum member at IHG or at LeClub Accor, then can reach the same tier at another loyalty program. I did this with my Starwood Platinum Membership Level, and I soon became IHG Platinum member without ever staying at an InterContinental or other IHG property. Furthermore there are Promotion Codes to get a free Platinum status at LeClubAccor. www.statusmatcher.com

Another good option to get an overview of more informative blogs, just check out www.boardingarea.com

If you are looking for the best deals, promotion codes and error fares, this might be the right page for you: www.travel-dealz.eu

Happy New Year!

Goodbye 2013 - Welcome 2014! 

2013 was a year full of new experiences and a lot of fun. Besides discovering new places I met new people and learned a lot of new things.

What about your travel plans for this year?Will you be going this summer? Asia, Australia, Africa, America or to Europe? Côte d’Azur, Costa Brava, Amalfi Coast or Santorin? 

Normally I am the person who does an extensive research, before choosing the right holiday destination, but sometimes even I have to act fast. So I did, when booking my ski holiday for 2014 in the newly Chedi Andermatt. 


At this time I do not have any concrete plans for the summer 2014. I am thinking about spending some days on the Côte d’Azur, Amalfi Coast, Capri or on the island of Vulcano (as I reported in recent posts). I know that there a beautiful places in Spain, Turkey or Greece, but I do not want to miss the undoubtedly excellent service, you can expect of a world-class hotel in Italy or France. Further interesting places such as Marrakech or Beirut, are not as safe as they have been a few years ago, due to terror attacks and political problems. 

The weather could not be better in Austria, so there should be no day without being on the slopes of a vast ski resort. My favourite place to ski is the ski resort of "Obergurgl-Hochgurgl" which got more crowded over the last three years, but due to the enormous scale of the resort there is no need to worry about tons of people.

I would like to thank you for reading my posts and your interest in my Luxury Travel Blog.

Last but not least I wish you all a happy and successful New Year 2014, may all your wishes come true!