the UK based Restaurant and Hotel Review
the UK based Restaurant and Hotel Review
We had made a reservation at the Tourville before we left England and it was the first hotel in Paris that we visited on our recent (December 1999) fact finding tour. Although it's on the Left Bank (i.e. South of the river), it's easy to get to from the Gare du Nord, which is where many tourists now arrive when they visit Paris. By Metro it's a doddle: take the Porte d'Orleans line, and change after three stops at Strasbourg St-Denis onto the Balard line. Get out at the Ecole Militaire, and the hotel is one minute away to your left in the Avenue de Tourville at number 16.
The Hotel is practically next door to Les Invalides and the tomb of Napoleon. Alternatively you can cross the street and pass the Ecole Militaire, then with your back to the classical facade of the military academy, you can take in one of the greatest metropolitan vistas in the world - across the Champ de Mars, through the base of the Eiffel Tower, across the river to the Trocadero - every building and statue perfectly aligned on this grand axis.
One's first impression of the Hotel is of moderate size - there are some 30 rooms - but of quiet luxury. The lobby cum lounge is tastefully furnished in neo-classical style. The management and reception staff are friendly and helpful and they speak very good English.
The hotel was undergoing quite a major refurbishment while I was staying there, but everything was done to avoid impacting inconveniently on the guests. I have to say that the parts of the hotel that still awaited the paint brush were anything but shabby! Rather, it was indicative of the care and concern which the owners lavish on this their pride and joy.
I was told that most of the carpets and drapes were to be replaced once the decorating is done; the whole work is scheduled for completion before Christmas 1999.
My room was small but very pretty, with regency striped walls and a generous bed. I liked the way the TV was disguised, sliding away neatly into a cupboard so as not to disturb the classical decor of the room. Although it faced the Avenue Tourville, the double glazing was extremely efficient and I was not at all aware of any traffic noise. The heating and air conditioning was also quiet, I can't stand noisy fans! The bathroom was luxuriously appointed with marble and there was a separate loo. The plumbing in these old French hotels used to be notorious but nowadays there's a plentiful supply of hot water at a good pressure!
As with many hotels in the traditional Paris townhouses, breakfast is served in a vaulted salle a manger in the cellar which imparts a somewhat nocturnal feel to the start of the day. But the croissants were fresh and the coffee stimulating. I gather they are to put the price up by a modest 10 Francs and will offer eggs and other cooked items as part of a more inclusive buffet.
For a four star city centre hotel, I thought the prices were extremely reasonable:
Standard rooms: 890FF
Superior rooms: 1090FF
Room with private terrace: 1390FF
Junior suite: 1990FF
Buffet breakfast, including eggs etc: 70FF
Hotel de Tourville (****)
16 Avenue Tourville
75007 Paris
Tel: (33) 01 47 05 62 62 Fax: (33) 01 47 05 43 90
Email: hotel@tourville.com
Clifford Mould, December 1999
The Hotel Tourville belongs to the Grand Heritage Group of Hotels
International reservations: +44(0) 171 244 6699 Fax 244 7799
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