Hilton keeps adding more and more excellent Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) to its portfolio, including a recent crop of 20 new properties added just this week. One in Paris stands out among the pack that we needed to highlight.
Location is everything for a trip to Paris, and you cannot possibly beat the location of the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal. Get this: It's less than two blocks away from the Louvre – just a three-minute walk! That is absolute prime Parisian territory, exactly where you want to be whether it's your first, fifth, or fifteenth trip to the City of Light.
“Prime territory” in Paris typically equals steep prices, particularly for a five-star, luxury property like this one. Go figure: The Grand Hotel is charging north of $1,000 a night. But because it's now under Hilton's umbrella via SLH, you can book it for 120,000 Hilton points all year long … including over the peak summer in Paris!
Thrifty Traveler Premium members can opt in for hotel alerts to book prime properties using their points like this one!
Now, 120,000 points per night might also seem steep … and alright, it kind of is. But that's as good as it gets for a pricey property like this because Hilton's award pricing works on a different scale than the likes of World of Hyatt and its 45,000-point-or-less redemptions.
Between its own portfolio of co-branded credit cards (out with huge bonuses right now!) and transferring credit card points, it's easier to pile up Hilton Honors points than any other hotel program. That includes a current transfer bonus from American Express to Hilton Honors, which means you could transfer just 48,000 points from cards like the *amex gold* or *amex platinum* and get enough points to book a free night at this property.
With cash rates here above $1,000 a night, it'd be fabulous use of points, free night certificates from cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, or both. The hotel chain's fifth-night free benefit on award stays booked using points – available to anyone with easy-to-earn Hilton Silver status or higher – could make it an even better deal.
We haven't stayed here ourselves yet … but we sure are itching to now! The Grand Hotel du Palais Royal gets rave reviews – seriously, it's rated #8 of nearly 2,000 hotels in Paris on TripAdvisor – for service, picturesque views, and an excellent breakfast. Oh, and did we mention the location?
With just 59 rooms and suites, it should have an intimate feel. Your points will book you into a Superior Room with views of the courtyard, Palais Royal monument, or Place de Valois. These rooms are on the small side at 205 square feet, equipped with either a shower or a tub. Top-tier Hilton Diamond members might have a shot at an upgrade to a larger room with a balcony!
A full continental breakfast is served in the on-site restaurant Café 52 for about $40 per person a day. But breakfast is complimentary at all SLH properties like this one for anyone with Hilton Gold or Diamond status – even if you have automatic Hilton status from an Amex Platinum, Hilton Aspire, or the *Hilton Surpass*.
The property is equipped with a fitness center, hot tub, spa, and even a hairdresser! But again, the major selling point of this property is the prime location in the city center. Just head to the rooftop and enjoy the beautiful view of the Paris skyline, snap a picture with the Eiffel Tower in the background, and, of course, beat the morning rush to explore the Louvre by walking just a few minutes!
At a time when other hotel loyalty programs like World of Hyatt are only getting worse, Hilton just keeps improving by adding top-tier, boutique properties like this one to its portfolio.
Bottom Line
If Paris is your next stop, perhaps consider calling the Grand Hotel du Palais Royal home for a few nights using Hilton points or free night awards.
This hotel instantly shot to the top of our wish list for Paris. If you ask us, it should be on yours, too.