The Hotel Jules has been refurbished, and its new owners, G.L.A. Hotels wants to give you a good reason to stop by. Through the end of May, you can book two nights at this unique property on Rue La Fayette and get the third night free. Longer stays are rewarded. Each additional night is also 33 percent off. With cheap flights to Paris right now, this deal rounds out the total bargain.
The renovated property has a deliberate mix of styles reaching from the 1950s to the 1970s, thrashing the traditional concept of hotel design and creating a whimsical atmosphere for guests tired of the norm. The property is small, with 101 rooms on six floors. Four categories are available: standard, superior, deluxe and junior suite. So, you’ll have choices without having to sacrifice an intimate feel.
There has been some controversial architecture in Paris for a long time. But the Pompidou Center built in the ’70s was certainly contentious when it was built. This picture by longtime contributor Tyson Williams captures the colors and impact of the building well.
If you’re headed to Paris this summer, the Pompidou might be worth a visit.
Are you a Flickr user who’d like to share a travel related picture or two for our consideration? Submit it to Gadling’s Flickr group right now! We just might use it for our Photo of the Day!
It’s no secret that I love a good photograph, so it’s not surprising that I find myself drawn to the amazing images of Alexandre Duret-Lutz. The Telegraph is currently featuring a gallery of his photographs of Paris — but unlike the usual two-dimensional shots of the Eiffel tower seen on Parisian post cards everywhere, Mr. Duret-Lutz’s images are three-dimensional: he takes up to 100 exposures, and then “stitches” them together using post-camera processing software to make mini “planets” — usually with one recognizable landmark in each shot.
Now, you have a new reason to go to Paris this year. The Radisson Blu Le Dokhan’s Hotel has just opened. This new spot is an easy walk from the Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. I remember the area well – there’s decent subway access out to Place Vendome and the rest of the city.
The Radisson Blue Le Dokhan’s Hotel occupies what used to be a private residence, a building that dates back to the 18th century. From the outside, you can enjoy a restored Haussmann exterior; the inside was designed by Frederic Mechiche. The real attention-grabber, though, is an elevator made from a vintage Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunk.
Grab a glass of champagne (from an extensive menu) at Le Dokhan Bar, where you can enjoy live music well into the night. Room service is available around the clock, and internet access is free. Hey, this matters to me. Nothing’s more irritating than having to shell out $10 a day once you’ve already paid for the damned room.
Look, there’s no shortage of hotels in Paris. Anyone who’s been there knows this, and even if you haven’t, it’s not hard to figure it out. But, I’m a big fan of boutique hotels, and this 45-room location seems like a great addition to a crowded city.
When Paris introduced its Vélib program of rental bikes citywide in the summer of 2007, it was an immediate hit with both residents and tourists alike, and heralded as an example of a city making concrete efforts to “green” itself by giving people cleaner alternatives to taxis, cars and public transportation.
It’s safe to say that those behind the program were not envisioning the bikes being used the way they are in this video.
The BBC reports that the Vélib program is in serious trouble, thanks not only to misuse like this but to more severe vandalism and, worse, theft. Nearly half of the 15,000 bicycles that were first introduced 18 months ago are missing and presumed stolen.
And by vandalism, I’m not talking about punctured tires. There are instances when bikes have been found hanging from lamp posts, dumped into the Seine, set on fire or just literally smashed to pieces. The BBC says that since the program has started, every bike has at some point had to be replaced (to the tune of $520 each)
The company that runs the program (with the help of a government subsidy), JCDecaux, says it is becoming way too expensive to maintain the program citywide and there is talk of abandoning it.
Just how popular are the bikes?
They’ve been used 42 million times since their introduction (there are roughly 120,000 trips on them a day) and have brought in $25.3 million to the city. Their popularity is based on the fact that they are cheap to rent (you can buy a year’s “subscription” for unlimited rentals for just $40).
For now, JCDecaux is locked in a battle with Paris City Hall to change the business model behind the scheme which currently has the company footing most of the cost for maintain and replacing the bikes (a cost it says it can no longer shoulder alone).
No doubt other major cities that are thinking of emulating the program — among them London and San Francisco — have to be concerned watching the problems that have emerged in Paris.
As is often the case, a small percentage of people are ruining a good thing for everyone else. One doesn’t want to use this as yet more proof about how nothing good lasts, but…