Video Of The Day: Paris In Motion

Paris In Motion (Part II)” from Mayeul Akpovi on Vimeo.

Thanks to BBC Travel’s Sean O’Neill, I checked out this beautiful time-lapse video he linked to on his Twitter page. “Paris In Motion” features over 3,500 images taken and compiled by Mayeul Akpovi. From famous landmarks to airports, this video captures the frantic motion within the city of Paris. Car headlights blur together as a quick streak of light, clouds rush the above sky and people walk in every direction in this video. Check out this video and then watch the making of footage here.

Spend Valentine’s Day at the chic Hotel Jules

Skip the typical Paris hotels this Valentine’s Day, and enjoy the “casual chic” environment at the Hotel Jules. Valid only between February 12 and 15, the recently renovated hotel is offering a comfortable price of EUR223 a night for one of the 100 rooms on its six floors. The package includes breakfast daily for two people (this isn’t the weekend to go to Paris alone, right?!), red roses and two glasses of champagne waiting for you in your room. Toast the love you’ll experience in the year to come from your spot in the 9th Arrondissement.

Make this year’s Valentine’s Day one to remember. A surprise trip to Paris can top even jewelry, so take some pictures to make sure the weekend stays with you for the rest of your life.

Do Paris right for Valentine’s Day at the Concorde Hotel

If you’re looking to make a splash this Valentine’s Day, there’s simply no alternative to Paris. So, from February 5 through the end of the month, Concorde Hotels & Resorts is looking to make your Valentine’s Day as romantic as possible. Head out to Paris, and you’ll be able to pick up a room for as little as $276 a night — nothing short of a bargain at a Concorde Hotel, and you’ll pick up a few perks along the way. The package includes a daily buffet breakfast for two and a special surprise gift. Gift examples include champagne receptions, exclusive access to the Baccarat Museum, spa treatments and gourmet chocolate, so you know you’ll be greeted perfectly.

If Paris doesn’t turn you on, Concorde is offering similar Valentine’s Day packages in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and elsewhere in France.

Four hotel deals in France this winter

Go to Europe this winter! Bessé Signature Hotels, a collection of some of France‘s most unique contemporary hotels, has three deals that make travel to this inspiring corner of the world easier than ever. At discounts of up to 35 percent, it’s going to be hard to stay home.

At Domaine de la Bretesche, take advantage of the “Winter Promotion” rate to enjoy Brittany for around $280 a night. La Bretesche is a Relais & Chateau property with only 32 rooms and suites wrapped in a fortified 15th century estate. While you’re there, dine at Montaigu, a Michelin-starred restaurant, get rubbed down at the Spa de la Cour Carree and play 18 holes surrounded by a century old forest.

At Hotel Edouard 7 in Paris, start every excursion into the city from avenue de l’Opera, not far from the Louvre and Place Vendome. The latest special involves a “currency guarantee”: book at $399 a night through December 15, 2009, and don’t worry about any swings in the euro. Normally, average euro-denominated rate for this hotel is €345 (which comes out to $512).

The Hotel Bel-Ami is in Paris’ St Germain-des-pres district and is also offering a dollar-denominated guarantee. Book for $395 a night through the end of 2010 to get a double superior room and breakfast daily.

Crash for a night or two at the Hotel Jules in Paris by December 28, 2009, you can save 20 percent and enjoy a complimentary buffet breakfast … for just €160. And, you can add a third night to your stay for only €134.

McDonald’s to move in next to Louvre

McDonald’s is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in France by opening a new location in the Carrousel du Louvre. This underground mall connects to the storied museum that is home to the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. So, if the latter had arms, she could sport the former’s smile with a Big Mac.

France is McDonald’s biggest market outside the United States, despite the vocal local minority, and planting a fast food joint next to the most visited museum in the world is a no-brainer. The chain already has more than 1,000 restaurants in the country, and the one on the Champs-Elysees is the most profitable McDonald’s in the world.

The Louvre wouldn’t say anything about its prospective neighbor. So far, no date has been set for the opening.