Arc de Triomphe - Paris, France     

I tend to think of Sofitels as high end modern business hotels; high standard, but lacking in character. This one however is an exception, and all the better for it. Location is ideal, in a quiet street but 5 mins from Etoile and just a bit further to Place des Ternes. There's a good selection of local restaurants nearby. The building itself is a nicely renovated 19th century typical Parisian building. Rooms are a decent size without being huge. Certainly my room do not show any signs of the shabbiness referred to by one other reviewer. The air con did not seem to be working that well, but the temperature was still OK so not a big issue. It seems expensive, but casting around for my next trip I'm coming to the conclusion that it's just a reflection of the price you have to pay, especially in this location. It's way better than the similiarly - priced Sofitel Champs Elysees.

My newly minted fiancee and I stayed here for three nights and it could not have been better. The room was huge for Paris standards and our room was always cleaned and neat when we got in from a long day of sightseeing. Our bathroom, however, had the shower head on the side wall of the bathtub, which was a little inconvenient and messy, but wasn't a big issue at all. The service was outstanding, I proposed to my girlfriend on the street next to the hotel and the staff had two glasses of champagne waiting for our return at the little bar. It was absolutely amazing. The location was perfect, we could walk to all the major sights (except for the Cathedral of Notre Dame) without a problem. AMAZING!