Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel

May 31, 2019

We flew on Alitalia from Naples to Rome and on to Paris after our long day touring Pompeii. The flight to Rome was just a commuter flight and we only had time to run to our next plane which had a good meal in Business Class though the service was quite slow. On arrival at the Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel at the edge of the Marais which we reached after a taxi ride from Charles de Gaulle we went straight to bed so that we could explore the city the next morning.

The rooms were basic, modern and functional, and the hotel service was quite slow, especially breakfast and quite crowded, but as many know in Paris you should move at a slower pace. Of course we were in a hurry. I had gone for an early run in the morning to see the recently damaged Notre Dame and run along the Seine a little before returning back to the hotel for a quick workout, shower and to join the others for breakfast. Soon after we went out for a walk through the Marais and past the Église Saint-Eustache and the Pompidou Centre. From there it was on to Notre Dame, whose damage thankfully did not seem as bad as had been shown on television and least from the outside which is all that was allowed, and then down the Seine to the Louvre, on to the Champs-Élysées for some lunch and then to the Arc de Triomphe, over to the embassy row area and the Trocadéro Gardens and the Eiffel Tower before another stop for a drink and then a taxi rude back to the hotel.

The Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel was a good hotel, slightly out of the way but relatively walkable to the main sights. The rooms were modern and basic and the lobby and gym good. I would say nothing outstanding, but having looked in at the hotel Moxy which was really a high end hostel level hotel but at a very reasonable price, the Renaissance Paris Republique Hotel was a good choice for those on a mid-range budget.

After checking out we headed to our Uber and went off on my birthday night adventure and our two day stay at the Disneyland Paris Resort. It was a long drive out but well worth the trip if you are a Disney fan. For many taking the train would be easier. We opted for the Disney Newport Bay mid-range hotel, which was extremely stylish, but the farthest of the properties with the new Marvel property under construction and the Disney Hotel itself cost prohibitive. I treated our group to the amazing Disney dining experience, the Sparking or Dream Dining Experience, which was an 8 course dinner with private firework viewing. If you are a foodie it was outstanding, and if you are a Disney fan, it is well worth it.

The next day we did the parks and went back in at night for the first ever LGBTQ sanctioned and thrown event by Disney itself Magical Pride, with Boy George performing and bars throughout the park, live music, and a relatively empty venue to try many of the rides over and over. It was an amazing birthday experience!