Parisian Royalty Awaits: Uncover the Secrets of the Queen Mary Hotel!
Parisian Royalty Awaits: Uncover the Secrets of the Queen Mary Hotel! (A Review You Can Actually Trust)
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because you're about to get the REAL dirt on the Queen Mary Hotel. Forget those glossy brochures and airbrushed photos. I'm here to tell you what it's really like to experience "Parisian Royalty" – with all the glorious mess and unexpected delights that come with it. Consider this your no-BS guide, because honestly, who has time for fluff?
First Impressions: The Grand Entrance (and the Slightly Confusing Accessibility)
Let's be honest, the Queen Mary is stunning. Think classic Parisian charm meets… well, a hint of Hollywood glamour? The lobby is all high ceilings, ornate chandeliers, and a feeling you should maybe whisper. But here's where the stream-of-consciousness begins…
Accessibility: Ugh… Mixed Bag.
The website says "facilities for disabled guests," which is good. But honestly, it felt a little… patchy. The elevator was a blessing, thank god, because navigating that grand staircase would have been a workout. I spotted ramps, but some of the hallways felt a tad narrow for a larger wheelchair. Maybe call ahead and double-check your room's accessibility specifically. Don't just take their word for it! That's my advice. I'm giving them a… 3.5/5 on this one. Room for improvement, big time.
The Sanctuary: Your Room (And the Free Wi-Fi, Of Course!)
Okay, the room itself? Pretty damn nice. I splurged for a "Parisian Suite" (because, why not? YOLO!), and it was… delightful. Big comfy bed, a real working desk (essential!), and a window that actually opens (bliss). Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! PRAISE THE LORD! I’m a digital nomad, and a good internet connection is non-negotiable. The view… was okay. I mean, I wasn't staring at the Eiffel Tower, but hey, I wasn't in a broom closet either. So, score!
- Available in all rooms: Air conditioning (essential! Paris gets hot!), Alarm clock, Bathrobes (YES!), Bathroom phone (fancy!), Bathtub (bubble bath time!), Blackout curtains (sleep is KING!), Carpeting (classic!), Closet (thank you!), Coffee/tea maker (morning ritual!), Complimentary tea, Coffee/tea maker, Daily housekeeping, Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, High floor (mine was!), In-room safe box, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar, Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale (uh… maybe avoid that one post-buffet), Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers (luxury!), Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens.
- Rooms sanitization opt-out available: Which is good, because… well, some of us are germaphobes!
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: From Parisian Delights to… Uh… More Delights?
This is where the Queen Mary shines. Seriously.
- Restaurants: Okay, the "A la carte in restaurant" experience? Magnifique! I'm drooling just thinking about the escargots. The "Western cuisine in restaurant" was on point, of course. The "Asian cuisine in restaurant" was even better than I expected.
- Buffet Bonanza: The breakfast buffet? YES. Just… yes. Endless coffee, pastries that actually melt in your mouth, and enough options to fuel a small army. I'm talking "Breakfast [buffet]," "Asian breakfast," and "Western breakfast" all rolled into one glorious feast.
- Drinks, Anyone?: The bar is a must-visit. "Happy hour" is a must. And the "Poolside bar" is a great place to people watch and sip something bubbly.
- Room Service… 24 Hours! I may or may not have indulged in a late-night chocolate cake. Don't judge me.
- The Coffee Shop: Perfect for a quick caffeine fix and pastry.
- The Snack Bar: Convenient, if you can't wait for the restaurant.
- The Desserts in restaurant The most perfect croissants I have ever had.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax: Spa Day and Beyond!
Okay, so the "Spa/sauna" situation? HEAVEN. Pure, unadulterated heaven. The "Massage" was top-notch. The "Pool with view" was breathtaking (especially at sunset). I went for a "Body wrap" (because, why not?), and felt like a million bucks afterward.
- Ways to relax: "Pool with view," "Sauna," "Spa," "Steamroom," "Swimming pool," "Swimming pool [outdoor]," "Foot bath," "Gym/fitness," "Fitness center,"
- The Fitness Center: Ok, I did try to hit the gym. It's there, it has equipment. I just didn't get it. Priorities, people!
Cleanliness and Safety: Masks and Sanitizer Everywhere!
Look, let's be real – safety is paramount these days. The Queen Mary seems to have taken it seriously.
- Safety protocols: "Anti-viral cleaning products," "Cashless payment service," "Daily disinfection in common areas," "Hand sanitizer" everywhere, "Hygiene certification," "Individually-wrapped food options," "Physical distancing of at least 1 meter," "Rooms sanitized between stays," "Safe dining setup," "Sanitized kitchen and tableware items," "Staff trained in safety protocol," "Sterilizing equipment." You get the idea. They're on top of it.
- Security: "CCTV in common areas," "CCTV outside property," "Fire extinguisher," "Front desk [24-hour]," "Safety/security feature," "Security [24-hour]," "Smoke alarms."
- Room sanitization opt-out available: Choose your level of germaphobia!
- Shared stationery removed: No more shared pens! Hooray!
Services and Conveniences: Doormen, and Gift Shops, Oh My!
The Queen Mary is all about the experience.
- Amenities: "Air conditioning in public area," "Concierge," "Contactless check-in/out," "Convenience store," "Currency exchange," "Daily housekeeping," "Doorman," "Dry cleaning," "Elevator," "Essential condiments," "Facilities for disabled guests," "Food delivery," "Gift/souvenir shop," "Ironing service," "Laundry service," "Luggage storage," "Safety deposit boxes," "Smoking area," "Terrace."
- Business facilities: "Audio-visual equipment for special events," "Business facilities," "Invoice provided," "Meetings," "Meeting stationery."
For the Kids: Family-Friendly?… Kinda.
I don't have kids, but the "Babysitting service," "Family/child friendly," "Kids facilities," and "Kids meal" options are there. I can't personally vouch for them, but it's good to know.
Getting Around: Taxi, Car, or the Metro? Your Choice!
- Getting around: "Airport transfer," "Car park [free of charge]," "Car park [on-site]," "Taxi service," "Valet parking." They’ve got you covered.
The Verdict: Worth the Royal Treatment?
Okay, drumroll…
The Queen Mary Hotel is a solid choice. It's beautiful, the food is divine, and the spa is worth the price of admission alone. There are some accessibility improvements needed; but overall, it is a pretty great experience.
My final rating? 4.2/5 stars. Definitely recommend for a romantic getaway, a solo adventure, or if you just want to feel like a pampered Parisian for a few days.
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Okay, buckle up buttercups, because this ain't your grandma's itinerary. This is a descent into Parisian chaos, punctuated by the plush (hopefully) of the Hotel Queen Mary. Prepare for a journey, not just a trip.
Hotel Queen Mary: Parisian Pilgrimage (with a side of existential dread)
Day 1: Arrival and Parisian Panic
- Morning (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Arrive at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport. Ugh, airports. They're like purgatory with duty-free perfume. Anyway, the airport chaos is already underway. My luggage, predictably, is MIA. I guess I’ll be rocking the same slightly-too-worn travel outfit for a few days. Deep breaths. Remember, you're in PARIS.
- 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Attempt to navigate the RER B train. French train stations are beautiful, but the thought of my suitcase (somewhere between here and Uzbekistan, probably) and the ticket machines leave me in a haze of sweat. I'm pretty sure I accidentally bought a ticket to… well, I don't know where, but it certainly wasn't Paris.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Finally, FINALLY, I arrive at the hotel. The Hotel Queen Mary! Gorgeous facade, I have to say. Trying to look like a sophisticated traveler despite, you know, the missing luggage and the faint smell of panic clinging to me. Check-in. Praying the room is not a closet.
- 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Settle in. Maybe unpack (what little remains of my carry-on.) The room is divine! Old-world charm meets modern comfort. I'm immediately smitten. This is it, I whisper to the empty room. This is the life.
- 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: A slow wander to the local bakery. Must. Get. Pastries. My stomach is practically singing a mournful aria of hunger. Find the perfect croissant. Bite into it. Feel euphoria. Parisian pastry is a religious experience, and I am a convert.
- 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Evening stroll along the Seine. The Eiffel Tower sparkles in the distance like a giant, elegant Christmas tree. The air has that perfect Parisian twilight that makes you want to believe in magic.
- 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Dinner at a charming bistro near the hotel. Order something I think is chicken but might be pigeon. (What is pigeon, anyway? Is it just…mini-chicken? The waiter is incredibly charming, even though I butchered my French so badly he probably thought I was trying to communicate via interpretive dance.)
- 9:00 PM onwards: Collapsed in bed, utterly exhausted and surprisingly content. This city… it's different. Maybe it's even good.
Day 2: Museums, Meltdowns, and Monet (Mostly Monet)
- Morning (9:00 AM - 10:00 AM): Breakfast at the hotel. The croissants are back in my life, and I am not ashamed.
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: The Musée d'Orsay. OMG. Monet. Monet, Monet, Monet. I could spend all day in the room with the water lilies. I actually may have shed a tear. This is the part where you realize art can actually grab your soul.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch. Because even artistic souls need fuel. A classic French onion soup in a tiny café near the museum. So good.
- 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: The Louvre. The Louvre. The crowds. The jostling. The Mona Lisa. I'm going to be honest, the Mona Lisa is smaller than I expected and she's barricaded in a bank vault of people! I'm basically elbowing my way through a human river. Spent more time trying to see it than actually seeing it. I feel a slight existential dread. Is this what my whole trip has become? Overcrowded art?
- 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: A much-needed escape to the Tuileries Garden. Find a bench. Breathe. This place is heaven, watching the light play on the statues. People-watching is a Parisian sport.
- 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Back to the hotel for a quick shower and a wardrobe change. Still rocking the same outfit. Still no luggage.
- 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Dinner in the Marais district. The food is incredible, but my brain is still recovering from the Louvre. Overheard a couple arguing about which croissant brand is best. Pure, unadulterated Parisian drama. I love this city!
- 8:00 PM onwards: Sleep. I need it.
Day 3: Montmartre Magic and Croissant Redemption
- Morning (9:00 AM - 10:00 AM): Another delicious hotel breakfast (more croissants. Sorry, not-sorry).
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Montmartre! The Sacré-Cœur Basilica is magnificent. The view of the city from up there is unreal, and I almost lose myself in the beauty. The actual streets of Montmartre are swarming with tourists but… the artists, the atmosphere, this is the Paris of my dreams.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch at a tiny, hidden crêperie in Montmartre. Savory crêpes followed by a sweet one. My taste buds are doing a happy dance. I almost forgot I was going to have a meltdown about my suitcase.
- 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: I find an open-air artist painting nearby. I decided to finally take the plunge and have a portrait done. The artist is a cranky old man with a beret, but, honestly, he's so good I almost cry.
- 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Wandering the little alleys. Stumbling upon hidden courtyards. Breathing in the bohemian air. Montmartre is pure magic.
- 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Back to the hotel. More importantly, there is a delivery at the reception. My suitcase has arrived!! I spend a good hour just admiring all my belongings.
- 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Dinner at a brasserie in the Latin Quarter. I try the French fries. It's a simple, but the best.
- 8:00 PM onwards: Final stroll down to the Seine. A little bit of melancholy creeps in – the trip is winding down. But the Parisian magic lingers in the air, and I know I'll be back.
Day 4: Departure (with a heavy heart)
- Morning (9:00 AM - 10:00 AM): Breakfast at the hotel. Last breakfast. The croissants are taunting me.
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: A final, desperate attempt to find the perfect souvenir. Eventually, I buy a beret for myself. I'm as Parisian as it gets. The shops, the cafes, the people, the architecture, everything is just so… perfect.
- 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Final check-out at the Hotel Queen Mary. Saying goodbye is like saying goodbye to a dear friend. The hotel staff were so friendly, and the hotel itself was a haven of peace. I will never forget it.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: RER B to CDG. The train is late. Naturally. My exit from Paris begins.
- 2:00 PM onwards: CDG purgatory. My flight is delayed. I'm surrounded by stressed-out travelers. I buy a final, emergency croissant from the airport and savor every last bittersweet bite. And I started thinking of the next time I come back.
This is more than a trip, it’s a messy, beautiful, imperfect experience, etched into my memory. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Parisian Royalty Awaits: Uncover the Secrets of the Queen Mary Hotel?! (Or, You Know, Not *Actually* Royalty...)
Okay, so... is the Queen Mary Hotel actually *in* Paris? Because my brain is already failing.
Alright, let's clear this up before we go any further and I completely unravel. No. Absolutely not. The Queen Mary Hotel is *not* in Paris. It's in Long Beach, California. Why they call it "Parisian Royalty Awaits" is a mystery for the ages, and frankly, a little bit of a bait-and-switch, if you ask me. I went in expecting something seriously French and got... well, a ship. A *very* cool ship, mind you, but still a ship. My travel partner, bless her heart, kept sighing and saying, “I thought we were going to Paris!” I nearly lost her right there. I think our expectations were royally messed with.
So, it's a ship. What's the big deal? I thought ships... you know, *sail*?
Okay, okay, deep breaths. The Queen Mary is a *historic* ship. She sailed across the Atlantic, back when that was like, a *big* deal. Think fancy dinners, elegant ladies, and the glamorous pre-airplane era of travel. She's got a seriously cool past, carrying celebrities, wartime soldiers, the whole shebang. Now, she's permanently docked, and that, my friends, is where the "Parisian Royalty Awaits" part comes in...ish. You're kind of living in a piece of history, and that's inherently romantic, even if the romance is more "old-timey Hollywood" than actual Parisian.
Is it... *haunted*? Because I'm a total scaredy-cat, even though I pretend I'm not.
Oh, honey, buckle up. It absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt *IS* haunted. They *lean in* to the ghost stories. I mean, it's practically a selling point! They have ghost tours, rooms known for paranormal activity – it's a whole thing. I was practically *hyperventilating* on the ghost tour. Our guide, a lovely woman with a theatrical flair, told us about a little girl who supposedly haunts the pool area. *The pool area!* I spent the rest of the night convinced something was going to tug at my toes. I mean, I'm all for a good scare, but the thought of a ghostly child… yikes. My sleep, as you might imagine, was *fantastic*. (Eye roll).
The food… is the food any good? Because I need to know if it’s worth risking the potential ghost encounters.
Alright, the food... it's a mixed bag. They have restaurants, sure, but I wouldn't exactly call it Michelin-star quality. Some places are… adequate. Others are… trying. The decor is *phenomenal*, though. You're surrounded by Art Deco glamour – it's like stepping back in time. I had a very average burger at one place, but I was so busy gawking at the intricate woodwork and imagining wealthy travelers sipping cocktails that I didn't even care that much. The *atmosphere* is the main course, really. Don't go expecting a culinary masterpiece, and you won't be disappointed. But, hey, at least the cocktails were strong enough to fortify you for the potential ghost sightings!
What's the vibe like? Is it full of families, or more of a spooky couples' getaway?
Okay, this is a good one. It's a *weird* mix. You'll find families, especially during the day. Kids running around, excited about the ship, the ghost stories… pure chaos. Then, as the sun drops, the vibe subtly shifts. More couples, maybe a few groups of friends looking for a little spooky fun, and a noticeably quieter atmosphere. The night tours are definitely for adults, let's just say that. I'd say it's a bit of everything, really, which adds to the charm. I think that’s why it’s such a fun place to visit; the unexpectedness. Expect the unexpected, and be willing to laugh at yourself.
Tell me more about the ghost tours. Did you... see anything? (Don't lie to me!)
Okay, okay, deep breaths. I went on the ghost tour. And… drumroll please… I didn't *see* anything. But, my friend Sarah, she swore up and down she felt a cold spot near the boiler room. A. Cold. Spot. I, on the other hand, was too busy clutching her arm and jumping at every creak. I took so many pictures, hoping to catch something… anything! The pictures mostly just showed… well, the ship. Beautiful, classic ship, but no ghosts. However, the guide told us about the *most* haunted room, and that's the thing. The stories, the atmosphere, the feeling you *might* see something… that's the real magic. And yeah, i definitely felt *something*… chills, mostly. I definitely won't soon forget the look in the other people's eyes as they were told about the possible haunts. It's an experience, let's just say that.
Is it actually *comfortable* to stay there, or is it a historical ship pretending to be a hotel?
Okay, it's a tricky one. It's definitely more "historical ship pretending to be a hotel" than a modern, plush resort. The rooms themselves are… well, let's say they have character. Some are small. Some have slightly creaky floorboards. Some are probably haunted! You won't find all the latest amenities, and things are a bit, shall we say, *eccentric*. My bathroom was… tiny. And the water pressure? Let's just say it was a *drip*. But, honestly, that's part of the charm. Don't expect luxurious, modern comfort, and you'll be fine. Embrace the quirks! It's like staying in a museum that you can sleep in. Or, potentially, be *watched* in… (Shiver.)
Overall, would you recommend it? Seriously, don’t hold back.
Okay, here's the honest truth: I'd recommend it, *with caveats*. If you're expecting Parisian glamour, you'll be disappointed. If you demand five-star luxury, steer clear. But, if you're open to a unique, slightly quirky, definitely haunted adventure, the Queen Mary is a blast! I mean, yes, I was terrified at times. Yes, the food wasn’t incredible. Yes, the rooms were…Globe Stay Finder
