Fouquet's Barriere

Staying at Fouquet’s Paris is living an experience where refinement meets history. Nestled on the prestigious Avenue des Champs-Élysées, this iconic institution has been promoting the French art of living for over a century. Between its timeless decor, exceptional service, and elegant atmosphere, the Fouquet’s remains a must-visit address for those in search of a true symbol of Parisian luxury.

Only has its name to leave a memory... Expensive and very, very average... Poor quality service and pathetic welcome. Living on past glories...

I'm not quite sure what I think about this property. I booked on the day of arrival, giving them maybe 5 hours' notice. We stayed six nights. We checked in around 8 or 9 p.m. Reception used iPads to check me in. The first iPad didn't really work. Second didnt work either. The third did. We made our booking through the Leaders Club, which wasn't recognized at check-in or at any later stage during our stay. On the contrary, we were believed to be Amex Fine Resorts guests. At some point during the stay, they realized that this was not the case and I received a call informing me that some of the Amex perks did not apply to our stay. Fair enough. Room was very nice (we received an upgrade, thank you for that). It was pretty large, nicely decorated and well thought out. Clearly, some effort was made to design the rooms. Housekeeping was maybe what struck me most. Used glasses and tableware were removed, but not always replaced. So you might end up with a coffee machine in your room but no coffee cups. This occurred on a regular basis during my stay. I also did not have a laundry bag or a laundry list in my room, so I had to leave the laundry in a corner of the room with a handwritten note. Laundry was returned all right, but even then (and despite having asked for it), I never received a laundry bag or list. So I went through this twice. Breakfast is nice, the quality of the food is good. Service can be very slow, though, for both drinks and food. Once, coffee arrived after (!) we had finished our breakfast. Just a thought: moving breakfast from the current location to the bar with the terrace on the 2nd floor could allow guests to sit outside in the summer months. The staff was very friendly throughout; we really felt welcome at all times. Also, the staff was very well dressed which we liked. Gym is well equipped, particularly given its small size. The SPA is also nice and comes with all you need. Pool is long enough for a proper swim. Overall, a wonderful stay. Four stars because at that price point, everything should be perfect. This was not the case.