Hotel: Hôtel Napoléon Paris, Paris, France
Stay: March 2025
How I paid: Choice points (a strong redemption); cash would have been about €400–€500 a night
Status: IPrefer Titanium
Perks: upgraded to a Junior Suite Avenue; two drink vouchers; a scented candle at checkout
A historic French townhouse with a lot of atmosphere. Overall it was a very good stay: warm service, and the award nights were well worth it.
A romantic past
Hôtel Napoléon opened in 1928, and the story starts there. A wealthy Russian merchant, Alexandre Kliaguine, met a young Paris university student at a literary salon and fell for her at once. To show he was serious, and to give her a place to host Paris society and writers, he bought the building and gave it to her as a wedding gift. The same family still runs the hotel, and it keeps that private, warm, lived-in “home” feeling.
A strong location
The hotel is at 40 Avenue de Friedland in the 8th arrondissement (40 Avenue de Friedland, 8th arrondissement).
- The Arc de Triomphe is a one-minute walk
- Charles de Gaulle–Étoile Métro station is right outside, lines 1, 2, and 6
- The Champs-Élysées is a three-minute walk across the street
- The Eiffel Tower is not far either. I walked there.
The Arc de Triomphe from the room window:
Imperial style: architecture and décor
The exterior is typical Haussmann. Inside, the palette is gold, deep red, and empire green. The décor includes Napoleon portraits, eagle emblems, bee motifs (Napoleon’s symbol), and vintage crystal chandeliers.
Façade
Lobby
Decorative details
The theme is Napoleon I, with French Empire-style luxury and small artistic details.
A look at the suite
There are 59 rooms and suites, mostly in a classical French style, with fine tapestries, gilded furniture, and heavy velvet curtains.
I stayed in the upgraded street-facing junior suite. The location is excellent. From the sofa you can see both the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The room is large and the views are strong, and you can still feel the building’s age.
The bedhead, plus a slightly dated coffee pot and alcove
Bathroom
Amenities are from NUXE, a well-known French natural skincare brand.
Robe, hair dryer, and mirror
The toilet is in a separate room, so it is a true wet/dry split. That space is smaller and a bit cramped.
French breakfast at Le Bivouac Café
IPrefer Titanium does not include complimentary breakfast for two. I paid about €20–€30 to try it (I no longer remember the exact number). The room itself is pleasant, and the spread is a standard Western breakfast. I did not notice anything especially “French” about it.
The breakfast room is across from the ground-floor front desk, with a bright porcelain piece on each side.
There are plenty of seats and a mix of table types. The walls have more Napoleon-themed paintings.
Hot food on the right and bread on the left. The far-right cabinet holds juice and milk.
The cold station has fresh fruit, yogurt, cheese, ham, and sashimi.
Cold-station close-ups
A full breakfast like this can carry you through a day of walking Paris.
Le 1807 bar
冰吨吨 does not drink much, but the complimentary drink vouchers were not going to waste. I tried the bar across from the front desk.
Was the award stay a deal?
The hotel itself was excellent. The points question is whether the stay was worth it.
冰吨吨 used 82,000 Choice points for two nights. From the blog’s live hotel-promo roundup:
Choice point-purchase promos often land around 0.6–0.74 cpp USD, so those 82,000 points cost about US$492–$607.
Against a cash rate of €400–€500 a night plus taxes and fees, two award nights are a very strong redemption.
Further reading
Choice points can book Choice’s own hotels and partner properties, including casino hotels and this IPrefer Hôtel Napoléon Paris.
Choice Hotels and Choice Privileges
IPrefer Titanium is not that useful on its own. I matched in through Air Canada status.
Extra status still does not hurt. It paid for two drinks at the hotel.
