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🇫🇷 France /Disasters & Emergencies

Paris Luxury Hotels Hit by Repeated Power Cuts Amid Heatwave

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Luxury hotels in Paris, including the Ritz and Park Hyatt, have experienced repeated power outages since July 1.
  • The outages have disrupted services like elevators, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning, impacting guests during peak tourist season and a heatwave.
  • While hotels suspect the heatwave, the electricity provider Enedis has not confirmed this as the cause, with some outages affecting specific areas like Place Vendôme.

Paris's luxury hotels are struggling with persistent power cuts that have disrupted services and inconvenienced guests. Establishments around Place Vendôme and the Opéra district, including the Ritz, Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme, Kimpton St Honoré, and Hôtel du Louvre, have faced repeated blackouts since July 1.

We were escorted yesterday to the 5th floor and one of the directors had to carry our luggage. The elevators are not working.

— MaryA guest at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme describing the impact of the power outages.

The outages have led to non-functioning elevators, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning, creating significant challenges during the summer tourist season and a heatwave. Guests have reported difficulties, with one describing being "escorted to the 5th floor" due to elevator failures and another noting the inability to pay by credit card as terminals were down.

We could not pay yesterday at the Kimpton by credit card, the terminals are not working.

— A bar customerDescribing payment difficulties at the Kimpton St Honoré due to power issues.

Hotels are employing various strategies to cope, from using backup generators to having management personally assist guests. The Hôtel du Louvre, for instance, has faced 32 power cuts in a week, some occurring in the middle of the night. The hotel's brasserie had to close for two days due to the disruptions. "It is very difficult to explain to our clients who see electricity in the shops around the hotel while it does not work in ours," an internal source stated.

It is very difficult to explain to our clients who see electricity in the shops around the hotel while it does not work in ours.

— Hôtel du Louvre sourceExplaining the challenge of managing guest expectations during power cuts.

While the intense heatwave has been cited internally as a potential cause, the electricity provider Enedis has not confirmed this. Enedis's website indicates a power outage affecting the Place Vendôme area, with an estimated restoration time. However, the scale of the problem for large establishments like hotels, which have significant power demands, is proving difficult to manage with standard backup solutions. Some businesses have been placed on auxiliary generators, but larger hotels require more substantial power interventions.

We have had to deal with 32 power cuts in a week, some in the middle of the night.

— Hôtel du Louvre sourceDetailing the frequency and timing of the power disruptions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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