The hôtel is about to go up a category and become a three star hôtel thanks to improved services and high standards equipped rooms.

Hence, the hôtel de la porte dorée is regularly doing renovation work in order to insure a high level of comfort and impeccable hygiene.

- All the carpets have been removed in the rooms, because not hygienic and replaced with parquet floor. Lots of allergies can be avoided that way !

- The blankets have been replaced by duvets, again for hhygiene issues. Blankets are full of acarids and dust. Duvets are protected by slipcovers which can be washed very often.

- All bedding has been replaced with high quality bedding

- Wall papers were removed and all walls painted

- Bathrooms were renovated and all accessories changed : showers, plumbing, toilets etc.

1. In the hotel

In the triple rooms, you will find baskets with toys for kids. You will also find a very convenient little kids dressing ! Their clothes finally have their own space ! They would like to clean their teeth alone, wash their hands, no problem ! You will find a stool in the bathrooms for them. And if not, do not hesitate to ask reception, the staff will have one available for you. Baby beds are avalable for free, on demand. There are also baby changing tables which fit on the bed. Children books are also available. For children under 10, breakfast if free ! In the dining room, a complete children set is availble such as : baby chair, bib, fork, spoon, glasses etc. all designed for kids. If your kids would like to go play outside, at the park which is only a few minutes away, the hotel can provide you with a little sandbox kit. (bucket, shovel, rake etc.)

2. Children activities in the beighbourhood

 Vincennes park, woods , Paris You shouldn’t miss the bois de vincennes ! It has a great range of children activities : Bike riding. Bikes can be rented there Sand box playinh Playing zones with slides, climbing, swings etc. Boat rides on the lake Poney rides Pic nics

 The parc floral – Paris A really nice place to hang out ! Practical information / Opening time :

from 1st to 30th January : 9h30 to 17h 31st January to 5th March : 9h30 to 18 h 6 March to 2nd April : 9h30 to 19h 3rd April to 19th septembre : 9h30 to 20h 20th septembre to 10th octobre : de 9h30 to 19h 11th to 31st octobre : 9h30 to 18h 1st novembre to 31st decembre : 9h30 to 17h

Entree fee to parc floral : Full fee : 1 € Half price ( 7 to 26 yo, families over 5) : 0,50 € Free under 7 yo During summer, the parc floral hosts concerts and festivals, hence the price could vary.

It has one of the biggest free playground around ! Library Ping-pong area Pic Nic area Deck chair rental for sunbathing Bicycle, tricycles, sulkys (quad with pedals) Buttherfly garden to visit Little train rides for those who would like to discover the park in a different way Also, discover the famous Guignol theatre – puppet show Opening time : March to Christmas (outside school holidays): Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, from 15h to 16h (and to 17h from April to October) During school holidays in February, Christmas and Halloween : every day from 15h to 16h During Easter holidays : every day at 15h, 16h and 17h During summer, July and August : every day except Monday, at 15h, 16h and 17h. Entree fee : 2,80€ per person

 Cité des sciences – la villette - Paris If you have spare time, you can jump into the metro and go straight to the Cité des sciences at la Villette. There, you will live a great experience, discover science, inventions, go the Geode for a 3d film etc. They haver a dedicated place for children : the cité des enfants Cité des enfants 2-7 years old Cité des enfants 5-12 years old The cité des enfants is open every day except Monday and has sessions of 1h30, especially during school holidays. Visit the website for programs. http://www.cite-sciences.fr/en/cite-des-sciences

GEODE, 3d cinema is 25 years old this year !!! 20 millions visitors / 100 000 sessions To celebratte its 20th birthday, the Geode is having an exceptionnal programme this year ! Birthday entree fees : From 5th may to 29th june 2010 Under 25 : 5€ 25 year old = free 2 adults + 2 kids = 25€ the film one Imax film + one 3D film during the day : 15 €.

 Disneyland Paris A bit further away, with the RER train, from NATION, you can get to Disneyland Paris in 30 minutes. http://www.disneylandparis.fr/

By train, take the RER A and stop at the station Marne la Vallée/Chessy, which is 100 metres away from the parc entry. By car, take the highway A4 from Porte de Bercy, and follow the direction "Metz/Nancy" . Take the exit 14. It’s approximately 34 km from Paris.

From 15 May to 15 October 2008

The Parc Floral de Paris was laid out at the edge of the Bois de Vincennes in 1969. During the warm summer days, take a trip to the Parc Floral de Paris and discover the Jardin des Papillons before it goes back into hibernation. This « garden » inside a real greenhouse – which since May offers visitors an additional ...section –recreates the ideal conditions for butterflies from Ile-de-France with a wealth of plants and flowers.

Let yourself be carried away by the silent balletic fluttering of forty or so species of butterfly with their shimmering colours while watching the hatching, the opening and the metamorphoses of these insects.

A beautiful poetic moment to share with your children...

Website : http://www.paris.fr/portail/Parcs/Portal.lut?page_id=4973&document_type_id=5&document_id=8084&portle

This note was presented to you by the Hotel de la Porte Dorée http://www.paris-hotels-paris.com/

For two days, the Champs-Elysées will become a giant planted work made by contemporary creator Gad Weil.

Gad Weil, creator and director of street art, who 20 years ago turned the Champs-Elysées into a huge field of corn, will from 22 May (World Biodiversity Day) to 24 May be presenting his new huge and festive work “Nature Capitale”. It too will be installed on the Champs-Elysées, from the Arc de Triomphe to the rond-point. The avenue will be closed to traffic until the morning of 25 May.

This ephemeral botanical 3-hectare creation created by Gad Weil and the visual artist and landscape artist Laurence Medioni will, with the help of agricultural and forestry professionals, put the spotlight on “Nature fashioned by Man” but also on the fragile balance between human beings and their environment. 8,000 “fragments” of more than 150 plants and trees will form a huge mosaic — a testimony to biodiversity in France.

The public can purchase 8,000 “fragments” on sale on www.naturecapitale.com to prolong the life of this garden beyond this three-day festive event.

This article was presented to you by the Hotel de la Porte Dorée, http://www.paris-hotels-paris.com/

The Hotel de la Porte Doree knows what it means to have kids and travel with them so we have set up a lot of equipment in our rooms so as to take care of them and make your stay in our hotel even more pleasant.

1. Triple rooms are all equipped with stools for children to independently wash their hands and brush their teeth, mini closet for children to hang their own clothes, and a basket of toys in the closet.

2. Children's books on disposal on bottom shelves of the book exchange in the hallway.

3. Babies bed and added attachment for changing table available for free.

4. Organic and Free trade buffet breakfast free for children under 10.

5. Children's equipment, highchairs, bibs and children's cutlery at your disposal in the breakfast room.

6. Bags of sand toys for the park that you may borrow.

Wonderful things for children outside and near to the hotel:

1. Park Floral with it's huge outdoor play area for children, old fashion puppet theater and little train is only 5 mins direct by bus.

2. Only a few metro stops from the RER station that takes you direct to Disney Land.

3. Steps away from the Bois de Vincenne where you can rent row boats, take pony rides, rent bicycle's or just relax on the grass along the water.

4. Our neighborhood is perfect for walks with strollers as our sidewalks are very large and far from the traffic.

The actual Place de la Bastille was created in 1803 where the forteresse of the Bastille was once standing before the July 1789 storming. Bastille is a French word meaning "castle".

The Bastille was built as an irregular rectangle with eight towers, 70 meters (220 ft) long, 30 meters (90 ft) wide, with towers and walls 25 meters (80 ft) high, surrounded by a broad moat. It was initially built to defend the east end of Paris and the Hôtel Saint-Paul royal palace. After the war, it was reused as a state prison, with Louis XIII the first king to send prisoners there.

The Bastille became the symbol of the King's tryanny, as it housed prisoners and armaments. It even held famous people such as Voltaire and Sade. Sealed letters from the King would send prisonners there and God only knew, or more exactly, the king only knew when they were to come out ! Until the storming of the Bastille… !

The event was commemorated one year later by the Fête de la Fédération and been ever since, The French national holiday, celebrated annually on 14 July.

The original outline of the fort is marked on the pavement of streets and sidewalks that pass over its former location, in the form of special paving stones. Some undemolished remains of one tower of the fort were discovered during excavation for the Métro (rail mass-transit system) in 1899, and were moved to a park (the Square Henri-Galli) a few hundred meters away, where they are displayed today.

Straight after the fall of the Bastille, demolition started. (on the 16th July 1789). Napoleon 1er The cut stones of the fortress were used in the construction of the Pont de la Concorde (Paris). In 1840, the July Column was place in the center of the Place de la Bastille, to pay tribute to the 509 people who died during the Trois Glorieuses, the "three glorious" days in July 1830.

The Colonne de Juillet is 154 feet high, containing an interior spiral staircase. The column is engraved in gold with the names of Parisians who died during the revolution. The column is surmounted with a gilded globe, on which stands a colossal gilded figure, Auguste Dumont's Génie de la Liberté (the "Spirit of Freedom").

The large ditch (fossé) behind the fort has been transformed into a marina for pleasure boats, the Bassin de l'Arsenal, to the south, and a covered canal, the Canal Saint Martin, extending north from the marina beneath the vehicular roundabout that borders the location of the fort. You can take a cruise at the port of the arsenal. (métro Bastille) The cruises go from Bastille to the Villette. Canauxrama, 50 boulevard de la Bastille www.canauxrama.com

Today it is still a meeting place for all demonstrations, protesters and events. In the eighties, the Opéra bastille was part of a big renovation programme. It has given a new revival the area.

Opéra Bastille, 2-6 place de la Bastille, 12è http://www.operadeparis.fr (métro Bastille) (architecte Carlos Ott, 1989) The venue holds 2700 seats.

But today, the Bastille area is mainly known and appreciated for its relaxed atmosphere with lively music bars.

A few tips to the neighbourhood :

At the n°26 rue de charonne, the passage L'homme : cobblestones, green, and filled with art and crafts galeries. At the end of the passage, take a left on the avenue Ledru Rollin. At the angle with the rue Charonne, un café has kept its 1900 design. Moving 100 meters forward in the rue de Charonne, n° 53 is a hôtel from 1660, (but unfortunately it’s hidden by a modern construction).

BERCY (UK) 8 boulevard de Bercy Paris 12 Tel: 33.1.40.02.60.60 Fax: 33.1.40.02.60.29 Email: dgpopb@bercy.fr Website: www.bercy.fr

The palais omnisport de Paris Bercy (POPB) is a spectacular architectural creation from architects Michel Andrault and Pierre Parat. It is pyramid-shaped and has grass walls all around and a 6 000 feet roof only supported by four poles. It opened in February 1984 and is the largest venue in France having the capacity to attend 3500 to 17 000 spectators. In the past 25 years it has presented more than 46 different sports events from Basketball to Windsurf, Tennis to Go Kart. Also, the most talented artists have performed in this famous arena. Last but not least, it can also transform to an ice skating rink.

Standing in the city of Paris, easy to access, near the river Seine and the train stations, it is an arena with a great sound which presents more than 110 events a year. The venue is city owned and is surrounded by a very nice park and the ministry of finance.

CONCERTS http://www.bercy.fr/programme/concert

Peter Gabriel Monday 22nd march 2010 / Whitney Houston 06 of April 2010 / Tokio Hotel 14th April 2010 / Marc Knopfler 9th june 2010 / Bon Jovi 16th June 2010 /

SPORTS http://www.bercy.fr/programme/sport

25e Festival of martial arts Saturday 27th march 2010 / Coupe de France of Basket Ball 15-16 mai 2010 / Raw Live 24 – 25 septembre 2010 /

SPECTACLES http://www.bercy.fr/programme/spectacle

WINX ON ICE 12-14 march 2010 / STAR WARS Wednesday 17 march 2010 / Saint Patrick’s nicght Saturday 20th march 2010 /

Bercy is very easy to access with public transport :

Métro : Ligne n°14 : St Lazare / Olympiades / Station "Bercy" / Ligne n°6 : Nation / Charles de Gaulle - Etoile / Station "Bercy" / Ligne n°1 : Château de Vincennes / La Défense Station "Gare de Lyon"

RER : RER A : La Défense / Vincennes / Station "Gare de Lyon" / RER D : Gare du Nord / Gare de Lyon / Station "Gare de Lyon"

Bus : Ligne 24 : Gare St-Lazare / Parc de Bercy / Station "Gare de Bercy" / Ligne 87 : Champ de Mars / Porte de Reuilly / Station "Gare de Bercy" / Ligne 20 : Gare St-Lazare / Gare de Lyon / Station "Gare de Lyon" / Ligne 63 : Porte de la Muette / Gare de Lyon / Station "Gare de Lyon" / Ligne 65 : Gare de Lyon / Porte de la Chapelle / Station "Gare de Lyon" /

Balabus : La Défense / Gare de Lyon / Station "Gare de Lyon"

Lac Daumesnil Bois de Vincennes Paris 12

Tel : 01 43 07 00 10

Accès : Voiture : périphérique sortie porte dorée / Parking privé et gratuit Métro : porte dorée ligne 8

Ouvert toute l’année 7j/7 de 9h à minuit.

Sous l’Empire et à la demande de Napoléon III, le bois de Vincennes est aménagé sous l’égide du Monsieur « Haussmann des Bois », Monsieur Adolphe Alphand afin de permettre des promenades le dimanche aux résidants du 12ème et 13ème arrondissement de Paris. A l’occasion de l’exposition universelle en 1867, on construit en plein cœur du Bois de Vincennes et précisément sur l’Ile de Reuilly le Chalet Suisse. Posé au beau milieu de l'île de Reuilly, dans le bois de Vincennes, ce véritable chalet suisse construit au 19e siècle était autrefois une guinguette fort courue. Aujourd'hui, ce lieu historique dévoile un décor intérieur contemporain du meilleur goût agrémenté d'une grande terrasse. La cuisine mélange tradition et modernité dans un style "nouvelle brasserie". • Budget : 30-60€/ Menu de 36€ à 158€.

L’établissement offre également des prestations d’organisation dévènements tels que : Mariages, cocktails, enterrements de vie de jeune fille, jeune homme, expositions, fête de Noel, nouvel an, soirée étudiante, spectacle, assemblée générale, conférences, défilés de mode, formations, meeting politique etc.

L'actuelle Place de la Bastille fut créée en 1803 à l'emplacement de la forteresse de la Bastille tombée le 14 juillet 1789. La place de la Bastille a été rendu célèbre grâce aux révolutionnaires qui, voulant mettre fin à la tyrannie et au despotisme du roi Louis XVI, ont participé à la « prise de le Bastille » en 1789.

Au sol, un tracé en pavés en marque les contours. Cette forteresse érigée entre 1370 et 1382 avait pour vocation de protéger la nouvelle enceinte de Paris construite contre la menace anglaise... 8 tours de 22 mètres de haut et des murs de 4 mètres d'épaisseur ! Surveillant l'une des 11 portes qui permettaient d'entrer dans Paris, la forteresse entourée d'un large fossé protégeait l'est de Paris et la résidence royale de l'hôtel Saint-Paul.

Rapidement la forteresse devient prison royale : la lettre de cachet du roi permet de savoir quand on y entre, mais Dieu seul sait ou plutôt seul le roi sait quand on en sort... En attaquant la forteresse, le peuple de Paris a voulu anéantir le symbole de ce pouvoir ! la prison avait hébergé des prisonniers illustres tels Voltaire ou Sade.

Dès le 16 juillet 1789, la démolition de la Bastille commençait : des pierres serviront à la construction du pont de la Concorde.

En 1840, une colonne est placée au centre ; elle mesure 52 mètres de haut et est couronnée par le "génie de la Liberté" pour rendre hommage aux 509 personnes tombées pendant la Révolution des 3 jours en 1830. D'où le nom de "Colonne de Juillet".

Aujourd’hui encore de depuis toujours, l'endroit est un lieu de rendez-vous, de rassemblement pour les défilés, manifestations, événements. Dans les années 80, un grand programme de rénovation a relancé le quartier avec la construction de l'Opéra Bastille. Opéra Bastille, 2-6 place de la Bastille, 12è (http://www.operadeparis.fr) (métro Bastille) (architecte Carlos Ott, 1989) L’opéra possède une grande salle de 2700 places.

Aujourd'hui le quartier de la Bastille est surtout apprécié pour son ambiance décontractée et musicale. Un petit tour dans les petites rues adjacentes, vous donnera envie de vous arrêter dans un de ces bars d'où s'échappe de la musique.

A Bastille, vous trouverez également, le port de l’arsenal. (métro Bastille) C'est l'ancien bassin du rempart. Il a été aménagé en port de plaisance. On accède au jardin qui longe les quais par le boulevard de la Bastille. Il est possible de faire des petites croisières en direction de la villette (bassin ou parc).

Canauxrama, 50 boulevard de la Bastille www.canauxrama.com

Quelques curiosités du quartier : Au n° 26 rue de charonne, le passage L'homme : pavé, verdoyant, il est occupé par des galeries d'art et des artisans. Au bout du passage, prendre à gauche l'avenue Ledru Rollin. A l'angle avec la rue Charonne, un café a conservé son décor 1900. En avançant de 100 m dans la rue de Charonne, le n° 53 (à gauche) est un hôtel de 1660, mais caché par une construction moderne.