Downtown Paris Hotel Offers Photo Finish for Tour de France

PARIS--(Marketwired - Jun 21, 2013) - The Tour de France is the world's biggest cycling race, and this year it celebrates 100 years with new stage towns, multiple climbs and a new route. To see how it all ends, one could watch it on TV or read about it online, but those who want to be there amidst the first-place cyclist's glory (and the agony of the second-place cyclist's defeat), there's no better place than the Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe Hotel.

This five star Paris hotel is right next to the race's finish line on the Champs Elysées, so guests can feel the excitement first-hand. This year's race begins on 29 June and runs through 21 July, covering a total of 3,404 kilometres and 21 stages.

Before cyclists arrive in Paris next to this hotel near Champs-Elysées, they'll pass through seven flat stages, five hilly stages, six mountain stages with four summit finishes, two individual time trial stages and one team trial stage with only two days of rest. The 100^th anniversary race will also include 10 new stage towns: Porto-Vecchio, Bastia, Ajaccio, Calvi, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Saint-Gildas-des-Bois, Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, Givors, Chorges and Annecy-Semnoz.

For the first time in race history, the route will include Corse-du-Sun and Haute-Corse, departments in metropolitan France that have never before hosted the Tour. After the route hits these two it will stay entirely within France for the first time since the 2003 race. Other changes for this year's race include both individual and team time trials, and two climbs up the Alpe-d'Huez plus three additional summits.

After booking a stay at this downtown Paris hotel, get full details on the 2013 Tour de France by visiting http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/.

About the Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe Hotel
In such an iconic city, not just any hotel will do. Those looking to experience the glamour of Paris' past without losing the pulse of the present will find what they're looking for at the Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe Hotel. With a breathtaking contemporary design by Christian de Portzamparc, this five-star hotel near Champs- Elysées Avenue has become a hot spot for both visitors and locals. At Makassar Restaurant and Lounge, the global spice trade serves as inspiration for a creative menu that fuses contemporary French cuisine with Indonesian flavors. Guests can also gather in one of four meeting rooms, whether meeting with potential clients or hosting an intimate celebration for 30. Accommodations are clean in design and warm in ambience, and feature custom wallpaper, a modern color palette, stunning views from floor-to-ceiling windows (some rooms have balconies), coffee/tea service, Internet access, a large desk and bed built with a thick mattress, cotton linens and fluffy pillows. In the morning, stroll to the Marché poncelet, one of the city's oldest open-air markets, or stay on a more traditional track with a visit to the fitness center or Parc Monceau, an English-style garden whose 1-kilometre track is a favorite with local joggers.