Stay Report: Hilton Paris CDG Airport (Paris, January 2012)

Stay Report: Hilton Paris CDG Airport
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photo courtesy of Hilton

I was going to be transiting in Paris twice, the first for about 1.5 days and second for 14 hours; based on this I was looking for a place near the airport.  I was traveling with someone else and that individual does not like taking buses, so the hotel I choose would have to be connected to the airport and/or train station.  The Hilton Paris CDG Airport fit that criteria as it is connected to the train station by a walkway.  There are two entrances to the hotel – one is on the main street while the other is connected to the Airport Train Station.  From the Airport Train Station, there is an exit with the ‘Hilton’ sign on there and it’s a 2-3 minute walk to the hotel; the walkway is not covered so if it is cold or raining, you get cold or wet.

Booking the hotel is very easy through the Hilton website.  Hilton was having a ‘points blowout sale’ so I used my HHonors points for a free stay for one of my transits.  From the outside, the hotel looks very large and nice.  The walkway from the train station is connected to the hotels parking lot, so you have to walk through the parking lot to the main entrance to enter the building. 

The hotel has an open lobby so the inside feels large and grandiose.  As you enter, on the left side are the check-in desks as well as bellman service.  There is a small waiting area in the middle, and to the right is the restaurant/bar.  Even though there were a lot of guests, check-in was relatively quick and we proceeded towards the elevators. The elevators are located further into the lobby, and the elevators themselves have glass walls so that you can see the lobby as you go towards your room.

photo courtesy of Hilton

The rooms themselves were large Hilton rooms and this is something I was not expecting, as generally the rooms in Europe are smaller but this room was big even by American standards.  As you enter the room, on the right-hand side was the bathroom which was nice and very large.  There were double sinks, a toilet plus bidet, a standing shower (which was very roomy), and a tub.  The bathroom contained PeterThomasRoth toiletries which are very nice.  Across from the bathroom, on the left-hand side, were closets and storage space.

As you continued further into the room, on the right-hand side were the 2 double beds.  The beds

were very large and comfortable and provided a very restful night’s sleep.   There was one night stand in between the two beds.  Across from the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top as well as a desk.  Other furniture in the room included a couch, located next to the second bed, with a foot stool that faced the window.  The window was very large and provided great views of the runway.  When the curtains were opened, that is when the spectacular-ness of this hotel really shined --- the views were of the active runway so you could see planes taking off all day and all night (you could not hear the planes so it was a comfortable night sleep).

The hotel is a full service hotel so there are many facilities available including a fitness center, which I did not get to try; a restaurant, which I did try and regretted it as it the service was slow, the food was not good, and it was very expensive; and complimentary wifi both in the lobby and in the room.  On the second floor of the hotel there were additional facilities including the business center and meeting rooms.  The meeting rooms can be accessed via stairs in front of the elevator or via the elevator.  The business center contained computers and printers, but hotel charged to print boarding passes.  There is also a crew lounge on the second floor, as apparently many airline staff stay at this hotel.

photo courtesy of Hilton

Even though you can walk from the train station, the hotel does provide a complimentary airport shuttle to the airport.  The shuttle is supposed to be between the hotel and Terminal 2, and pick-up is always at Terminal 2 but if the shuttle driver is nice they will drop you off to whichever terminal you want.

Overall, it was a pleasant stay at the Hilton Paris CDG Airport.  I was looking for a hotel that was close to the airport but was also connected to transportation, and this hotel fit all criteria.  The hotel is nice and comfortable, provides a good sleep, and the windows facing the runway are a great bonus.  The service at the hotel is also good – in between my stays, the hotel kept some of my luggage for me.  If you are looking for a hotel close to the Parisian action, this is not your hotel; however, if you are looking for a hotel close to the airport and with direct access to the train then this a good option.  Note: the hotel is connected to the train by a walkway but there are no restaurants or stores near the hotel.  There is a bus that stops at the train station which takes you to other hotels in the Roissy village, and in that village there are some restaurants and small convenience store/local store.  It’s about a 5-10 minute bus ride.