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Trip Report: Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile

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We spent the second half of our time in Paris with four nights at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, the hotel whose mistake rate was the impetus for this entire trip.

Location: The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile is a 950-room hotel located in the Palais des Congrès shopping and convention center in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, right on top of the Porte Maillot Metro/RER station within walking distance of the Arc de Triomphe and about a 15 minute train ride from central Paris. The hotel is currently undergoing a major renovation, which means a bit of extra walking to access the hotel through elevators and corridors that would normally be used for emergency exits or convention access, but the hotel has done a decent job of ensuring clear signage to help people navigate the spaces. We did get lost a few times when walking through the shopping center though – there are signs and floor markings to guide you from the hotel’s (currently closed) main entrance to the elevators that take you to the temporary lobby, but if you come in from a different entrance or are on the wrong level of the shopping center it can be tricky to find the right elevator.

Directional signs and arrows on the floor direct guests from the hotel's main entrance to the back elevators. Photo by the author.

Directional signs and arrows on the floor direct guests from the hotel’s main entrance to the back elevators. Photo by the author.

The shopping center does security checks if you enter through one of their main entrances, including the entrance from the Metro, but not if you enter through the doors designated as the hotel entrance – even though that entrance also takes you into the shopping center. Luckily, we took the wrong Metro exit when we arrived and ended up going through the hotel entrance, but there were a couple of times when I used other entrances and had to let security open my backpack or suitcase.

Checkin/Checkout: There were four checkin desks, including one marked for Platinum and Diamond members, but I never saw more than two staffed at any point in time – and there didn’t seem to be any way for elite members to actually jump the queue. At checkin, the hotel had proactively combined my two separate reservations to ensure that I would not have to change rooms, and presented me with a welcome letter valid for two free drinks at the bar as well as an invitation letter with hours for the Regency Club. Checkout was a bit of a mess because there was a large number of people trying to check in when we left, but after waiting a few minutes one of the staff pulled everyone who was trying to check out from the line so that we could depart. They initially tried to charge me for the fourth night of my stay, and I had to remind them that I had used a free night certificate (I’m guessing their system may have gotten confused because of the combined reservations). They were able to charge the card I had presented at checkin without having to swipe it again, which I appreciated since I don’t normally carry my Chase Hyatt Credit Card in my wallet.

Room: The room was compact and a bit dated, but comfortable for two people, and offered a slightly larger bed than the Holiday Inn we stayed at our first few nights (read Trip Report: Holiday Inn Gare de l’Est, Paris). There was plenty of closet and cabinet space for storage, and the room included a refrigerator that would normally have housed an automatic minibar, but due to the renovation there is no minibar or room service. I was surprised that there was no teakettle or coffee maker, though for us tea and coffee was available in the club throughout the day.

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Our club level room at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile. Photo by the author.

A friend of mine stayed at this same hotel a couple of weeks after I did, and was placed in one of the newly renovated rooms – a significant improvement.

Renovated room at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile. Photo by stellar.

Renovated room at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile. Photo by stellar.

Internet: Our room had a dedicated wireless router under the desk, but we found the wifi to be incredibly inconsistent – every few minutes it would slow down to nothing, then return to normal speeds for a bit before slowing down again. Restarting the router didn’t help, and I noticed similar performance issues in the Regency Club. I tried to plug my laptop in with their Ethernet cable (which had a broken clip) but couldn’t get a signal – though I can’t say for sure whether that problem was their cable or my Ethernet–USB adapter.

A screenshot of my laptop's wifi performance during my stay.

A screenshot of my laptop’s wifi performance during my stay.

Food: The Regency Club offered a breakfast buffet of eggs and sausage, and some kind of potato dish that was always gone by the time we arrived; cereal, fruit, and yogurt; and a selection of pastries, breads, meats, and cheeses. During the day, they offered cookies and soft drinks, and in the evenings they offered mini sandwiches, wine, and more breads, meats, and cheeses. They also offered tea and coffee in the evenings.

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The cheese and charcuterie section of breakfast. Photo by the author.

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Cereals, bread, dried fruit, and a selection of jams and marmalades. Milk, yogurt, fresh fruit, and muesli were available just to the right of this table. Photo by the author.

We visited the hotel restaurant for breakfast on our last morning, which offered basically the same selection with slightly more variety. There is also a Marks and Spencer grocery store in the basement of the shopping center as well as a larger gourmet grocery store – M&S typically has incredible markdowns on prepared food and other goods that are approaching their expiration date, so we bought a lot of snacks there. There’s also a decent number of restaurant options in the area around the hotel.

Service: Our interactions with checkin, lounge, and housekeeping staff were very polite and professional. I appreciated that no matter how late we left the hotel, we always came back to a made up room.

Verdict: A comfortable, professional, and decently located hotel in Paris. Definitely not one of the shining stars in Hyatt’s portfolio, but their ongoing renovation should help elevate it. It probably wouldn’t be my first choice of hotel and I likely wouldn’t have considered it if not for the mistake rate I received, but it’s a solid choice if the location, price, or points availability makes sense for your travel plans.

Have you stayed at this hotel recently?  What was your experience?  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.  Bonjour everyone!


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8 thoughts on “Trip Report: Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile

  1. Aaron K

    We were a bit disappointed with the Hyatt Regency Etoile. Of course we had just come from 3 days at the Park Hyatt Vendome, so it was a bit of a downgrade. Our main issues were that even though we were Diamond members, we didn’t get an updated room (it was very beat up), and didn’t get a Eiffel Tower view. Also, the club lounge was PACKED with families with small children. So it was loud and hectic at all times. This COULD be a great hotel and I actually really like it’s location. It gives a more diverse experience than the area around the Park Hyatt. But is still walkable to many great Paris landmarks.

    Reply
    1. Tonei Glavinic Post author

      I’ve heard great things about the Park Hyatt.

      Fortunately while we were at the Regency the club was never very busy, and we didn’t really see any families there – probably a matter of timing, since we were there over Christmas weekend.

      Reply
  2. AE Campbell

    I stayed for 3 nites early Dec. 2015. The ease of the Cars France bus from CDG to the hotel was great. The hotel was very tired looking so glad they are updating. I too then had no one at the dedicated Platinum/Diamond reception area and stood in line to check in with everyone. Loved being right on the Metro. The club lounge was usually busy but not packed. The wine during the evening reception was good and the appetizers were average. I did not have a coffee maker in my club level room, nor could they find a Eiffel tower view for me. I will be back for 2 free certificate nights next weekend so hopefully I will see some improvement in the property. Sad to hear no room service as I usually am so tired when I get in at night I just ordered from that– was pretty good also. Moving to the Opera Intercontinental for an additional 2 nights afterwards. Thanks for the report!

    Reply
    1. Tonei Glavinic Post author

      I hope you have a great trip and get an upgraded room! Heads up, they closed the Club for renovations right after I left, and are doing breakfast and evening tapas in the hotel restaurant.

      Reply
  3. Brant

    I grabbed two full weeks in May on the mistake fare deal. Since I spent a week at the Intercontinental Le Grande Opera a couple of months ago as an IHG Ambassador, I guess I’ll have to adjust my expectations for the Hyatt stay, especially since I received an email from that hotel a few days ago stating that the Regency Club would be closed during that time. However, it did go on to say that we would receive similar accommodations in the restaurant and bar in lieu of the lounge. All this considered, I love Paris, so I’d stay in a hostel if necessary, so I am sure it will be fine.

    Reply
    1. Tonei Glavinic Post author

      Wow, that’s impressive! I wish I’d grabbed a longer stay. Hopefully there will be more renovated rooms to choose from by the time you visit.

      Reply
      1. Brant

        As a side note, I used two IHG free night certificates from the IHG Chase CC as part of my Intercontinental stay. I booked the room with points and one certificate before it expired, then when my annual fee came due I had another certificate so I adjusted my reservation to use it as well. I saved 120,000 IHG points by overlapping two years free night certificates. The remainder of 300,000 was well spent as I was upgraded to a room that would have cost around $550 per night. This stay would have cost nearly $4000 on a cash basis.

        Reply

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