With a year 2020 very poor in travels I suddenly decided to get some fresh air this fall and headed to Sweden to finally try to live normally. And like any self-respecting trip, it started with a night at Roissy to be in the best conditions to leave the next morning.
At the beginning my choice was naturally the Sheraton Roissy which, because of its location, is my favorite despite the fact that it deserves a good renovation, the Moxy which I also like a lot being closed because of a second confinement. But 48 hours before my arrival I was informed that the hotel was also closing.
A bit borderline in terms of commercial policy. Let it close, so be it. But when other hotels in the group such as the Courtyard Marriott Roissy are open, offering a rebooking would have been a welcome, even natural gesture, especially for a regular customer or a customer with a high status in the loyalty program. But nothing was done.
The moral of the story is that I made an infidelity to my favorite loyalty program to go and say hello to the competition, in this case Hilton.
Before going any further, the program for this trip:
- Hilton Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport – Executive Room (here)
- Paris-Frankfurt, Lufthansa Business Class
- Frankfurt-Gothenburg, Lufthansa Business Class
- Restaurant VRA, Gothenburg
- Clarion Hotel Post, Standard Double Room
- Restaurant Koka, Gothenburg
- Radisson Blue Scandinavia – Junior Suite
- Restaurant Natur, Gothenburg
- Upper House Gothenburg – Deluxe Suite
- Restaurant l’Atelier Gothenburg
- Gothenburg-Frankfurt, Lufthansa Business Class
- Frankfurt-Paris, Lufthansa Business Class
Booking
The reservation was made simply through the Hilton application. It allows you to choose your room on a map, which is a good idea.
Arrival at the hotel
The hotel is in the Roissypole area, so it is close to the RER station, which is about ten minutes away on foot. Not as well located as the Ibis and Novotel but still very acceptable. And from the station the shuttle allows you to go to T1 and T2 in about ten minutes as well. Access to the T3 is by foot. Less convenient than the Sheraton which is just above the T2 RER/TGV station.
For access by car, it depends of course on the traffic at Roissy at the time but it is always easier than accessing the Sheraton by car because it is penalized by the specific traffic at T2.
I might as well tell you that in the middle of the confinement the road was clear and the accesses to the hotel were not congested in the least.
Check-In
The lobby is empty and marked with sanitary markings. It’s more like being in a hospital. The bar and the restaurants being closed, it does not contribute to the make the place look appealing.
The reception is efficient (considering the number of people it is not complicated) and very friendly.
I was immediately thanked for my loyalty to the chain (Gold status) and announced an upgrade. My standard room on the second floor becomes an Executive on the 8th floor. So I had selected my room for nothing on the map when I booked but that’s the nice charms of being upgraded.
I was informed that the bar, restaurant and executive lounge were closed and that I would have to make do with room service, so I was given the menu immediately.
To compensate for the closing of the lounge I am given a voucher for a drink and a snack.
And that’s it for the check-in, it’s time to go to my room.
The Executive Room of the Hilton Roissy
I take the elevator and the ride up gives me an excellent view of the desperately empty Atrium.
I quickly find my room.
The “mobile key” in the application is always something practical to open your room with your phone…
A correctly renovated room without more. Standard Hilton: an airport hotel without much charm or personality, functional and clean is all.
Even with all the lights on I find the room dark. Added to the context it is not very cheerful.
At night it looks a little better.
At least the office is large and functional.
The minibar is empty and I wonder what is the point of leaving a kettle if there is no tea, coffee or cups available.
Let’s go see the bathroom…
A basin, a shower…
And a large bathtub.
Well again it’s clean but not amazing. Renovated that already looks dated.
To finish the superb view of my room on the RER station…
In short, we are in a good old Hilton: a functional airport hotel, standardized and without charm. Like Sheraton, which is in the process of reinventing itself, a remnant of what customers don’t want to find, even in a chain.
Hotel facilities
The hotel has a swimming pool. Closed and emptied due to COVID.
Again, it is a bit old, but the size of the pool is appreciable.
As for the gym, for sanitary reasons, it is only open by reservation.
But on this little inspection visit the room was wide open so I took advantage of it.
The basic equipment is there and the room has the merit of being bright. But it seems really small compared to the size of the hotel. I might as well tell you that on this trip it did not have any consequences but normally I would have had some doubts….
The next morning, however, it was closed. I passed a few disappointed customers and obviously no one had the slightest desire to go to the reception to have it opened to follow the rule.
Bars and restaurants
Bar, restaurant and executive lounge were closed due to COVID. The only thing left was the room service with the following menu.
I started by using the voucher I was given to compensate for the closing of the lounge.
I had a Guiness and a mini club sandwich.
Then for dinner my choice was the Caesar salad, the Penne and the tarte tatin.
Once ordered I would only have to wait 30 minutes to have my meal delivered. My meal fits in two big boxes.
First remark before starting: when you see the cutlery you understand that there is no meat on the menu. Even with the burger I think it must be complicated.
Let’s start with the mini club sandwich. I was expecting a cheap snack and I was pleasantly surprised!
At the very least I could have done without the starter. It is “good”, it is fresh. Nothing exceptional but nothing to complain about either.
Caesar salad.
Very copious too. The (industrial) seasoning spices it up well. Again, nothing fantastic but no reason to complain.
Then the Penne with cream of fish soup and smoked trout.
Again, I won’t complain about the quantity. The pasta is melting, the trout delicious but it totally overshadows the fish soup that I don’t feel at all.
We will finish with a tatin pie that I suspect to be industrial. Neither good nor bad.
The accompanying wine is quite basic, again neither good nor bad.
The bread was fresh and the butter was welcome.
Not much to say about this room service except that :
- The snack offered in compensation for the closing of the lounge is not a minimal service and can even satisfy the small appetites that can do without dinner.
- The quantities are largely sufficient, I even think that it would be too copious for some.
- The quality is good without being exceptional but there is nothing to complain about.
Breakfast can be picked up at the restaurant in the form of a lunch box. I’ll do without it.
Check out
No mobile check out in the Hilton app, which is a real miss.
So I’ll go through the desk and just be told that everything will be taken from the card I gave when I arrived and that I could leave. A formality that took 30 seconds but which could be saved, especially in normal times when the hotel is full and the desk is busier than in this period.
Bottom line
It is really difficult to comment on a hotel subject to the sanitary constraints in force at the time.
What is certain is that the hotel offers a solid but insipid service. You can renovate as much as you want, the legacy of the time where hotels were cloned to offer an identical service and without any asperity to everyone regardless of the location remains present. Even the Sheraton CDG, which can be accused of the same heritage, seems warmer to me.
For the rest I will have to return when the hotel is working normally.
Articles similaires
Review : Courtyard Marriott Paris Charles-de-Gaulle – Beautiful rooms, at the end of the world!
Air France (finally) opens its new lounge in terminal 2F at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle
Review : Moxy Paris Charles de Gaulle
