The Le Meridien Etoile Paris, a Starwood property located in the 17th arrondissement and not far from the Champs Elysees, was a pleasant surprise for me. I had stayed at the hotel about a decade ago and had been wholly unimpressed with the service and room (It didn’t help that I had started the stay by tripping down their lobby stairs.). This time around, though, they got it right. My stay was in October for a conference.
Location
Le Meridien Etoile is about a 45 minute drive from the airport and reasonably well-placed in the 17th arrondissement. A quick walk around the area revealed several restaurants, shops and a small farmer’s market. The hotel is less than a mile from the Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe, but many of the most famous sites of Paris are within a few miles of the property. If it’s a nice day, consider walking to the Champs Elysees and follow Paris’s most famous street to your destination. If it’s not, hop in a cab and observe the time-honored tradition of watching your “Joe le Taxi” yell at everyone around them. It’s even better if you speak French so you can participate.
Check-In/Arrival
Efficient and friendly. The lobby certainly has more character than the last time I was here and it was nice to have so much open space. The check-in area was off to the left. I speak passable French but, even if you don’t, it’s not a problem, because everyone at the desk spoke flawless English. Many were native French folks but there was also a mix of foreigners, in particular, Americans, working at check-in. I arrived at the hotel shortly before 11 am but they had a room ready for me. Even better was that they had upgraded me to a small suite.
Room
Small but functional. My suite was a standard room with a living room attached, and I’m not sure that I even used the living room while I was there. The bed itself was quite comfortable and there was a small desk in the corner. The bathroom was also nice, but I dislike the “half-door” showers that they have.
The only real issue I had with the room was the poor lighting. As is the case with many European hotels, you need to stick your key card into a slot on the wall before the lights and air conditioning go on, but truthfully, I could have left the card out and not been much worse off. I spent a lot of time in the room with all the lamps on.
Facilities
Le Meridien Etoile is a city hotel, so the facilities were built to maximize the use of space. The gym was small, but there was rarely anyone in it, so that didn’t present a problem. I only ate breakfast at the hotel, which was a chaotic experience of navigating a buffet with fruit, cheeses, bread, etc. (and the orange juice was freshly squeezed). Even though it was a buffet, the food was of reasonably good quality – the French know how to do breakfast. With everyone eating at the same time, there were people running everywhere, but I rarely had to wait more than a few minutes.
The amenities weren’t necessarily the strength of the hotel, but you should be able to get whatever you need.
Service
Very good. Everyone whom I met was friendly and helpful. It was definitely a different Meridien Etoile from the last time that I had visited.
Value
Strong. I paid a little over 200 Euros for the room, including breakfast, and was very happy overall. I would definitely return to the hotel. It provided an excellent combination of a functional room, great service and a fine location. And the extra SPG points didn’t hurt, either.
