The Paris Airport Hotel

The height of French cuisine

Hotels are interesting places generally. They are places of temporary convenience, where we come together to sleep in small rooms and pretend to have some sense or normality while being away from home. For business travel, the hotel is home base and a place for better wifi that can be used while in pajamas.

The hotel I’m staying at in Paris is interesting. It is a major brand hotel that has tried to go hip and cool. My room is small, maybe 250 square feet. I have a glass shelf for a desk, no closet and a tiny bathroom. The hotel is also new, which helps a bit. Unfortunately, it is also one of the few three-star hotels I’ve stayed at recently without laundry facilities. For overseas and travel longer than about two weeks a washer and dryer are like gifts from god herself.

Most hotels I stay at have some sort of restaurant. This normally allows for a quick meal when other options are too far, closed, or when I’m too lazy to venture further than the lobby. The quality of these restaurants varies. At this restaurant, in one of the greatest culinary cities in the world in a country who’s name is attached to entire food groups (fries, bread, etc) and where the Bocuse d’Or competition names the world’s best chef, I’m eating falafel. More specifically, I’m eating microwaved falafel with a sweet mayonnaise-type sauce. And I’m watching kids throw around large Jenga-style blocks. Life is great.

When I checked in at the front desk/bar (they are the same thing apparently at this hotel) I received the usual greeting from any American hotel chain. But it was decidedly more French. Aside from the talking which sounded like a mongoose making strange noises while swallowing a snake, it was very curt and polite. “Here is a room key,” and “breakfast is in the morning” were about the only things said. I asked if breakfast was free. “No”. I asked if breakfast was free for me as an elite customer. “No”.

Later, I went down to ask if I had my welcome gift. This is something given to guests who spend way too much time and money in hotels. “It is a free drink, you can get it at the bar”.  How do I get the free drink? “You order it at the bar.” Yeah, very helpful.

Fortunately, I have chocolate from Belgium in my room. It will make up for the low calories of the microwaved falafel.

Stock image of falafel, as I was too lazy to take a photo of the falafel that I ate.