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As part of a recent trip to try out JetBlue’s new route between Paris CDG and New York JFK, I spent a night at the Moxy Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
Because I arrived at the property very late the night before I was due to fly and because I then left early the next morning, what you’ll find below is not a full review of every aspect of the Moxy Paris Charles de Gaulle. From what I’ve written, however, you should still get a good sense of what the hotel is like, what the rooms are like and whether this is a property at which you’d consider staying.
The admin
- Length of stay: 1 night
- Cost of stay: €102.88/$109.99
- Credit card used: card_name
- Elite status at time of stay: Bonvoy Titanium elite (link to Titanium benefits)
- Points earned from the stay:
- Marriott Bonvoy: 3,254 (1,002 base points + 752 elite bonus + 1,500 promotional)
- Chase Ultimate Rewards: 330
- Upgrade instruments used: None
- Upgrade received: High floor*
*This property doesn’t really have a variety of room types (Queen room with sofa bed/Queen room/Twin room) so an upgrade was never really an option.
Getting there
I arrived at Paris CDG in the evening and because I was only traveling with hand baggage, I decided to use a combination of the airport shuttle train and walking to get to the property.
If you’re traveling with checked luggage or if you’re not fully mobile, you will almost certainly be better off getting a taxi/rideshare. The route I took involved a few stairs and more walking than most people with checked luggage will be happy to tolerate.
If you chose to follow my lead and use a combination of the airport train and walking, ignore whatever Google Maps tells you to do. Based on my experience, it will send you off in completely the wrong direction and instruct you to take routes that are simply not there.
From the airport terminal (I was traveling from Terminal 2), follow the signs for the trains (even if the signs look like they’re directing you to trains to the center of Paris)…
… and then, when you eventually see them, follow the signs for “CDGVAL” – the airport shuttle.
The airport shuttle is free to ride, and the station closest to the Moxy is the station for “Parking Pr”. This is also the station for the Courtyard CDG, the Holiday Inn Express CDG, Innside by Melia CDG, the Mercure CDG, and the Residence Inn CDG.
Once you exit the station, you should see signs for all the various hotels in the area…
… and if you follow these signs, you’ll pass along walkways that will, eventually, lead you to the Moxy Paris Charles de Gaulle.
The brand
Marriott’s Moxy brand is one of its “select brands” which means that it is not a “full service” property. Think of it as a more “hip” and modern version of the Courtyard brand (to an extent).
This is how Moxy describes itself:
“At Moxy Hotels, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. But we’re seriously into showing you a good time with small but smart rooms, stylish communal spaces and bars you’ll love.”
Moxy properties don’t offer Platinum or Titanium members complimentary breakfast, but if you don’t take the 500 bonus points that are on offer as your “welcome gift”, you can choose to take a $10/day food & beverage credit.
That’s not going to cover the cost of very much that Moxy offers in the way of food and beverages (a large-ish bottle of water costs €5 at the Moxy Paris CDG), but it’s better than nothing… which is what Platinum and Titanium elites are offered at a number of other brands (e.g., EDITION and Ritz-Carlton).
Check-in
You check-in at the bar at a Moxy property so don’t expect a dedicated line for elites or a host of people waiting to get you to your room. During busier times, expect there to be a wait to get served.
On this trip, I arrived just before midnight and so got checked in pretty quickly.
The desk agent was friendly and polite and I chose a bottle of water as my “welcome cocktail”.
As mentioned earlier, there was no real option for a complimentary upgrade as the only difference between most of the rooms is the number of beds that they contain (1 x Queen or 2 x Twin), but I appreciated being placed on a high floor (5 of 5) and away from the elevators.
The room – Moxy Sleeper, Guest room, 1 Queen
The hallways at the Moxy CDG are pretty similar to what you’ll find at most other hotels of a similar standing with only the bright pink motif on the carpeting betraying the “modern” nature of the property.
As is to be expected from a Moxy property, the Queen Sleeper rooms aren’t particularly spacious…
…but for one or two nights, they should be fine.
The bed was basic but comfortable enough for the 5 hours of sleep that I needed.
A standard oversize TV hangs on the wall opposite the bed and seemed ludicrously big for a room of this size.
Both sides of the bed have access to European-style outlets, and one side gets two USB-A ports as well.
A further two power outlets and two USB-A ports can be found above a small (and mostly pointless) shelf next to the TV.
A large-ish chair dominates one side of the bed…
… and while I can see why a chair is provided, this particular style takes up a lot of real estate in a room in which real estate is at a premium.
If you’re a solo traveler, this probably won’t be an issue. If you’re traveling as a couple, the chair may be annoying.
A key thing to note about the room is that there is almost nowhere to store anything at all. There’s a notable absence of drawers in the room, and there isn’t even a closet/wardrobe.
If you have anything that you’d like to unpack, you’ll have to make do with the hanging rail positioned in the area between the door and the bed.
If you needed any more proof that this is a room for an overnight stay and not much more, this is probably it.
The bathroom is compact but functional, and while it’s probably not going to win any design of the year awards, I think it’s nicer to look at than some of the larger bathrooms I’ve seen at properties costing considerably more (e.g., the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London).
Sadly, as is the modern-day norm, the toiletries on offer at the Moxy are of the full-size variety.
Overall, the room is small but mostly functional if you’re only planning a short stay. Anyone staying more than 1 or 2 nights will probably find the room confining, lacking in storage space and, more importantly, not close to anything of interest other than Paris Charles de Gaulle airport!
The communal areas
Spending as little time as I did at the property, I didn’t really get a chance to use the communal areas very much (I didn’t even get to check out the small onsite gym), so I’ll let the pictures that I took do most of the talking – they should give you a good idea of the vibe the property has.
One thing I will comment on, however, is that it’s nice having a departures board in the lobby (very useful for those times when your flight is delayed.
The rest…
Breakfast/dining
As I mentioned earlier, no one gets complimentary breakfast at Marriott’s Moxy properties, but you can still get a full breakfast in the lobby if you’re willing to pay.
Breakfast runs from 06:00 to 10:00 every day…
… and nibbles and bar snacks can be purchased up to 23:00 daily.
The property also offers a 24/7 grab-and-go service (drinks, snacks, etc…) but be prepared for a shock when it comes time to pay.
A nice touch
The Moxy Charles de Gaulle is a limited-service property at which Bonvoy elite status levels don’t really mean very much… but I still found a thoughtful extra touch waiting for me in my room.
It wasn’t anything, flashy or amazing, and the three items together probably cost the Moxy next to nothing, but at the end of a very long day, it was a touch that I wasn’t expecting and that I appreciated.
Bottom line
Would I stay at the Moxy CDG again? Yes, probably.
If I was traveling solo and I needed an overnight stay at CDG I can imagine booking the Moxy again if the price was right. If I was traveling with Joanna, however, I think I’d book something a little less basic. Not because Joanna would expect it, but because a little more room and somewhere with a proper restaurant would be nice.
Overall, the Moxy did the job that I needed it to do. It provided me with a clean, and reasonably cheap place to stay close to CDG, and that meant that I didn’t have to get up at some ridiculous hour to catch my flight to JFK the next morning.
The property is simple but functional, and the rooms are quite small, so as long as you’re not expecting much more than that, you shouldn’t be disappointed.
