Frenchly Honest: The following review was submitted by MaisOui Le Frenchy, who visits all…read moreestablishments anonymously and would like to keep it that way. We respect his wishes. Mostly. Please note: this is not a full MaisOui Le Frenchy detailed review.
I did not come to the Sheraton Paris Charles de Gaulle to be charmed. I came because my flight departs at an hour that would offend any self-respecting Frenchman, and the alternative -- a taxi through the périphérique at 4h30 -- is a form of suffering I reserve for my enemies.
What I found, I will reluctantly admit, was adequate. More than adequate, which is its own kind of surprise.
The room is generous. A proper bed -- not the narrow apology for a mattress one finds in lesser airport hotels -- a desk large enough to actually work at, and the rare luxury of both a shower and a bath. At first glance, the room presented itself as clean. I did not look closely. That inspection, I reserve for another occasion. I am a critic, not an auditor.
The bar and restaurant are present and respectable. The staff at the front desk were courteous without being theatrical about it. The bellman was helpful without requiring direction. This is rarer than it should be.
But the true distinction of this hotel -- and I say this as someone who finds airport hotels philosophically depressing -- is that it sits inside the terminal. You do not leave the hotel and face the indignity of shuttles, signage, or the open sky at an hour when no sky should be witnessed. You leave the hotel and you are, simply, already there. For an early departure, this is not a convenience. It is a mercy.
Five stars -- for what it is. An airport hotel that does its job with unexpected dignity. I will note, for the record, that this rating reflects a brief stay and not a full MaisOui Le Frenchy detailed review. The stars, like my opinions, are subject to revision.