We will definitely return! Had a great seven-night stay here in October 2013 and it worked out perfect for our place to call home for a week while we explored the city of Paris. The room was well appointed with a king bed and our bathroom had the combo tub/shower. Everything was clean and modern, and a nice contrast to view a lovely Art Nouveau building across the street. Our room was facing Wagram Avenue but did not have issues with road noise; it generally got a bit quieter at night although earplugs might be recommended for light sleepers. Other than one night, we didn’t hear much noise at night from the rooms around us.
We had debated staying at the Marriott Champs-Elysees and were so happy with choosing the Renaissance instead! It was a more boutique hotel type experience and removed from some of the crowds of the Champs-Elysees. The service was very good and had no issues. There was one day that our room was not serviced so we told the front desk and it was taken care of while we were at dinner. We arrived at CDG about 8 am and had asked for an early check in; the room was not ready upon arrival but it was ready at 11 am which seemed accommodating.
Had read different reviews related to Marriott platinum status and upgrades -- did not receive upgrade but room was as booked. Could just barely see top of Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe!
Having not been to Paris before, it was hard to know what to expect related to some of the logistical considerations around the hotel, so wanted to provide some recommendations after our trip:
Transportation to and from CDG to Renaissance – we looked at several options including car service hotel recommended and Uber but at the last minute decided to go with Air France’s Les Cars. This motor coach service was comfortable, considerably more affordable and the Etoile Champs-Elysees stop on Line 2 is only a few blocks from the hotel. www.lescarsairfrance.com/en.html
Getting around Paris – the hotel is about two blocks from the Charles de Gaulle-Etoile Metro station. The Metro is fairly easy to navigate and we had no issues using the Metro and walking our entire trip.
Dining options – Our Marriott Elite status allowed us to have a complementary breakfast each morning at the Makassar Restaurant. It had a good selection and we loved the chocolate croissants! We did eat dinner here one night and were disappointed – the food wasn’t that great, and it was expensive.
We did find some other options within walking distance to the hotel which are recommended – good (in some cases, great) food reasonably priced (for Paris):
La Cantina Chic Bistrot Italian, 14 rue de l’Etoile (about a block from the hotel) – amazing fresh Italian food, very small, rather local and relaxed. Great host. We ate here twice! www.facebook.com/lacantinachic
Le Café d’Angel, 16 rue Brey (about two blocks from hotel) – more traditional French, great seasonal flavors, and accommodating to us. www.lecafedangel.com
Leon de Bruxelles, 63 avenue des Champs-Elysees (less than a mile walk from hotel) – chain but good option if you like mussels. We had huge steaming pots of mussels served with a side of fries. www.leon-de-bruxelles.fr
Le Paradis du Fruit (across the street from hotel on Wagram) – more healthy selections based around fruit. We had a light diner here one night and it was quite tasty. www.leparadisdufruit.fr
Pomme de Pain sandwich café (across the street and about a block towards Arc) – chain with good quick service sandwich options. We liked the Parisian. pommedepain.fr
Snacks and drinks – the only option we found around the hotel was the Publicis Drugstore on the Champs-Elysees. Bottled water was more expensive than we found in some other parts of Paris, but didn’t come up with another option during our stay.
Paris is a great city. The Renaissance was a perfect place to experience the city and have a place to retreat to rest up and plan the next day. Enjoy!!