Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) is one of my least favorite airports to transit. The airport is confusing and cumbersome to navigate and unless you’re flying in business class with Air France or another SkyTeam airline, lounge access is pretty limited. Priority Pass members departing from terminal 1 can use the Star Alliance Lounge, but for those of us departing from terminal 2E, the only lounge option we have access to is the YotelAir Paris Charles de Gaulle, which is not great. The lounge is small and the amenities are limited but if you happen to be arriving in or departing from terminal 2E, then it might be worth a visit to freshen up a bit before continuing on with your journey.
But before I go on, let me explain a few things about the YotelAir Paris and where it’s located. The YotelAir Paris is technically an airport hotel and not an airport lounge, but they have turned their lobby area into a small lounge for Priority Pass, Lounge Key, Lounge Pass, and Diners Club members. It’s actually a smart way to monetize their space but because their focus is on accommodations, and not on lounge services, you should expect that lounge services will be very limited. But for the sake of access, the YotelAir is still considered a “lounge” so American Express and Capital One customers are still allowed access as part of their Priority Pass agreement.
The YotelAir Paris is also a pain in the butt to get to. It’s located in the pre-security area of the L gates and you can only access the YotelAir Paris if you are arriving in or departing from terminal 2E. There are three halls in terminal 2E, for gates K, L, and M. There is a train that takes you between these halls but instead of having one main security checkpoint for the entire terminal, each hall has its own security checkpoint. So regardless of where your gate is, you will need to go through security again to get to your gate from the YotelAir Paris.
When you get to the L gates, do not go through security. Instead, just follow the sign for the airport hotel. Find this long hallway and walk all the way to the end and the entrance to the YotelAir Paris will be located in front of you. The YotelAir Pais is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Priority Pass members are entitled to the following perks:
- Access to the YotelAir Lounge (3 hours maximum)
- Access to the shower room is included
- Access to the sleeping rooms (cabins) is NOT included
- Complimentary sweet/salty snacks and beverages such as water, coffee, juice, soda and beer
It should be noted that there are no real food options in the lounge; nor are there any restaurants in the pre-security area of terminal 2E either. So if you want a real meal, you will have to get it after the security checkpoint. As I stated earlier, I really hate Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and this is one of the reasons why.
When you get to the lounge, walk past the kiosks and proceed to the front desk area, called “Mission Control.” Here, you can scan your boarding pass and present your membership card to the lounge attendant.
After they verify your membership, they will show you a menu for your snack and beverage selections.
Inside the lounge, you will find a small refrigerated section with some drinks, an espresso machine, and a filtered water station. With Priority Pass, you only get two beverage items free of charge but water, coffee and tea are provided complimentary for everyone. And as a reminder, this lounge is located pre-security so there’s no reason to fill up your water bottles here as you won’t be able to bring them through security.
There are three areas to this very small lounge. Directly behind the entrance, there is a small seating area with some lounge chairs, tables, and a communal workstation with access to European electrical outlets. Wi-Fi is provided throughout the lounge so you can work from anywhere.
To the left of the main seating area, there is a dining area with a large communal table and several bar tables and chairs.
And then there’s a small room behind the dining area with more lounge chairs. There are no couches or benches to sleep on, as this is a hotel and you can just rent a room if you need to get some shuteye. And during my visit, I was told that there were no bathrooms located in the lounge. I don’t know if this was a temporary thing (closed for cleaning) or a permanent thing (no bathrooms at all), but I was told to use the public bathroom outside of the lounge.
A shower room is available on a first-come, first-served basis. It’s a very basic shower room, similar to a gym shower room, but towels, soap, and shampoo are provided. I did take a shower during my visit and it wasn’t the best. There was no ventilation in the room so it just fogged up and it smelled kind of funky due to the lack of ventilation. Like I said, a gym shower.
YotelAir Paris Bottom Line
Overall, this is not a lounge that I would go out of my way to visit. The space is small and the amenities are quite limited. But for Priority Pass members, this is the best (and only) option we have in terminal 2E, so if you happen to be in the area, and have some time to kill, then it might be worth your while.
Have you visited the YotelAir Paris? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!
The other posts in this series include:
