I booked a somewhat last-minute trip to Paris with a friend in November 2025, and many of the Western chains didn’t have award availability for the dates we’d be in town. What did catch our eye, however, were the reasonable cash rates at a Hyatt property in the northwest part of the city, not far from the Arc de Triomphe.
We quickly booked at Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, eagerly anticipating an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower from the hotel’s Regency Club atop Paris’ highest skyscraper. We soon learned that reasonable rates require reasonable expectations, and if you’re considering this property on your trip to the City of Light, it may help to pick up a few tips from our experience.
Booking Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile
I booked a cash rate at Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile using a family discount from my husband’s employer for $253 per night pretax for a 1 King Bed – Eiffel Tower View room, which was the cheapest rate at the time. I applied a Guest of Honor award to this stay and was upgraded at check-in to a 2 Twin Beds – High Floor – Eiffel Tower View – Club Access room, which was priced at $427 per night, pretax, at the time.
Though award nights were not available to book for the entirety of our stay, they ranged from 17,000 to 20,000 World of Hyatt points for the 2 Twin Beds room type in this Category 4 property. Because those rates teetered near or below our valuation of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, I would likely have opted to pay cash anyway, unless I was flush with points or had a Category 1-4 certificate to redeem.
We had hoped to get upgraded to a suite at check-in, which was available at the time of booking, but by the time we arrived, the hotel was sold out. The woman at the elite desk who checked us in said it would have been better to have been gifted a suite upgrade instead to have confirmed a suite ahead of time.
My friend was targeted for an Amex Offer on her Platinum Card® from American Express for $100 off $300 spent at Hyatt Regency, bringing our total to around $716 for 3 nights post-tax ($239 per night). Thanks to a World of Hyatt promotion I had registered for, I earned nearly 14,000 World of Hyatt points from the stay, enough for 4 off-peak nights in a Category 1 hotel!
1. The Location Is Not Central, but It’s Easy To Get To
The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile is located in the 17th arrondissement, a short walk from the adjacent Porte Maillot station on Line 1 of the Paris Métro. For the most part, I walked everywhere from the Arc de Triomphe (20 minutes) to the Eiffel Tower (under 50 minutes) to the Louvre (just over an hour). Most walks were easy to navigate, and I felt safe doing so.
Image Credit: Google Maps
The hotel is definitely not in a touristy area, but if you know this ahead of time, you can set your expectations. In the picture below, from atop the Eiffel Tower, looking out toward the Palais de Chaillot (the white buildings immediately across the Seine), you can see the 34-story hotel to the right standing tall by itself.
View from the Eiffel Tower.
2. The Regency Club View Was Outstanding … in the Morning
One of the primary reasons for our stay was access to the Regency Club on the 34th floor for complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments, and evening hors d’oeuvres (a benefit of the Guest of Honor award, Globalist status, or booking in a Club-level room).
Breakfast was served from 7 to 10:30 a.m. weekdays and until 11 a.m. on weekends. Self-service tea time was offered from 12 to 6 p.m. An aperitif time with French wines was served from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with the club closing at 9 p.m.
Regency Club entrance.
We arrived midday for drinks and snacks, and quickly wondered where the famous view of the Eiffel Tower was. This is when we realized that the Regency Club utilizes the space of the Windo Skybar for breakfast, and that space is where the actual view of the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower is from.
Morning view of the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower from the Windo Skybar.
After breakfast, a dividing wall is in place between the 2 spaces, and the view in the Regency Club doesn’t show these sites.
But during breakfast time, the Windo Skybar space was an absolute treat … private, relaxed, and views for days.
Regency Club seating.
3. Standard Rooms Are Compact
Upon check-in, an Eiffel Tower-view room was unavailable until later in the afternoon, so we requested to be placed in the first available room, which was a 2 Twin Beds – High Floor – Club Access room. The room was small and utilitarian, but it served our purposes well for light work and sleep.
Twin beds.
Across from the twin beds was a large TV and an angled work desk with a universal outlet and USB-A inputs, as well as a swivel chair. At the end of the desk against the wall was a coffee maker, and below that was an empty minifridge. Next to this, a small couch with a glass table sat under a large window.
A safe was installed in one of the nightstands, and above this nightstand was a set of lighting controls and outlets (Type C, USB-A, and USB-C). Near the entrance door was a closet with a robe, slippers, an ironing board, and an electric kettle.
We had the most difficulty finding a good place to open our bags, and this is where we found the room to be the tightest, between bags arranged on the floor, on the desk, and on the sofa.
Hot Tip:
Complimentary Evian bottles were plentiful in the room, and additional bottles were available at the World of Hyatt desk during check-in.
The bathroom was also compact, but I liked its modern design. Surprisingly, it didn’t have a dual showerhead with a rainfall option; instead, it only had a handheld wand. It had the typical Pharmacopia bath amenities, and I liked that it had a small ledge for propping up a leg for shaving.
Counter space was at a premium, and I used the ledge across from the sink to prop my toiletry bag and clothes for changing into after the shower. Another surprise? Only paper cups.
I really enjoyed the motion-activated light below my nightstand that helped guide me to the bathroom at night. It was delicate and well-timed so that it didn’t disturb my friend at all.
4. A Room With an Eiffel Tower View Is Worth It
After we realized that we wouldn’t have a night view of the Eiffel Tower from the Regency Club, we asked the reception staff if we could be moved to our original Eiffel Tower-view room the following day. Camilla in the Regency Club did a great job of looking after us throughout our stay, and she was happy to coordinate our room swap the next day at breakfast. And boy, was it worth it!
The Eiffel Tower sparkles with a light show every hour for 5 minutes starting at dusk until 11:45 p.m. I recommend seeing the lights up close at least once or twice, but it was an absolute treat to look out of our bedroom window every hour at night and see the lights twinkle.
Night view.
Bottom Line:
The Eiffel Tower view room was the most affordable option during my stay, but I’d consider rebooking it again, even if it were more expensive. The view is unbeatable.
5. Breakfast Is a Decision: Views or Selection?
For Globalists or those in a Club-level room, you have a big decision: Do you prefer your breakfast with a view, or a broader selection of food to choose from? We tried breakfast in the Regency Club and in Mayo (the main restaurant in the lobby) to see how they compared.
During our visit, the Regency Club was fairly calm at breakfast, and finding a choice seat with a view was never an issue.
Regency Club seating.
The breakfast options in the club were nearly identical to the breakfast served in Mayo, with 1 big exception: no made-to-order eggs. If this is a dealbreaker for you, you’ll need to dine in Mayo (or perhaps walk your custom eggs from Mayo to the Regency Club).
Both buffets featured a variety of pastries and baked goods, fruits, cold cuts, cold salmon, cheeses, breakfast cereal, and yogurt with toppings. The hot items included scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and beans. I did not notice any rotation in the offerings from one day to the next.
By contrast, Mayo was loud and bustling, with a busy queue to enter. However, we were quickly guided to a table and set free to explore.
View of Mayo and the lobby.
My friend preferred the croissants and pain du chocolat from Mayo (after plenty of taste-testing), but otherwise, this was really a slightly expanded version of the breakfast served at the Regency Club. There might have been an extra hot entree or a few more salad items, but really, the draw would have been the made-to-order egg station.
After wrapping up, I realized that there was an area for overflow seating that had another mini-buffet set up. This area offered a variety of seating options for groups of different sizes.
Mayo’s overflow seating.
Bottom Line:
I’ll take my eggs scrambled as they come … breakfast in the Regency Club wins!
6. The Regency Club Night Reception Is Repetitive
At other Hyatt’s I’ve stayed at with executive clubs, the night reception is often substantial enough to cover dinner, but I didn’t find this to be the case at Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile’s Regency Club.
The spread consisted of cold wraps, pressed sandwiches, dips, nuts, chips, cold cuts, whole fruits, and mediocre desserts. These exact items from the first night were on repeat when we visited on our third night. No hot items and just lots of finger foods. My friend was not impressed.
I was mainly interested in decompressing each night with an unlimited supply of Diet Coke, and my friend enjoyed a prosecco. It wasn’t one of the wines on tap, but an attendant was happy to bring a glass out to her.
7. The Gym Has No Windows
Clocking in about 10 miles a day of walking the streets of Paris, I had no need for the fitness center on this trip, but I did take a look. It was very well-equipped, with a variety of strength-training and cardio equipment beyond the basics.
Unfortunately, it didn’t look like a fun space to work out in. The lack of windows and the bland pastel wall design were uninspiring and claustrophobic for a decent-sized space.
Bottom Line:
My advice is to skip this gym and let exploring Paris be your workout!
Final Thoughts
My stay at Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile delivered a comfortable room with a fantastic view and breakfast served with an even better view. The cash and points rates were reasonable, and the Category 4 hotel presents a great opportunity to redeem a free night certificate.
However, guests will need to set their expectations for the stay. The hotel is not located in a central touristy area, so pack your sneakers or familiarize yourself with the Paris Métro (which often had the same estimated times as a ride-share at a fraction of the cost). The Regency Club is certainly a bonus for Globalists or guests booked in Club-level rooms, but the food options were repetitive, and the evening service consisted more of light bites than a full dinner. That said, the Club staff was friendly, and we felt they went out of their way to be helpful and courteous during our time in the Club.