New transit lounge opens at Paris CDG Airport

Conjure up visions of Paris, and you’ll feel wistful for romance, art, sophisticated cafes, and world-famous architecture. But when you arrive at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), you experience anything but: CDG is notorious for its confusing layout and unfriendly chaos.

The good news is that Paris Aéroport just introduced a brand new experiential lounge called instant Paris.

Located in Hall L of Terminal 2E, instant Paris is a sophisticated transit zone that’s free for any traveler with (at least) a three-hour layover. The décor is a modern twist on a traditional Haussmann apartment – think high ceilings, bright windows, plenty of couches, faux fireplaces, and built-in bookcases.

So what can you do at instant Paris? A lot of pretty cool stuff, actually:

• The entrance features virtual reality kiosks, so you feel like you’re actually exploring Paris, instead of waiting for your next flight. Tour the Place de la Bastille and other iconic Paris locales.
• The Live Arena is a spacious relaxation lounge. The huge TV wall display intersperses replays of famous sporting events and Fashion Week clips with short films about the Paris of yesteryear and today.
• Styled like a local café, the library offers a quieter, less digital feel, with hundreds of books to browse.
• The dining room is equipped with tablets so you can catch up on international news.
• Kids will enjoy most of the digital activities, and they can really let off some steam by building and knocking down the model Eiffel Tower – made of 12,000 building blocks!
• If you’re feeling hungry or want a real bed, instant Paris has you covered on both counts.
• A new restaurant called Naked is a partnership with the international brand of the same name. Naked offers organic and fair-trade meals in a calm setting, which should please even the most discerning palettes.

YotelAir places one of their ultramodern, sleek hotels smack in the middle of instant Paris. Rent a room for a few hours or an entire night. Rooms are outfitted with super fast WiFi, automated check-in kiosks, 24/7 customer service, customizable mattresses, adjustable lighting system, flat-screen TVs, and access to the hotel’s Club Lounge with workstations and relaxing lounges.
We love that ParisAéroport is improving the quality of layovers at CDG – we just hope all the travelers don’t detract from the relaxing, airy feel of instant Paris.

Article by Christina Kidd
Photos courtesy of Paris Aéroport