Paris Charles De Gaulle, Terminal 2E, Hall L, Business Lounge

Rating: 79/100

Total: 79/100

I often research about the lounge I will be stopping at before getting there. It’s always good to have an idea of what to expect before reaching my destination. I tried to do the same for Terminal 2E Lounge in Charles de Gaulle Airport but I was unable to find a single piece of information about it. Not even an image. Everybody mentions the new Terminal 2E Hall M Lounge, which I didn’t have the chance to visit yet, but nothing about the decent and pleasant Terminal 2E Hall L Lounge.

Paris Charles de Gaulle, Terminal 2E, Hall L, Business Lounge

After the new expansion in 2008, Terminal 2E was mainly used for transatlantic flights has been divided into three distinctive areas making it one of the biggest passengers hubs. The Hall M, L and K. Today’s review will be about the Hall L.

The Hall L, also called the “Galleries Parisienne” has become an architectural reference in the modern era of aviation. A splendid, colorful and high-tech lounge that keeps you busy and entertained during the long waiting hours – Available are variety of shops, PS3 play islands, touch screens, restaurants, cafes and much more, all perfectly designed with a splash of different relaxing colors blending together around different kinds of wood.

The lounge is as good as the main hall. Upon arrival in the lounge, located at the heart of the boarding satellite, you are welcomed by Air France staff who will present you with the different services available. In a welcoming, relaxed setting, a range of new services will be on offer:

Enjoy a beverage and hot or cold snack, varied and adapted to the times of the day, at a revised self-service buffet celebrating French gourmet cuisine.
Choose from different wines from the French terroir or have a glass of champagne to change your mood
Tend to business in a cubicle offering free WiFi access, in natural daylight conditions
The largest imaginable choice of French and international magazines and newspapers is available
Stay connected using HP computers with free internet access, faxes and printers.
More than 20 iPads are distributed around the lounge for a full Apple experience
Relax in comfortable chairs with adapted lighting

With a fresh new look and new services geared to providing total freedom, this new lounge will allow customers to use and better organize the time available before or between flights. It has nothing to do with the conventional and old 2C lounge.

I liked it…Its calm and the lighting is soothing…

All the walls are covered with paintings of red and pink flowers
The seating areas are all covered by a smooth bordeaux carpet
A sofa, chair, bar or desk are here to seat you
This lounge is huge, yet very intimate with different sections giving a privacy feel to all passengers
The choice of drinks is varied
I never saw such a big choice of newspapers and magazines
The staff is smily, welcoming and professional

You can choose one of the different areas:

Two restaurant areas with round tables and chairs
Many individual relaxing areas with leather sofas
Four bars with drinks, great for mingling
Working desks
Flat screen computers
The iPads bars

This lounge misses something:

It is too big, and too long. It should have been created on two levels like the Skyteam lounge of the Heathrow airport. Walking from one end to the other consumes lots of time
A hot dish should be served, not only snacks and sandwiches considering that this lounge is visited by visitors from all around the world waiting here for long hours
I was expecting to see a dedicated area with TV screens. There are only large screens displaying news with no sound
No Showers! That’s bizarre.

The food choices:

Fauchon tea
Lays chips
Minute Maid drinks
Mini coke cans
Biscuit bags
Chocolate cookies
Jacob’s cream crackers
Georges Laporte Patissier, Mini Cakes a la pomme
Three different red wines (Baron de Brane)
three different white wines (La Bernardine-chateauneuf du pape, Moulin a vent, Joseph Drouhin)
Duval-Leroy champagne
A choice of many alcoholic drinks (Campari, martini, vodka, whiskies…)
More than 6 coffee machines
President butter
Fruit salad
Country loaf
Chicken sandwiches
Turkey ham slices
Cheddar cheese slices

Next time you’re passing by Paris, now you know what to expect.

La Galerie Parisienne is the new boarding satellite of terminal 2E at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. It has handled nearly 2.4 million passengers since it was unveiled by the French Republic President, Nicolas Sarkozy, in June 2007. This satellite, in line with Aéroports de Paris strategy, allows the growth of handling capacity and reinforces the performance of the first European hub. It is also a showcase of the service policy of Aéroports de Paris. La Galerie Parisienne brings together technological innovations with a string of record figures: its length of 750 metres, 3 hectares of glass façade and 225,000 square metres of built up area (more than 40 soccer fields). Its steel structure weighs more than 13,000 tonnes, nearly twice the weight of the Eiffel Tower.

The opening of La Galerie Parisienne is in line with the Aéroports de Paris Group strategy. In 2006, Aéroports de Paris launched a large investment program of 2.7 million euros for its Paris airports. This program aims, in particular, at increasing the handling capacity of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport by 19.4 million passengers by 2010. La Galerie Parisienne contributes to this objective of Aéroports de Paris Group, to take advantage of the expected traffic growth, by developing its airport capacity. This new satellite has become one of the centrepieces of Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. With its total capacity of 19 to 26 pier-served aircraft stands, its 22 boarding gates and its 5,000 seats, it can handle 8.5 million passengers per year.