209-211 Rue de Bercy, 75012 Paris

Courtyard by Marriott Paris Gare de Lyon

Name: Courtyard by Marriott Paris Gare de Lyon
Address: 209-211 Rue de Bercy, Paris, 75012, FR
Price range: 200 EUR
Rating: 4.15

Hotel-restaurant 4-star with spa in Paris

Presentation

The Courtyard by Marriott Paris Gare de Lyon rises nineteen stories facing the station, between Bastille and Bercy. On the façade, parallel lines run from one end of the tower to the other, a discreet reminder of the tracks that rush just below. In the evening, the lighting outlines the building, and you enter through a double glass door, drawn in by the brightness of the lobby.

Inside, everything is white and bright. A living wall occupies an entire section of the lobby, bringing unexpected freshness just a few meters from the crowded platforms. The neighborhood is nothing like a postcard setting: the station imposes its bustle, its rolling suitcases, and its loudspeaker announcements, and to reach lines 1 and 14 you have to cross the station concourse during rush hour. Those arriving by TGV, however, need only cross one street in the morning to drop off their bags, and the Aligre market as well as the Viaduc des Arts, with its artisan workshops and tree-lined promenade, are just a few minutes away on foot for anyone seeking a quieter Paris.

From morning onward, the restaurant comes alive around a buffet of still-warm pastries and coffee served at the counter. The tables near the glass roof attract the early risers, those heading out early for the station just across the street.

As you go up the floors, the view changes everything. Above the ninth floor, the rooms open onto the rooftops of Paris: the Eiffel Tower on one side, Sacré-Cœur on the other, the dome of the Panthéon somewhere in between. The bay windows extend almost to the floor, and the city seems to unfold beneath the window. The rooms located lower down, between the first and ninth floors, do not have this panorama, but they retain the same polished finish, and those facing the garden often fare better than those facing the street. In the room itself, a range of grays dresses the walls, the leather headboard is framed by light wood, and an electric kettle waits on the desk beside a large mirror. The lighting leans a little toward cool white in the evening, a detail easily fixed by dimming the bedside lamp.

On the ground floor, once evening comes, the Kitchen & Bar restaurant changes atmosphere. The yellow banquettes and the more intimate little alcoves replace the breakfast pace. The menu moves between Courtyard classics, hamburger and club sandwich for regulars of the international brand, and a more French selection, informed by a herb garden installed on the kitchen roof. At the bar, gin- or whisky-based cocktails are enjoyed under softer light than in the rooms.

One last tip: if you are leaving early in the morning for the station, ask the day before for a garden-facing room above the ninth floor; you will keep the view without the noise from the platforms.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

The metro exit is a one-minute walk from the hotel, convenient when arriving with luggage from the station.
Reception handled by Clément, attentive from the start to the end of our stay.
Copious breakfast; you can ask for an omelet prepared on site by the cook.
Room on the eighteenth floor with a view over the rooftops of Paris, comfortable bedding even though the room remains compact.
Efficient organizing team for our meeting; every request was taken into account before and during the event.
A stone's throw from the Opéra Bastille and the Aligre market, you can go out for a walk without taking public transport.