Review: Courtyard by Marriott Paris La Défense West Colombes
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How could we stay a stone’s throw away from the business heart of Paris, without paying the intramural rate? Here is our review of our stay at the Courtyard Paris La Défense West Colombes, a 4* hotel belonging to the Marriott group.
Summary – Courtyard Paris La Défense West Colombes
Like many people, we love Paris, but we don’t appreciate the prices charged by its hotels. So we decided to explore the various accommodation options, while limiting our commute time to 20-30 minutes.
This paid off, and that’s how we discovered the Courtyard Paris La Défense West Colombes.
Location
We selected this hotel because it is less than 10 minutes by tramway from La Défense. It was then easy for us to visit the City of Light or to go to the Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Roissy CDG).
As its name suggests, the hotel is located in Colombes, in the northwest suburbs of Paris. Several services are nearby (bakery, grocery store, pharmacy, etc.) and the staff will be happy to recommend local restaurants.
It can be accessed:
- by taking a bus from La Défense (FlixBus or BlaBlaCar)
- by walking 15 minutes to the Colombes station, where the RER brings you to the Saint-Lazare station in 12 minutes
- or by cab via the nearby highway
What to do in Colombes ?
Although the purpose of our trip was to visit Paris, we took advantage of a day to discover Colombes.
Here are some recommendations:
- We particularly appreciated the Pierre Lagravère Park which offers a 9km walk/cycle ride along the Seine. In addition to the playgrounds for children, it is a perfect place for walks, but also, for a little morning jog.
- For food lovers (like us!), the Marché du Centre is a must with its hundred or so booths full of local products. Plan a stop at the Pâtisserie Nicolas Bernardé; your taste buds will thank you! Please note that the renovations to the Market are complete.
- If you are interested in history and heritage, 3 walking tours are available for free by clicking here. You can also use your smart phone and scan the QR Codes scattered around Downtown Dove to follow the “Under the Center/Les dessous du Centre” digital tour.
What to do in Paris ?
Because Milesopedia is full of recommendations that I have used myself, I invite you to read the following article:
Personally, we like to walk freely in the cities we visit in order to be surprised by their beauties and hidden secrets.
This is especially true in the case of Paris, where half-open portals sometimes hide magnificent interior courtyards, a square gives way to an impromptu performance by musicians or simply, the changing light of the day makes us see a building from a new angle.
A great discovery for us was to take the time to walk from the Grande Arche de la Défense to the Arc de Triomphe (1h-1h30 without hurrying).
This allowed us to admire the development of the Promenade Charles-de-Gaulle and its superb view towards the Arc de Triomphe, while strolling through several neighborhoods on our way. If like us you travel with your family, plan a stop at the Jardin d’Acclimatation.
Reservation and arrival
Formerly a category 3 hotel at Marriott, the Courtyard Colombes is a hotel primarily intended for business clients in Paris La Défense.
On the bright side? A clientele that is not very present in the hotel, a very careful service and advantageous rates on weekends because there are few/no business clients.
For this hotel, we booked a room with the cash+points option for a total of 7,000 points + $50 for a stay in early September 2022; an excellent value knowing the price of hotels in Paris.
Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points
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- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600$100 deferred bonus, excluded from the first-year estimate and not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
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Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Hotel details
| Parking | Fee | Breakfast included | For Superior and Family rooms |
| Pool and Spa | No | Room with balcony | No |
| Gym | Yes | Room with kitchenette | No (Mini-fridge and coffee maker) |
| Restaurant | Yes | USB sockets in the room | Yes |
| Accepts animals | Service animal only | Smart TV | Yes |
| Mobile card | No | Shower/Bath | Combination Bath/Shower in the rooms |
| Terrace | Yes | Accessible for people with reduced mobility | Yes |
| Air conditioning | Window and air conditioning | Lounge | No, but the hall is furnished with armchairs, cocktail table, books |
Home
Access to the hotel is fairly easy by public transport, while a streetcar stop (T2) is 180 meters away, linking this accommodation to La Défense in less than 10 minutes.
Checking-In
The entrance has a revolving door giving access to the lobby/restaurant (on the left) and the Reception (on the right). The place is nice with several spaces to sit and read or chat over a drink during Happy Hour.
Bedroom
As mentioned, this hotel mainly serves a business clientele. So our room was uncluttered, yet functional. This was enough for us, as we were essentially looking for a place to stay while in Paris.
In terms of space configuration, the place was still spacious for a hotel in Paris, and we were less cramped than we had initially feared when we booked.
It was also very nice to be able to open the windows (and not use the air conditioning) to air out the room.
Even if the windows can be opened, they have a very good soundproofing performance to cut the outside sound. When closed, they ensured quietness during our nights of sleep.
On this subject, the (hyper) comfortable beds sometimes made it difficult to get up early to discover the city, when we would have liked to have spent the morning there… but our 2 alarm clocks on legs soon called us to order!
We also appreciated the layout of the bathroom, while the toilets are privatized, allowing 2 people to use the bathing area at the same time; a very practical element when traveling with children.
As for the other elements of the room, you will find a coffee machine and a mini-fridge. In the closet is an ironing board and iron, essential for business travelers.
Restaurant
The restaurant is located on the first floor, just behind the Hall.
On sunny days, it is possible to eat on the terrace behind the hotel. The place is very pleasant and offers several table configurations to meet the expectations of the guests.
In the morning, the restaurant offers an American-style (breakfast), with pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs and hash browns. The whole is completed by a table of breads and pastries, and another one offering fruits, yogourts, and spreads of all kinds.
Corporate meetings
Located about ten minutes from La Défense, the Courtyard by Marriott Paris La Défense West Colombes can be an interesting place to organize professional meetings.
With its 2 connecting rooms, the hotel can organize events for up to 80 people when joined.
Gym
At all times, you will also have access to a gym equipped with various machines (elliptical, weight training…), as well as weights.
Bottom Line
We selected the Courtyard by Marriott Paris La Défense West Colombes because we were looking for a pied à terre less than 20-30 minutes from Paris. The key points was to be very close to several modes of public transportation.
Although this hotel seems to be mainly aimed at a business clientele, our small family was very comfortable there (2 adults / 2 children).
If you stay at this hotel, you should keep in mind that this establishment was not designed for a clientele on vacation, but rather for business travelers. You will receive an excellent service, be comfortable and enjoy a copious and relatively diversified (breakfast).
However, the location is not representative of the change of scenery that you could feel in a hotel in the heart of Paris. However, we found this to be a good alternative both economically and for the quietness of the place necessary when traveling with children.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600$100 deferred bonus, excluded from the first-year estimate and not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Go further with Marriott Bonvoy
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