Is Hyatt Regency Étoile a good points option in Paris?

I took a trip to Paris in the spur of the moment as part of my Japan trip. Initially, the plan was to fly from Toronto to Tokyo in business class with Air Canada. That all changed when I scored last minute First Class seats on Japan Airlines’ new A350 departing from Paris to Tokyo.

I decided to make a stop in the City of Lights for a couple of nights before continuing to Tokyo. Booking a hotel in Paris at the last-minute proved to be a challenge. Point redemption options were at very poor value. Both Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors had unfavourable dynamic pricing for their properties.

Without any Hilton Free Night Awards available and steep cash rates, this led me to book the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile. The World of Hyatt program at least still maintains an award chart. This property moved up from category 4 to 5 in early 2025, meaning a higher redemption cost. In the end, I booked a 2 Twins Beds room for two nights, at 23,000 Hyatt points per night at the peak rate.

Paris

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Location

The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile is located in the northwestern end of Paris, near the Arc de Triomphe, positioned between La Défense and the Champs-Elysées. The hotel is directly connected to the Palais des Congrès de Paris, and a small shopping centre that includes a cinema and also connects to the metro via an underground passageway.

Connection to Shopping Centre and Palais des Congrès de Paris

Entrance to Shopping Centre

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Arrival and Check-in

The hotel has a contemporary design throughout, and select rooms offer views of the Eiffel Tower. After an uncomfortable overnight flight from Montreal to Paris in economy class, I was sleep deprived and eager to be assigned a room. With a morning arrival, I was hoping the front desk associate would be lenient and provide us with an early check-in.

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Lobby

The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile is an imposing skyscraper with 34 floors, comprised of 995 rooms and suites. Given its sheer size, I was cautiously optimistic that a room might be ready for early check-in. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case as the hotel was busy with a conference. I also noticed that airline crew staying at this property were prioritized.

It wasn’t until early afternoon that we were assigned room. The front desk associate was friendly and mentioned that we had been upgraded to a high floor room with a city view. He also thanked me for my loyalty, which I found mildly amusing considering my status was “member”.

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Reception

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – 2 Twin Beds Room

After a quick check-in, we made our way to the elevators. The elevator system was one where we had to enter our floor number on a digital panel to be assigned a letter. Then head to the elevator that had the given letter, which was a minor annoyance.

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Elevator

We stepped into our assigned room 1819, and it was a bit too cozy with limited square footage. The bathroom was modern and sleek, though without a rain shower. The toilet surprisingly had a bidet and bath amenities were provided in big bottles by Pharmacopia.

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Bathroom

Toilet with bidet

Beyond the bathroom, the room featured two single beds side by side, facing a TV in a minimalist setting. The headboard incorporated both electrical and USB ports. It also included a side night table, with a safe tucked underneath it. By the window, a chaise lounge sat adjacent to the bed for a spot of relaxation.

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – 2 Twin Bedroom

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Standard Room

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – TV

From our higher floor vantage point, we enjoyed the cityscape view, that included a distant view of the Sacré-Cœur. Storage space was limited to a small closet, where we found two complimentary bottles of Evian water, a kettle, instant coffee, tea bags, slippers and an iron with ironing board.

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Closet

Room amenities

One surprising omission was the lack of an alarm clock. The beds had down-filled duvets and the mattress was firmer than I expected. While I found it uncomfortable, exhaustion won out and I managed to get some sleep.

Room with a view

Sacré-Cœur

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Breakfast

On our first morning, we tried breakfast at a nearby café near the hotel, but weren’t impressed with the food and the indifferent service. The next day, we decided to try the hotel’s breakfast at their on-site restaurant, Mayo. It’s located on the ground floor, near the lobby.

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Mayo Restaurant

Mayo offers a buffet spread, with a live egg station to order eggs where dishes are prepared to order. One disappointment was the use of liquid eggs, rather than fresh eggs for omelettes.

As a cheese lover, I was underwhelmed by the limited selection given it’s a 4 star hotel in Paris. That said, they did have a wide selection of fresh fruits, veggies, cold cuts and pastries. Hot items included rice, roasted potatoes, sautéed veggies, scrambled eggs and bacon while pancakes and waffles were also available.

Mayo – Fresh Fruits

Mayo – Vegetables and cheese

Waffles and Pancakes

Mayo – Hot Dishes

Coffee and Hot Water

It was completely self-serve, with a machine available for coffee and hot water for tea. Overall, I found the breakfast experience disappointing and not worth the 32 €/person. If you opt in for the breakfast during check-in the cost is 28 €/person.

Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile – Facilities

Mayo is also open in the evening, serving a menu that highlights Persian cuisine alongside a selection of Western dishes. There’s also a Mayo Market to grab snacks also located in the lobby area.

Restaurant Mayo

Mayo Market

The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile is also home to the Regency Club lounge on the 34^th floor. Access is reserved for guests with Globalist status or staying on a Guest of Honor award. As I had neither, I didn’t get the opportunity to visit. The lounge is open in the mornings for breakfast and in the evenings for light bites and drinks, with views of Paris.

For cocktails with a view, guests can head to the hotel’s Windo Skybar, which also offers city sweeping views.

Their fitness centre is well-equipped, with  a mix of cardio machines, weight equipment along with free weights. It’s too bad the gym doesn’t have any windows to offer views over Paris.

Fitness Centre

Weights

Takeaway

The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile offers functional standard rooms, that are undeniably compact. It’s a solid option for a quick getaway or for travellers who plan to spend most of their time exploring rather than lingering in the room. Our assigned room was clean, well-maintained, and adequate for a brief stay.

While the hotel isn’t in a central location, there is a metro station just steps away, providing connections to other parts and attractions throughout Paris.

From a points perspective, I found the redemption to be reasonable by Paris standards, even at the peak rate of 23,000 points per night. Yet, as I write this, the World of Hyatt program has recently announced a major change to its award chart. Instead of the current three pricing tiers (off-peak, standard and peak), each category will soon have five tiers.

For a category 5 property like this one, that means redemption rates could climb as high as 35,000 points per night. A disappointing development, and a reminder to strategically redeem points as you earn them, rather than let them sit idle.