I Stay: Hotel Molitor Paris @ Paris, France

A work opportunity had me putting up at the Hotel Molitor Paris for a few days. Hotel Molitor Paris is designed around a swimming pool, which it used to be, before being turned into a hotel. It was at this hotel that the bikini was first unveiled to the unsuspecting public.

This luxury hotel is located away from the general areas of Paris that most visitors frequent, and will therefore not likely be high on the list of choices for most tourists. For sports fans however, it is situated very near the Roland Garros tennis stadium as well as the PSG football grounds.

For public transport, 2 Metro lines are about a 10 minute walk away – Line 9 Michel-Angel Molitor and Line 10 – Porte d’Auteuil and it’s about 20 minutes to the shopping districts of Paris. For emergencies or necessities, there is a Carrefour supermarket just 5 minutes walk away.

The Hotel Molitor Paris has kept a very sleek and avant garde style, with a bit of a quirky art deco theme. The hotel lobby is located off to a side, with a wide road before it, and isn’t very imposing. Right in the middle of the lobby, as you enter the hotel sits a Rolls Royce convertible car, covered with graffiti.

The lobby area isn’t very comfortable if you have to wait, as chairs are somewhat lacking for larger groups. I have the impression the hotel doesn’t quite cater for large groups of visitors. The staff speak English well so there was no problem communicating.

Free Wifi

Importantly, for visitors, there is free wifi provided throughout the hotel. You do have to sign in, but once you do, it’s valid each day of your stay. The free wifi extends to your rooms as well as in the lobby, restaurant, roof bar etc. Connection was fast and powerful on all devices.

Deluxe Room at Hotel Molitor Paris

I stayed in the Deluxe Room, which is probably their most basic room. All rooms face the swimming pool, and come with gauzy curtains for those who don’t mind light entering the room, or an extra layer of black out curtains for those who’d rather have a good night’s sleep on the comfortable bed.

The room is simply furnished in pure white, but importantly, the bed was very comfortable, and warm. Air-conditioning in the summer was adequate. I however found the TV lacking, in that it only had French TV channels. Not even any international news channels. That was a pity.

The Hotel Molitor Paris has a partnership with French skincare brand Clarins, and uses all their products in the hotel, which adds a touch of luxury. In the hotel lobby you will find a Clarins vending machine, that stocks face and body products, and is absolutely fascinating. In the lower ground, is a Clarins Spa where you can enjoy facials and body massages.

In room, you are given 2 bottles of water complimentary – 1 sparkling and 1 still. There is also a nespresso machine and tea and coffee-making facilities. There is also a well stocked minibar with soft drinks, liquor and snacks, but those are chargeable.

The bathroom was very comfortable and bright, and the shower stall had a rain shower with lovely hot water and good water pressure, which made for a very relaxing shower after a long flight. The toilet is separate from the bathroom. I had trouble finding the light to switch off the bathroom light the first day. It was on the side of the counter, if anyone is wondering. The first night was therefore quite uncomfortable as the light leaked through the glass wall into the room.

You are provided with thick and comfortable bathrobes, plush slippers and lovely fluffy towels. I have no complaints with the room amenities.

Room Service

I ordered room service one evening, which I felt was not impressive. The room service menu was very small with a very basic list of items on offer. I wanted something hot, and opted for the clam pasta.

The pasta came in a heavy cast iron pot, and it was served with a bun, which was nice. However, I found the dish rather bland. Quite unfortunate.

Breakfast

Breakfast however, was a treat. It was at the restaurant which is just next to the pool, and you can opt to sit inside the restaurant or outside. The outside section is the smoking section but as no one was around, I enjoyed it when it wasn’t too chilly to sit outside.

Breakfast offers a good selection of hot food and pastries, with some ala carte orders. Be sure to try the Eggs Molitor, which is poached eggs on a slice of toast, served with ham, bacon and mayonnaise. It was delicious and a wonderful way to kickstart a busy day!

Fresh fruits were abundant as was delicious pastries. Their croissants were lovely, crispy and fluffy and a treat! I enjoyed the scrambled eggs as well available at the hot food section, alongside grilled vegetables, mushrooms, bacon and sausages. The scrambled eggs were beautifully fluffy and creamy and absolutely delicious! I don’t usually enjoy scrambled eggs but these I did.

They also have crepes and pancakes made to order so be sure to place your order with your server, together with coffee of your choice. I looked forward to having breakfast every day I was there, which is a good thing. By Asian hotel standards, the buffet was small, but it was of high quality and that is much more important.

Roof Top Bar and Restaurant

I had drinks and some food at the Roof Top Bar and Restaurant one evening as well. Access to the roof top is quite complicated, necessisating the use of a separate lift that takes you up to the 6th floor directly to the roof. The food was quite good, albeit a little pricey, but more importantly, it is important to make reservations as it is quite a busy restaurant.

The day I was there, it took us about 1 hour to get a table, and about 40 minutes thereafter to be served with our food. By the time the food arrived, I was too tired to eat more than a few mouthfuls, but enough to tell you that the grilled fish and seafood platter is very good.

View of the Hotel Molitor Pool from the room 

Overall

I enjoyed my stay at Hotel Molitor Paris and I do think it is an experience to stay there, if the budget permits. This is a luxury hotel after all, and the price and place and service reflects it. For tourists however, this is a little far off the beaten track and may be too inconvenient getting to and from the main shopping and sightseeing areas of Paris.

Hotel Molitor Paris
13 rue Nungesser et Coli,
75016 Paris

Phone : +33 (0) 1 56 07 08 50
Email : contact@mltr.fr

Web: http://www.mltr.fr/en/