We had the chance to check out Air France's Salon in Hall M of Terminal 2E recently. While it was a brief visit, there was definitely a lot to see and we're looking forward to sharing the experience with you in another lounge review.
In the words of our contact at Air France, "2E Hall M lounge offers the best of Air France even if it was opened 7 years ago." This is in comparison to 2E Hall L Salon, which is the brand new lounge that fully opened last July.
Entering the lounge was easy enough. Similar to other Air France and KLM lounges, there is a row of machines ready to scan your boarding pass for quick and almost instant access to the lounge. There are also several staff members at the front desk to help with anything else of course.
All the spaces
Seating is very diverse here at the 2E Hall M lounge. Guests have the choice of sitting by the window and basking in natural light, or staying further in and resting in a darker corner.
The lounge has somewhat distinct areas for different purposes. There is the "espace Kids" for children - this includes two Playstations for entertainment. There is also a very well defined and robust work area with comfortable desk chairs. And lastly there is a relaxation area with several lie-flat options. There were many people making use of this space and napping the morning I came through.
Food and beverage
Breakfast at most European lounges are quite standard - scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, breads, juices, and yogurt. This lounge was no exception with bacon, sausage and eggs as the main hot meals. Therefore, it's hard to comment on food at a lounge when you don't get to see the more unique dishes that may be served at lunch or dinner.
One of three tea/coffee stations. Photo: Chris Loh/Simple Flying
Refreshments and alcohol are varied and readily available at this lounge. Again, it would be nice to have a water dispenser rather than cracking open a plastic bottle every time.
Clarins spa treatment
I made an attempt to treat myself to the free spa treatments at this lounge but the signage at the counter informed me that there were no more spaces available. So sad! But if you have a longer layover, perhaps this is something you can stick around for. It's only available at the international Air France lounges (Terminal 2E). Here is what Air France has to say about it:
"Air France and Clarins are pleased to offer you new free spa treatments in the relaxation areas of the Business lounges at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport ... Skilled Clarins professionals welcome you in a serene setting for exceptional treatments that use exclusively plant-based products."
My time at this lounge was too short. It would have been nice to be able to enjoy a lunch or dinner service rather than breakfast, and a spa treatment would have been fun as well! Other than that, the lounge is beautiful and spacious and offers plenty of amenities to keep passengers well-fed and comfortable during their journey.