On my recent business class trip with Etihad Airways, we were directed to this lounge in Paris Charles de Gaulle at Terminal 2A. Etihad does have its own first and business class lounge at the airport, located in the connector building between terminals 2A and 2C, but it is temporarily closed.

Accessing the lounge

Passengers traveling from terminal 2A at Paris Charles De Gaulle on a number of international airlines will find they are directed to the Salon Paul Maxence in the airport. The lounge is shared by several carriers, including El Al, Saudia, Kuwait Airlines, Ukraine International, Air Senegal and Etihad.

Passengers who have a business class ticket with participating airlines are welcomed in the lounge. At present, some flights are operating from unusual terminals and some airline lounges remain closed, so there are a variety of flights that will land you in the Salon Paul Maxence lounge for the time being.

The lounge does not appear to be allowing paid entry right now, as so many carriers are relying on it, but will likely revert to this later; the cost is around €40 ($44).

It’s easy to find as you exit security, adjacent to the Louis Vuitton store and almost directly opposite where you pop out from the security lanes. As a personal recommendation, I would suggest taking the lift. The three flights of stairs might seem like a good idea for pre-flight exercise, but with a heavy bag in tow, the decision to walk could lead to regret about halfway up staircase two.

Into the lounge

The lounge entrance is pretty standard; nice looking and clean. Behind the entrance is an interesting view down to the main airport area, with a glass hanging sculpture adding to the wonder.

Reception is immediately inside the entrance, where boarding passes or loyalty cards will be checked and confirmed.

Entering the lounge, the first two rooms passed are perhaps two of the most interesting. On the right is a computer area, with ergonomic office chairs and power points available for use. On the left is a children’s playroom, with squishy beanbags, a large TV screen, and low tables for playing and coloring – a thoughtful addition.

Through to the main lounge, and the aesthetic is certainly very complimentary for Etihad. Browns and golds mix with cream and flashes of turquoise, definitely echoing a Middle Eastern vibe.

Immediately after entering, the bar can be found on the right-hand side. To the left is an area of comfortable armchair-style seating, facing large TV screens showing rolling news bulletins. On the right, passengers can find a dining area, a good alternative to the computer room for sitting up and working comfortably, or enjoying some nourishment from the buffet.

Further back, a magazine rack offers a selection of local and international publications, while a second lounge area with a mix of seats and sofas can be found at the far end of the space. Right at the back is a private room, available for anyone’s use, and perfect for relaxing away from the chatter of the main lounge, or holding a meeting with colleagues.

The bathrooms are down a corridor adjacent to the bar. Men’s and women’s bathrooms are clean and stylish, but small. In the women’s washroom, only two cubicles are available, plus one large disabled cubicle complete with a shower. It wasn’t clear if all guests could make use of the shower, but I didn’t see more anywhere else.

Food and drink

From the bar, the lounge has a wide selection of beers, wines, and spirits. Bottled water, both still and sparkling, was available on a ‘help yourself’ basis, whereas everything else was served by the staff. Coffee, tea, and soft drinks were also on offer.

The food buffet was small but of good quality. When I visited, there were six different hot dishes – salmon in cream sauce, chicken in Basque sauce, ratatouille, broccoli, rice and grenaile potatoes. It was easy to make a tasty meal out of what was there – I went for salmon, rice, and broccoli.

In the cold selection, there were delicious-looking cold salads, including a quinoa salad I added to my plate. There was also a couscous salad and a garden salad, as well as various dressings and sauces.

Finally, the buffet had a selection of breads and cheeses, some dessert options including pastries and doughnuts, and some yogurts.

The spread was modest, yet well thought out. There were enough options to satisfy most pallets. If you’re lucky, the attentive staff will appear with smoked salmon bagels or portions of Croque monsieur from time to time, which is a nice touch.

The verdict

As a non-airline lounge, this is a good stop-gap that didn’t get too busy while I was there. You can imagine, however, that during peak departure times there would likely be something of a crowd with so many airlines being served by the one space.

I appreciated the food and drink – there was plenty of it and an adequate selection. The seating options were plentiful, but it would have been nice to have more areas where a laptop could be used comfortably. In addition, there were no power outlets to be seen in the dining area – the obvious place to head with a laptop if the small office room is occupied. There weren’t any obvious outlets in armchair seating areas either.

Most frustratingly, there were no departure boards located in the lounge. This meant you had to be aware of your boarding time, and to keep an eye on the clock while enjoying the amenities. On the upside, the WiFi was free, fast and easy to access via a QR code, so it was simple to fire up the CDG departure board on my own device.

If you’re traveling as a premium passenger with any of the airlines that rely on the Salon Paul Maxence, you won’t be disappointed by the facilities here. However, if you’re using Priority Pass or paying for access, other lounges are more spacious and offer a wider range of facilities, such as the Sheltair in 2D.