Van der Valk Paris CDG Airport? A Peaceful Night at Roissy CDG. And Efficient Seminars

The former Hyatt Regency at Roissy has begun a new life, having been renamed—like a forgotten film rediscovered and revealed to be a masterpiece. Soon, guests will once again dive into the pool at the Van der Valk Roissy CDG Airport.

The airport hotel is a key character in many films and in the lives of businesspeople with packed schedules. We stayed at the Van der Valk hotel in Roissy to assess the traveler experience. The property has been taken over by a Dutch hotelier family, deeply involved and owners of around one hundred establishments worldwide. You can watch planes take off—or almost land—from the hotel, and you eat well there. Prices are reasonable, corporate seminars are frequent, and even board meetings are held here, as some of the meeting rooms and facilities are unique and impressive.

Nanda Luiten, heiress and manager of the Van der Valk hotel group

Nanda Luiten, born in France to Dutch parents, now represents her family at the head of the Van der Valk hotel group. It is an independent, family-owned group with 150 hotels, mainly located in the Netherlands but also present in Germany, Belgium, and France.

“Our hotels always have a family member on site,” she explains. “We are both owners and operators, and each property is a family heritage project, designed for future generations.” This dual role—manager and owner—gives Nanda a rare level of responsiveness in the hotel industry. “During the Covid crisis, we were able to adjust our operations immediately, without going through complex procedures.”

The group’s presence in France

In France, Van der Valk is represented notably in Roissy, with a main hotel of 390 rooms and two smaller adjacent properties. Nanda explains: “The hotel we took over was struggling, with a building in poor condition and very little investment made previously. We immediately launched renovation work while keeping the existing teams in place.”

The goal is clear: to once again become the best hotel in Roissy. Facing competitors such as Marriott or Radisson, the strategy rests on three pillars: product quality, personalized service, and the human touch. “We are not an impersonal chain. Our team is here to serve guests with care and authenticity.”

A diverse and demanding clientele

The hotel attracts a wide range of guests: business travelers, exhibitors and visitors to trade shows, airline crews, as well as families spending a weekend visiting Paris. “We need to win back the market we lost over time, while also building loyalty among leisure guests,” Nanda explains.

Dining and facilities are central to the experience. The restaurant must be welcoming and suitable for all types of guests, including vegetarians and vegans. The group has also recently launched a Sunday brunch—very popular in the Netherlands—to welcome families and strengthen ties with the local community.

Organization and recruitment

Recruitment remains a major challenge. With many student and seasonal positions, it is difficult to retain staff. “Young people often change careers and are less committed than before,” Nanda notes. She adds that they are also experimenting with hiring older profiles—more stable and experienced.

The day-to-day management of a hotel like the one in Roissy is demanding. Nanda describes her schedule: “I have breakfast at the hotel around 9 a.m. to observe the teams, then I work in the office until 8 p.m., between meetings, management, and monitoring renovation projects.” Nanda’s sister, an interior architect, is also involved in designing and overseeing the renovations, ensuring close attention to every detail.

Passion and family vision

For Nanda, running a family hotel is not just a job: “It’s my passion. I don’t see it as a constraint, but as a life project.” Her approach combines pragmatism with a sense of hospitality: honoring promises made to guests, guaranteeing quality, and staying close to her team.

She concludes by emphasizing the importance of staying curious and attentive: “In this profession, you are constantly learning. You have to keep your eyes open, understand guests’ needs, and evolve with them. Even solid training cannot replace hands-on experience.”

Renovating and investing: the foundation of quality in hospitality to meet modern standards

What is not said here—and is well worth seeing on site—can be summed up in three points: 20 seminar rooms, including one that can host up to 480 people; product quality, enhanced by recent investments (bedding, seminar equipment, catering); and… a swimming pool, currently under renovation and soon to reopen. Empty and sadly silent, it brings to mind the pool in Deep End, the long-forgotten film by Jerzy Skolimowski, recently released on DVD.

Like the film, the former Hyatt Regency is promised a new life. Tonight, a room costs €159, and parking is free for eight days if you are flying. Ready to board?

The En-Contact editorial team.