Hotel Saint Jacques, Le Puy-en-Velay, France.
Where to Sleep in France ~ Hôtels
Over the course of a long walk through France, there are many possibilities of where to get a good night’s rest. Over the last few years I’ve spent nearly 150 nights in France, in lodgings spanning the full range from “humble” to “luxury”. Here are a few explanations, opinions, and lessons learned.
Budget is always a factor, as is personal preference, but regardless of how much you can afford, it’s always important to feel your money is well spent. Choices and cost can vary quite a lot from one night to the next, so I’ve tended to try to average out my budget, rather than stress about paying some nightly maximum.
I don’t consider myself especially picky about where I lay my head, but I do appreciate good service and value – and CLEAN is really cool. Throughout this site, I will comment on specific places I’ve stayed, and cite those that are “Recommended by Longwalking”. These are all places I’d be happy to visit again, based on how they were the last time.
Here are some notes on my experiences at French hotels…
A hôtel is a private business with rooms, and most commonly, a restaurant, and/or a bar. As is common in many parts of the world, France has a system of hotel standards designated by stars. A hotel can have no stars, or from one star (*) to five stars (*****). These are generally presumed to define the level of service and luxury, but in my experience this is a woefully inadequate way of deciding where to spend a restful night.
The number of stars is based on various criteria that may well have no real significance to a backpacking hiker. The existence of (and size of) an elevator, whether or not the front desk is attended at all times, the width of a staircase, even whether there is a separate entrance – are all factors in how many stars a hotel can be awarded.
Other important aspects of a guest’s stay, such as friendly service, helpful staff, cleanliness, comfortable mattress, number of towels, etc. – all essential contributors to a happy stay – frequently have no real relationship to stellar magnitude. The bottom line is you can’t predict how enjoyable your experience will be based on the number of stars a given hotel has.
Happily, I have mostly experienced at least adequate and reasonable hotel accommodations, if sometimes grossly overpriced. All in all, when it comes to French hotels, I’m a fan of two-star (**) hotels. I have rarely spent a more satisfying evening at a 3-star (***), 4-star (****), or 5-star (*****) hotel, but have frequently found them no better, and too often inferior to their more modest brethren. At this point, I always look for an alternative to these three “superior” classes.
My most enjoyable and memorable hotel stays have all been in smaller establishments ranking from zero to two stars. These are frequently in older, even historic buildings, and the proprietors often live on site, so it’s their home as well as their business.
The rate is normally based on the room, not the number of guests sharing the room, other than an additional charge per person if breakfast (la petite dejeuner) is included, plus the local nightly tourist tax (la taxe de sejour).
You can often save some money by requesting demi-pension, which is a flat rate for the room, the nightly dinner menu (which usually includes wine), and breakfast. This is also sometimes called a soirée etape, which will generally be given, if available, to a walker who asks for it.
It’s customary and expected that you’ll want to see the room before accepting it (unlike in the USA), so don’t hesitate to ask. If it’s not to your liking, ask for something different.
A room with en suite bath (une chambre complete) will have a toilet (WC, pronounced “vay-say”), sink (lavabo) and a shower (douche) or bathtub (baignoire). However there are other combinations that include rooms with only a sink and/or toilet, with the shower and/or toilet down the hall. A hotel might have any combination of these kinds of rooms.
If you see a sign on a hotel that reads COMPLET, that means there is no vacancy, but the attendant may be able to suggest other nearby lodgings. They may even call to inquire about availability.
If you enjoy your stay, don’t hesitate to ask the manager if she or he can recommend accommodations at your next destination. Again, they are frequently happy to call ahead to secure you a room. I’ve often found really nice places to stay this way.
There are many websites listing hotels all over the world, but there are also many hotels that are not on the internet “radar”. I have received excellent recommendations for a good night’s stay from the local town hall (mairie), tourist office (office de tourisme, or syndicat d’initiative), even from local bars, restaurants and shopkeepers. These are all good sources for finding local lodgings.
