Hôtel de l'Univers

The hotel makes a good base for walking around the city. We had a very quiet, clean room on the second floor, a junior suite, and thought it was good value. One thing to know: parking needs to be booked. That isn’t clear when reserving through booking.com and similar sites. It cost an extra 10 euro, but saved us the hassle of searching for a space.

We had a great stay. The hotel’s in a great location, and the staff were friendly and great. The rooms were a little tired, but I’d definitely stay again.

It’s in a quiet part of Arras, with easy access to the motorway towards either Paris or Calais, which worked well for an overnight stop. Breakfast was good value, with plenty to choose from and lots of tables. Check-in was rather hurried because I arrived late, but the staff were polite and friendly. The bed was clean and comfortable. Our bathroom looked a bit dated, though everything was clean and worked. Our room faced the courtyard, and it could get quite bright, so ask for another room if that would bother you.

We slept well in this quiet part of Arras, and breakfast was plentiful: a self-service buffet with a varied hot and cold selection that was regularly topped up. We’d booked at the last minute and the hotel had no parking spaces left, but the friendly receptionist pointed us to free parking about a 10-minute walk away. The interior feels a little old, and some public-area carpets were threadbare. Our room was cold when we arrived, so we asked staff to turn on the radiators while we went to move the car, and they did. The bar was well stocked, although service was a bit slow. I’d recommend Hôtel de l'Univers for an overnight stay in Arras, a beautiful city.