hotelF1 Beziers Est

We had a room that matched what we could pay, and for a short stay when you mainly need a bed while doing things around the city, I could understand that. Still, there’s a lot to say about the hygiene, especially in the rooms, and it wasn’t acceptable even for a short stay. I wouldn’t be surprised if I get sick when I get home. The reception only opened at 5 p.m., and the machine meant to confirm payment for our rooms didn’t work at all. The receptionist was unpleasant with customers in front of other customers who didn’t speak French. That was already a bad start. We inspected the room as soon as we arrived so we could leave it in the condition we found it, and the problem was obvious straight away: live and dead cockroaches in the room, plus a toilet brush that surely hadn’t been changed. A hotel to avoid. Even if I’d paid a dollar for a room, basic hygiene is the minimum.

The bathrooms are shared and dirty, with no sinks nearby. The sink is in your room, and there’s no soap, so bring your own. Towels aren’t provided either. You can buy a microfiber cloth from the vending machine downstairs or bring a towel. There are only four working showers for the whole hotel at the moment; the others are out of order. Check-in is done at a machine next to the entrance, and reception only opens in the evening. WiFi appears and asks you to sign in, but then gives an error and doesn’t work. You’d be better off at a hostel or camping.

The room was fine, but it was freezing all night, like an igloo. I arrived at 10pm, so reception was closed, and after some confusion I worked out that the front-door code was the same as my personal door code. There was no heat: a draft panel in the window was open, the heater had been disconnected, and the air con only blew lukewarm air, nowhere near enough to make up for the draft. With no reception available, I couldn’t get anything changed. The cold room might be great in summer, but not in winter.

The Wi-Fi was good and check-in was easy. The receptionist was lovely, and breakfast was decent. The rooms were clean and about what you'd expect for the price, though some toilets were unhygienic and a few didn't work. For the price, I'd give it 5/5; overall, 4/5.