Evancy Boulogne-sur-Mer

Boulogne Sur Mer itself was lovely. The people were kind and helpful, we had very good food and service at restaurants and the aquarium, and our taxi driver was cheerful, thoughtful, and so helpful. We enjoyed walking and hiking around the town. It's beautiful and worth visiting, but I would stay somewhere else. At the hotel, the fire alarms screamed in the night and we had to evacuate, with no information or reassurance from staff. We stood out in the cold for nearly half an hour and heard nothing from the hotel afterwards. We slept badly, worried another alarm would go off. The next day, when we asked, we were told it had something to do with a guest cooking, which is allowed in the rooms, and that it was no big deal. Other guests said it had happened before. That makes this lack of safety seem normal at Evancy. We certainly didn't feel safe. There were extra fees too, and nobody told us before booking or even after check-in. If you don't take out your own garbage, they charge nearly 20€. There's another fee if you leave your dishes unwashed, and another if you want clean sheets. The parking garage roof also leaks badly when it rains, right onto cars in some spaces. There was no warning to avoid those spots. We paid 13€ a day, and while we were there the garage flooded through the roof structure onto cars. I'm not sure a garage that leaks like that is even safe. If the hotel had been upfront that all of this came with a stay, I can't imagine many people would take the risk. Another couple we know stayed there, and neither they nor we would have booked if we'd known. Avoid this hotel at least until these serious problems are fixed.

The apartment was small but had plenty of storage and a kitchenette. It was basic, modern, and clean enough. Still, it wasn't worth the money. Getting there felt like arriving in the middle of a building site. There was a lot of work happening nearby, and a partly packed-up circus just outside, so the views from the windows and balcony were grim. The staff seemed miserable and unhelpful, and we got very little information at check-in. We weren't sure where to park and ended up on a gravel wasteland. The online photos weren't recent and gave a completely misleading impression. The property had youth hostel vibes. I wouldn't stay again or recommend it. There are plenty of other places in the area, and I'll book one of those next time.

The rooms have good equipment, though they feel a little basic. The location is excellent.

We had a lovely family trip and a really nice stay. Our top-floor apartment was new and very nice, with a beautiful view, a fully equipped kitchen, and a useful kids-kit. The reception staff were very kind. It did get too warm up there, probably because of the top floor, and there was no air conditioning. We had to keep the windows open, but there were no mosquito nets.