Ibis Budget Sarrebourg Buhl

The room and bathroom were much larger than we'd had at other Ibis hotels, which was a welcome surprise. Staff also reacted quickly when we found that the room door opened without a code after two days, and a technician was already there to fix it. We still don't know whether it had been that way all along or had just "happened". It shouldn't have happened in the first place, though. Otherwise, our stay was good.

The self check-in caught us off guard since nobody had told us, and it took a few minutes to spot the machine. After that, the room was just as described: clean, modern, and modular. The hotel is about 10 minutes outside Sarrebourg, and a lot cheaper than staying in town. We were there for our second F1 stay in two days, and it was exactly as promised on the website. Big free car park, no complaints. I'd stay again.

Getting around is the biggest drawback, though that's not the hotel's fault. I'd recommend having your own transport. The town center and train station are a 45-50 minute walk away, while taxis are unreliable and need booking hours, sometimes days, ahead. Even then, that may not be enough, and fares can be monopoly prices. The bus is cheap, but the stop is a 20-minute walk with mostly no sidewalks, and buses run every 75-120 minutes. I stayed six days over New Year's and found the hotel surprisingly efficient despite being unstaffed 90% of the time. I got the entry code by email, had little contact with people, and enjoyed a clean room and comfortable bed. There was a microwave by the vending machine and a dispenser for cold filtered water. The vending food was all unhealthy, with nothing gluten-free or dairy-free. For a hotel promoting healthy activities, they should do much better with food. I'd skip the pricey breakfast and shop at the nearby Lidl.

The room itself was good, as was the breakfast selection, and the staff handling room cleaning and the breakfast buffet were friendly and helpful. But we booked two rooms and never got an email confirmation. On arrival, nobody was there, and it was very hard to reach anyone. Is that a lack of staff or a cost-saving idea? Either way, I think it's the wrong place to cut back. It's a shame for a hotel chain, and not a good way to build a reputation.