La Croix-Blanche

I spent just one night in La Croix Blanche, and it was a pleasure. The room felt a little dated, but I liked its character, including the unusual room key. I could open the big windows all the way and look outside. The bed was comfortable, and the staff were friendly. Downstairs, I enjoyed reading and having a drink in the lovely living room, with its comfortable chairs, lamps, pictures, and interesting things to look at. It’s a hotel with real character and soul. Rue Joseph Vallot is very central, with the best shops, bars, and restaurants right nearby. I recommend Fromagerie Cheese Forever! I left by bus, and Chamonix Sud bus station is about a 10-minute walk away.

The room was big and very clean, even though it was old, and the location was more than good, right in the centre. We’d booked the cheapest room because the hotel was inexpensive, so I wasn’t expecting much, but it turned out surprisingly well. The staff were really nice and helpful. They gave us a free train card for nearby travel, and there’s a café machine you can use as much as you like. Five stars for this :-)

The staff were lovely, friendly, and helpful, but we were really disappointed with the hotel. It smelled awful. We arrived at the back door where we were dropped off, and I thought we’d walked into a broom cupboard: it was dark and looked like a dumping ground for broken things. The bed was comfortable, but the pillows were awful and so small. The wall behind the shower was falling down, and neither the light above the mirror nor the hairdryer worked. The safe didn’t work either. We weren’t comfortable leaving our keys in a bowl on the desk. You could walk out of the bathroom window across the roof to another hotel window, and vice versa. I know it’s a cheaper hotel, but we felt let down. The TV was tiny, didn’t work for us, and only had French channels.

The staff were friendly, and the lobby has a water fountain and coffee machine you can use, which was nice. The downtown location is very convenient, so most places are easy to reach on foot. The downside was how dated the rooms were. The carpet was worn, and the stair runners were torn.