B&B HOTEL Chaumont

The parking lot was large and easy to use, which was the one bright spot. Inside, it felt cold and a little dated. There was no carpet, and the walls were very thin. It was cheap, but not comfortable, so I wouldn't recommend staying here.

The room and shower were good, making this a handy place to stop overnight. Check-in can be awkward: reception is open only in the morning and again after 5 p.m. If you arrive outside those hours, you have to use the entrance terminal. Ours told us to speak to reception, so we used the intercom to get the access code. Breakfast wasn't worth 11.50, with overcooked bacon, barely a spoonful of scrambled egg, and watered-down orange juice.

The self-check-in machines took nearly two hours to sort out because we couldn't work out which reservation number to use. Some clearer instructions beforehand would have saved a lot of frustration. We also had people smoking in the next room despite the ban, and the smell came into ours through the way the rooms are built. Reception should remind guests more firmly about the no-smoking rule. There weren't enough outlets or chairs in our room, and breakfast supplies were missing too. Still, the hotel is very clean, the beds are comfortable, and it's well placed for a stopover. I've stayed with this chain in other cities and have always been satisfied, so I'd choose it again for those reasons.

I hadn't stayed at this hotel before, but I'll come back when I'm passing through Chaumont. The room had everything I needed and was both comfortable and very clean. Good value for the money.